Fyre Ants Dispensary in Easthampton MA

Fyre Ants, a dispensary with a story on the walls

Most dispensaries do not come with a mascot, a throne and a treasure map. Fyre Ants Dispensary in Easthampton MA does. The Easthampton shop at 102 Northampton Street fills a former car showroom with murals of an ant who finds a treasure map and brings a new crop to a new world, and it wraps the whole thing around a simple idea from the people who opened it: “we’re building a colony of people.”

Fyre Ants says its goal is to bring premium products and personalized service to the heart of the Paradise City arts community. If you live in Easthampton, or you are on your way up Route 10, here is what to know before you go.

What the name means

The name is not random. When the shop opened, the Daily Hampshire Gazette explained that ANTS is an acronym for the four things that matter when you judge cannabis:

A is for appearance
N is for nose, or scent
T is for taste
S is for strength

And “Fyre”? That is simply the founders’ own spelling of fire. Once you know the code, it is a handy checklist for your own shopping. Look at the bud, smell it, think about flavor, and ask about strength.

From Buick dealership to dispensary

The building has a long Easthampton history. According to the Gazette, 102 Northampton Street was the longtime home of Cernak Buick. Samuel Cernak started the business in 1940 selling Studebakers, and it became a Buick dealership eight years later. The dealership closed in 2020.

Fyre Ants kept a key piece of that past. The tinted showroom windows stayed, so shoppers can still look out at Mount Tom, with curtains drawn at night. Inside, the renovation added new carpets, doors, tiling and display cases, plus two chandeliers. The open layout is different from many dispensaries, and that was on purpose.

A throne, murals and ant colonies

Fyre Ants wanted the store to be fun. A permanent throne installation, built by Joseph Pesce of Pygmalion Elements & Sculpture, gives shoppers a photo spot, and artist Miranda Robbles painted the hallway murals that tell the ant’s treasure map story. A display case even holds two miniature ant colony scenes, one beach-like and one full of greenery. Co-manager Leakhena Kasom told the Gazette the throne was added to be “fun and really creative.”

Open since January 2022

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 102 Northampton Street as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since January 7, 2022. The shop held a soft opening first, with about 60 customers on the first day, then celebrated with a ribbon-cutting grand opening later that month. Totally Baked 413, a Holyoke bakery, supplied the coffee and treats. At the time, Fyre Ants was Easthampton’s fifth cannabis retailer. The Gazette noted that adult-use retail special permits in Easthampton were capped at six, so Fyre Ants was one of only a handful of shops allowed in town. Apical Inc., the company doing business as Fyre Ants, had won its special permit for adult-use retail in 2020, the same year the Buick dealership closed.

Quality that is affordable

From the start, Fyre Ants set out to keep prices fair. At opening, co-manager Kot Kasom said the shop wanted to fill a gap in the market with lower prices. “We wanted to provide a quality product that’s affordable and accessible to more,” he told the Gazette.

Shoppers seem to agree. Reviews on the Fyre Ants website praise the vibe and the prices, and one regular gives some advice worth passing along: “Make sure to sign up for their loyalty program.” Others call out budtenders by name for going above and beyond.

A family of shops

Fyre Ants has a sister store, EMBR, which the Gazette reported was planned for Northampton when Fyre Ants opened. The two shops share the same spirit of good products, fair prices and a team that knows its regulars.

What’s on the menu

Fyre Ants carries flower, pre-rolls, vape pens, concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals and accessories. Menus change often, so use the View Menu link on the website to see what is in stock before you go, and check the Shop Specials page for current deals.

Vape tips from the Fyre Ants blog

Vapes are a big part of many dispensary menus, and the Fyre Ants blog has a couple of handy guides if you are trying to choose.

Pen or cart? In its post on vape pens versus carts, Fyre Ants explains the difference. A vape pen is a compact, all-in-one device. Disposable pens come pre-filled and are ready to go, while reusable pens take your own concentrate. A cartridge system pairs a pre-filled cart with a battery, so you can swap strains and flavors whenever you like. The blog notes that 510-thread carts fit most vape batteries, while proprietary carts only work with their own brand of device. Its quick guide: pick a disposable if you want low maintenance, a 510 cart system if you want variety and longer battery life, and a reusable pen if you want to choose your own concentrate.

