Canna Provisions CEO Meg Sanders argues for a strong Berkshires cannabis community and that the cannabis industry’s biggest test in 2026 is not what it sells, but what it has done for the towns it operates in. Here is her case for being more than a dispensary in the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and across Massachusetts.
This piece originally appeared as Meg Sanders’ Cannabis Corner column in the May 2026 Berkshire Business Journal and in The Berkshire Eagle. Read the original at The Berkshire Business Journal or The Berkshire Eagle.
It’s spring in the Berkshires, and we just finished one of our busiest 4/20 stretches yet. The energy in the store was real. The team showed up, customers came out, and in the middle of all of it – between the pop-ups and the foot traffic and the long hours – I kept coming back to the same thought.
It was good to see all that celebration and pride from our customers on 4/20. But there is a bigger conversation happening across the local cannabis industry right now that I think every operator needs to hear, whether you’re in the Berkshires, where our stores in Lee and Pittsfield are located, the Pioneer Valley where we operate our Holyoke shop, or anywhere in the Bay State.
That conversation is about what we actually mean to the communities we operate in – and whether we’ve done a good enough job making sure people know it.
Most Cannabis Businesses Do More for Their Towns Than Their Towns Realize
Most cannabis businesses do more for their towns than their towns realize. The lack of awareness may or may not be our fault, but it is definitely our responsibility.
At Canna Provisions, we’ve been intentional about community involvement from the beginning. Not because it’s good marketing – because we live here. We’re a woman-led, employee-owned business with about 60 people on staff. Those 60 people buy gas in Lee. They eat lunch at the restaurants down the street. They get their oil changed at the shop around the corner. Their kids play on the same sports teams as everybody else’s kids.
That’s less a talking point and more a reflection of another Tuesday as a local community member living and loving life in this region.
What “Showing Up” Looks Like in a Berkshires cannabis community for a Berkshires Cannabis Dispensary
Beyond the daily spending and economic impact, we show up for the social fabric of the area. We’ve donated time and resources to the Lions Club, the Rotary, local parade committees, and restaurant weeks. Our team has been organizers and participants at Founders Day, community dinners, and holiday events – from decorating Main Street for Christmas to leading the “World’s Smallest St. Patrick’s Day Parade” at the Locker Room in Lee.
We support local nonprofits and small organizations most people have never heard of, because they asked and because we could. We sponsor things not because we need a banner with our logo on it, but because being a good neighbor is how you earn the right to be part of a community. And we’re proud to be part of that community. It’s our responsibility to help make the community proud of us as well.
We’re not the only ones. There are cannabis operators across this state doing the same quiet work. Volunteering. Donating. Employing local people, paying local taxes, supporting local causes. The problem is that most of them haven’t told that story clearly enough, or often enough, or at all. And I include us in that, too. We can do better.
Why the Story Matters Now: The 2026 Massachusetts Cannabis Ballot Initiative
I’m writing about this now because the timing matters. There is a ballot initiative moving through the Massachusetts process right now that would effectively end adult-use cannabis retail in this state. I’ve written about the specifics elsewhere in the space this column provides, and I’ll spare you the policy deep-dive here.
The relevant point: when the time comes for communities to weigh in on whether cannabis businesses belong in their towns, the answer is going to depend on whether those communities actually know not what we’ve sold them – but what we’ve done for them. There’s a difference.
An Invitation to Every Massachusetts Cannabis Operator
So this is less a warning and more an invitation. If you’re a cannabis operator in the Berkshires, or anywhere in Massachusetts, take stock of what you’ve contributed to your community over the last year. The donations, the sponsorships, the volunteer hours, the local partnerships, the jobs. Write it down. Not for a press release – for yourself. You might be surprised at how much it adds up to. You might also realize you haven’t shared any of it in a way your neighbors would remember.
Then share it. Simply. Honestly. A display in the store. A post on social media. A note in your next customer email. Something that says: here’s what we’ve been up to beyond the register. We’re proud of it, and we wanted you to know.
This isn’t about bragging. It’s about making sure the people who live next to you, shop with you, and drive past your store every day understand that you’re not just a dispensary. You’re a local business that contributes to the community the same way the brewery does, the same way the restaurant does, the same way the hardware store does. The only difference is what you sell – and what you sell is something voters in this state chose to make legal.
For Cannabis Consumers in the Berkshires: What to Look For in a Berkshires cannabis community
For consumers reading this: pay attention to which cannabis businesses in your area are actually showing up for the community, and which ones are just selling product. There’s a difference, and that difference matters more this year than it has in a long time. The businesses that have invested in being real neighbors are the ones worth supporting – not just with your purchases, but with your attention when it counts most.
If you want to see how we live this every day, you can stop by our Lee, MA shop in the heart of the Berkshires, our Holyoke location in the Pioneer Valley, or our newest store in Pittsfield near Bousquet Mountain. The staff behind the counter are the same neighbors organizing the parade, sponsoring the restaurant week, and showing up at Founders Day. That’s not a coincidence. That’s the point.
Common Questions About Community Cannabis Dispensaries in Massachusetts
What does it mean for a cannabis dispensary to be employee-owned?
An employee-owned cannabis dispensary – often structured as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – means the workers themselves hold ownership stakes in the business. At Canna Provisions, that translates into about 60 local employees who are not just staff but stakeholders. ESOP structures are rare in U.S. cannabis retail, where corporate roll-up ownership is far more common.
Where are the Canna Provisions cannabis dispensary locations in Massachusetts?
Canna Provisions operates recreational cannabis dispensaries in three Massachusetts communities: Lee in the Berkshires, Holyoke in the Pioneer Valley, and a newest location in Pittsfield near Bousquet Mountain. All locations are open to adults 21 and over with a valid government-issued ID and welcome out-of-state recreational visitors.
What is the 2026 Massachusetts cannabis ballot initiative?
The 2026 ballot initiative is a Massachusetts proposal that would effectively end adult-use cannabis retail in the state while allowing limited personal possession. According to coverage from Marijuana Moment and other industry outlets, the signature drive was funded primarily by national prohibition groups rather than a Massachusetts grassroots effort. The measure is expected to be on the November 2026 ballot if its proponents meet the remaining signature threshold.
Visit Canna Provisions in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley
At Canna Provisions, we’re going to keep doing what we’ve always done. Showing up at local events. Donating where we can. Employing good people and making sure they’re proud of where they work. We’re also going to get better at telling that story – because the moment is here and the stakes are real.
We are more than a dispensary. Every cannabis business in Massachusetts should be able to say the same. And every one of them should make sure their community knows it, before someone else tells them otherwise.
Visit Canna Provisions: Lee, MA | Holyoke, MA | Pittsfield, MA (near Bousquet Mountain)
This column originally ran in the May 2026 Berkshire Business Journal and in The Berkshire Eagle, under the byline of Meg Sanders, CEO and co-founder of Canna Provisions. Read the original feature at The Berkshire Business Journal or The Berkshire Eagle.
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