Cannabis Connection Director Curt Gezotis said that the line for Westfield’s first cannabis dispensary was out the door throughout the day. (PETER CURRIER PHOTO)
WESTFIELD- Cannabis Connection celebrated their first 4/20 less than a year after its grand opening and the owners are calling the day a great success.
Cannabis Connection Director Curt Gezotis said April 21 that the store’s first April 20 brought in 850 customers. They sold more than 3,000 individual products. He said that the holiday is a way for most cannabis companies to reward their customers for their loyalty throughout the year.
“Profit margins go way down on 4/20 because we want to help the customer out,” said Gezotis.
April 20 is an unofficial holiday celebrating cannabis use. The holiday’s exact origins have never been clear, but the long lines at Cannabis Connection throughout the day show that it is widely celebrated.
Gezotis said that Cannabis Connection has been a net benefit to Westfield as its first marijuana dispensary.
“I feel that we have been a good partner to the community,” said Gezotis.
He said that the store created 35 local jobs with full benefits and has contributed about $400,000 in local tax revenue thus far. If one includes the community host fee, that number could be as high as $800,000.
“I don’t think it could have worked out any better. I think we were able to pull off the best of both worlds,” said Gezotis.
When deciding how to go about their first 4/20, Gezotis said that they looked at what was being offered at other local dispensaries to gauge what kind of deals they should be offering.
North Elm Butcher Block set up a stand outside the shop to serve food to customers. A Northampton-based cannabis vape company called Fernway also set up a stand with a wheel one could spin to win small prizes.
Gezotis said that on April 22 the Grateful Dead Bertha Bus made an appearance at Cannabis Connection to promote Garcia Hand Picked, a cannabis line developed by the family of the late musician Jerry Garcia.
