When Suncrafted Cannabis, a Holistic Health Group company, opened its doors for retail sales last fall, it promised to be a different kind of cannabis operation, with a focus on sustainable practices in cannabis production. At its grand opening on April 20—AKA 420—Suncrafted will show off its commitment to sustainability and innovative therapeutic cannabis products, as well as being a positive force in the local business community and the greater Massachusetts cannabis industry.
A ribbon-cutting with local officials and members of the business community and the general public will headline the April 20 grand opening. Food trucks will provide refreshments with live music for entertainment. Suncrafted Cannabis representatives will also be available to share information on its products and educate visitors on the benefits of cannabis beyond recreational use.
“420 is synonymous with smoking marijuana,” said Suncrafted Cannabis President Tim McNamara, referring to the now famous group of five students at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California who in 1971 began meeting at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana. “Consumption is strictly prohibited at the facility and at our grand opening, but we will have a number of notable activities.”
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Those other activities include the selection of a winner of an EforAll Pitch Contest—the E stands for Entrepreneurship for All.
“EforAll is a great organization that helps budding entrepreneurs get their start. I’ve volunteered as a mentor for EforAll on the Cape for years,” said McNamara.
This particular Pitch Contest is for entrepreneurs interested in starting an “ancillary” cannabis-related business, with a focus on Fall River and New Bedford, both areas of disproportionate impact under State cannabis regulations. Winners are entitled to grant money, as well as general exposure and other business opportunities.
Aside from being a business, Suncrafted Cannabis looks to educate consumers on the medicinal benefits of cannabis.
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“We take a more holistic look at cannabis and what it can do for your overall health and wellness, including the conditions it addresses,” said McNamara. “To that end, our products use only holistic formulations, and our dispensary hosts a “Medical Monday,” when a registered nurse who specializes in medical marijuana visits with patients to explain cannabis dosage, and how it is used by patients for health issues.”
Continuing the opening festivities, Friday April 21, Suncrafted will also kick off its “Farm Fresh Fridays,” inviting patients and customers, as well as other local farms, to purchase clones for their own gardens. Then, on Saturday the 22nd, Suncrafted will hold a job fair. Suncrafted Cannabis current employs 30, as well as seasonal help. Visitors to the grand opening can also fill out job applications if interested.
Beyond its influence on the local business community, the company is an outspoken leader for sustainable practices in cannabis production from seed to sale. Preparing to cultivate outdoors for its fourth season in 2023, this year represents its fourth year of advising the Cannabis Control Commission, along with others in the Sungrown Cannabis Alliance, on how to make this low environmental impact form of production into a commercially viable option. The group’s efforts have included advocating for the use of organic pest control methods used by hemp growers, which became a reality earlier this year. Suncrafted and other Massachusetts growers are now focused on reforming testing criteria to account for these changes.
Suncrafted’s other sustainable activities include growing inside the company’s brand new state-of-the-art facility. Stock “mother” plants, and slower growth “vegetative” plants are efficiently nurtured in vertical grow systems under energy efficient LED lights, but all high intensity “flower” growth occurs in the company’s hybrid greenhouses. Depending on season, cannabis cultivation under greenhouses can reduce energy consumption by 40-60 percent versus “indoor” grow methods.
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Additionally, the facility also hosts a “solventless” live rosin lab, which harnesses only ice and water to “wash” the plant of its most valuable compounds. Though the company has operated for just four months, Suncrafted’s rosin took first- and third-place wins at the New England Cannabis Convention, competing against operators open for more than a decade.
To attend the grand opening, guests must be 21 years of age or older. The public is welcome. To RSVP, contact Suncrafted Cannabis at 1-833-SUNCRAFT or email. Suncrafted Cannabis is open Sun-Wed from 9am to 6pm, Thurs-Sat. from 9am to 9pm.
