420 IN THE 508: SEPTEMBER 2021

Logo by Kevin La

Major Things Happening on Millbury St

I was lucky enough to get an early tour of the new cannabis retail space opening up at 76 Millbury St. called Major Bloom. Owner Ulysess Youngblood describes it as a cannabis establishment because what they’re looking to offer the public is far more than just a dispensary shopping experience. In addition to seeing their beautiful retail space designed with old factory and repurposed furniture, I was also able to see their commercial kitchen space where edibles are going to be created in the shop. I was very excited to hear Ulysses’ plans for both the company and the neighborhood. He recognizes that Major Bloom can impact an already crowded space by defining their niche and focusing on their type of clients. Major Bloom prides itself on being an impact-driven Cannabis lifestyle brand with a mission of creating positive social change. They are pursuing their B Corp certification and plan to help to fund educational scholarships, career and entrepreneurial counseling and community charities to change the future for those impacted by the on-going drug crisis. I love that they are taking a different approach than a lot of the other operators in our scene. I also can’t wait to try all the products that will be created and sold through their licensed culinary program. By the time this article is out, hopefully their space is open to the public, but as of this writing they are still waiting for the state to grant the final permission. So when you get the chance, go stop by Major Bloom on Millbury St. Better yet plan to make a little trip out of it. Pop over to Scoop Drip for some shoes and munchies. Maybe go see a band play at Electric Haze? Or just enjoy some patio time at Nicks. That neighborhood has a lot of cool stuff to offer. 

Drop the Charges

With the Olympics in full effect, and another world class athlete being penalized for cannabis, it felt like a fitting time to preach to the choir about how dumb this is. Sha’Carri Richardson is one of the fastest women on the planet. It shouldn’t matter that she has cannabis in her system, regardless of the reason, especially if she was in a legal setting when ingesting. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe recognizes that the rules should be reviewed, but it feels like this is just glad-handing for the camera. This may end up just being a reduction on the penalty severity, but until weed is legal worldwide, it’ll remain on the banned substance list. It’s frustrating to know how many healing and healthy benefits our beloved plant has and how it can help these high profile athletes maintain their mental health during these high-stress situations. Though I do enjoy how we keep getting these wonderful contradictions to the stigma that potheads are fat and lazy. Michael Phelps could probably take an eighth to the face and still dominate race after race. Oh well, go sports.

Is It Better to Have Just Enough?

I conducted a survey around some of my cannabis friends asking how they’re making their purchases these days. I’m not talking about whether or not they’re buying off the street per se, what I’m asking is are you still buying in bulk or are you treating it more like the grocery store and only going when you need more supplies? Typically the answer was relative to the amount of disposable income and the quantity of consumption. But for the average habitual users around me, it seems like there’s been a shift into not buying whole ounces at a time and instead going for smaller increments. There are some savings to be had when buying in bulk, however, when I have access to that much cannabis I tend to go through it a little faster than as if I had a shortened supply. There’s certainly been times when I have done myself in and don’t have enough to get through the night so that’s one way buying in bulk seems to be the better situation. So how are you buying it? Do you still buy a big old stash or do you treat it more like a liquor store and only buy supplies you need? My research isn’t complete without your feedback. 

Thanks for reading and happy trails!

-Travis (@hunchbacktravis)