How long will a cart last? Another post breaks down what makes a cart go further. A 1ml cart holds about twice as much oil as a 0.5ml cart. Distillate carts are highly concentrated, so people tend to use less per draw, while the bold flavor of live resin can tempt you to hit it more often. Your habits matter most. “Longer, deeper draws will use up more of the cart’s content,” the blog says, and a higher voltage setting burns through oil faster too. Short, measured draws at a lower setting will stretch it out.

Order ahead

In a hurry? Fyre Ants has an Order Ahead option on its website. Pick your products online and they will be ready when you get there, which is handy on a busy weekend night.

Late nights, early mornings

Fyre Ants keeps some of the longest hours around. The shop is open Sunday through Wednesday from 8am to 9pm, and Thursday through Saturday from 8am to 11pm. Whether you are an early riser or out late after a show on Cottage Street, the door is open.

Plan your visit

Address. 102 Northampton Street, Easthampton, MA 01027.

Hours. Sunday through Wednesday, 8am to 9pm. Thursday through Saturday, 8am to 11pm.

Phone. (413) 203-1648.

Order ahead. Use the Order Ahead link on the Fyre Ants website.

Adults 21+. Fyre Ants is an adult-use dispensary. Bring a state-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older.

Loyalty. Ask about the loyalty program on your first visit.

Massachusetts cannabis basics

Here are the state rules from the Cannabis Control Commission:

Age. 21 or older, with a government-issued ID for every retail purchase.
Carrying. Up to two ounces in public.
At home. Up to 10 ounces, and anything over two ounces must be locked up.
Where to use it. Not in public places and not on federal land.
In the car. No open containers in the passenger area. Use a closed container in the trunk or a locked glove compartment, and never drive under the influence.
State lines. It is illegal to take cannabis out of Massachusetts, and it cannot be mailed.

Your first visit, step by step

Check the menu online. See what is in stock and what is on special.
Order ahead if you like. It saves time on busy nights.
Bring your ID. A state-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older.
Use the ANTS checklist. Appearance, nose, taste and strength.
Join the loyalty program. Regulars say it is worth it.

Make a day of it in Easthampton

Easthampton is a Hampshire County city of 16,211 people (2020 census), tucked between Northampton and Mount Tom in the Pioneer Valley. It was settled in 1664 as the village of Pascommuck, part of Northampton, became a district in 1785 and a town in 1809, and voted to become a city in 1996, though it still keeps “Town” in its official name.

The city grew up on buttons. Samuel Williston founded the Williston-Knight Button Company in 1847 to make cloth-covered buttons, and the dam built to power its machinery created Nashawannuck Pond, which is still a local favorite today. The Williston Northampton School, a private prep school, is based in town.

Easthampton has reinvented itself as an arts hub. The Cottage Street Cultural District was named by the state in 2013, and Eastworks, a former Stanley Home Products factory, now holds artists’ studios, offices and restaurants. Fyre Ants points visitors to One Cottage Street Studios, Eastworks and Old Town Hall for art, and to Apollo Grill, Galaxy Restaurant, Tandem Bagel Company and New City Brewery for food and drink.

If you want to get outside, Mount Tom State Reservation is right there, and Mount Tom’s 1,202-foot summit is the highest traprock peak on the Metacomet Ridge. The Manhan Rail Trail, built on an old railroad line, runs right through town. Route 10, which becomes Northampton Street, leads about 5 miles northeast to Northampton.

Why Fyre Ants is worth the stop

A dispensary in a 1940s car showroom, a throne built for photos, murals with a story to tell, Mount Tom out the window and hours that run late: Fyre Ants is one of the most memorable cannabis stops in the Pioneer Valley. Come see the colony for yourself.

Cannabis is for adults 21 and over. Please consume responsibly.