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Peek Inside Nantucket’s First Cannabis Dispensary

The Green Lady is set to open this weekend.

By Tessa Yannone· 8/8/2019, 4:13 p.m.

Photo provided

After two years of planning and preparation, Nantucket will get its first recreational marijuana dispensary this weekend.

On August 11, The Green Lady will swing its doors open to those both visiting for the summer and who call the island home year round. The family-owned and operated business received final state sign off on Wednesday, which was the final piece needed to move forward in the process.

Nicole Campbell, owner and chief operating officer, who runs the business with her husband and daughter, tells me over the phone how excited they are to finally be at this point. She says waiting for that final sign-off felt like forever.

Located on Amelia Drive, in the middle of the island, the 7,300-square-foot facility is housed in a former dental office and home. Campbell says from the outside it looks just like any other building on Nantucket, which she likes, calling it a “secret mystery.”

Being located on the island, as opposed to the mainland, presents a different set of circumstances though.

“We’re 30-miles out in the ocean, surrounded by federal waters,” Campbell says. “Making everything a little more difficult.” Difficulties arise in two instances. First, The Green Lady can’t buy or ship products from the mainland and second, they can’t send products to be tested in a lab.

In order to abide by federal legislation, they’ll do mostly everything in-house through a vertically integrated system. In other words, The Green Lady isn’t just a retail store but a cultivation facility, production lab, and commercial kitchen. They will also do all product testing in-house and send out the soil of the plant to be tested for pesticides.

The dispensary will operate on an appointment-only basis, due to concerns from the island regarding traffic and congestion in the area. They will offer a wide selection of products like flower, pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, and more for customers to choose from.

“We’ve set aside 30-minutes for every appointment, which we’re calling a ‘bud tending’ session” she says. “People have so many questions and we want to make sure we’re offering that education component. During a ‘bud tending’ session you’ll meet with a ‘bud tender’ who can take the full half-hour to discuss the different products, strains, and dosages to understand what they’re purchasing.”

All appointments are already sold out for the first two days of operation—people are excited—but probably not as excited as Campbell. “I won’t be able to sleep on Saturday night. It’ll be like waiting for Christmas morning.”