Cal Verde Dispensary in Belmont MA

Cal Verde, Belmont’s hometown dispensary

Belmont calls itself “The Town of Homes,” and for a long time it was a town without a cannabis shop. Cal Verde Dispensary in Belmont MA changed that. The woman-owned dispensary at 1010 Pleasant Street opened in 2023 as Belmont’s first cannabis retailer since Massachusetts legalized adult use in 2016, and the Belmont Voice reports it is still the only active one in town.

Cal Verde’s tagline sums up the mood: “Nurture with Nature.” The store says it is “committed to providing you a best-in-class retail experience,” and it welcomes “everyone, from first-timers to seasoned connoisseurs.” Here is the story behind the shop and how to plan a visit.

Open since May 2023

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 1010 Pleasant Street as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since May 25, 2023.

The Belmontonian announced the opening on July 1, 2023, with a headline about the shop welcoming “newcomers and seasoned patrons,” and the store held a grand opening celebration on Saturday, July 8. Founder Kelly Tomasello was thrilled. “I am so thrilled to bring the Cal Verde vision to life in Belmont,” she said, calling the project “a labor of love” that had taken more than four years.

A long road to Pleasant Street

The Cal Verde story started years before the doors opened. Tomasello told the Belmont Voice the idea began around 2017, and she first met with town staff in 2019. That October, the Belmontonian reported that Kelly and Stephen Tomasello, a couple from Winchester, planned to open Belmont’s first cannabis shop on Pleasant Street.

At the time, the site was described as a “nondescript commercial storage site.” The plan called for a “retail wellness shop” with a fresh exterior and interior, a repaved parking lot and new security. Kelly brought retail experience as a buyer and manager in California, plus time running two busy restaurants after moving back to New England. Stephen brought about 25 years in retail real estate.

Two women, one vision

Cal Verde’s other leader is Emma Thurston, the chief operating officer, who lives in Belmont with her family. According to the store’s About page, she and Kelly met when Emma was attending Belmont town meetings during Cal Verde’s early planning, and the two “found themselves to be a perfect match to make the Cal Verde vision come to life.”

Emma has been part of Belmont life for years. The About page says she spent more than 25 years in music and pop culture retail and co-owned Damnation Alley Distillery in Belmont from 2013 to 2019. The Belmont Voice notes she was a Town Meeting member and served on the Economic Development Committee. “I worked really hard … to make sure retail could stay here,” she told the paper.

Their shared goals are clear on the About page. Kelly hopes to grow awareness and acceptance of self-care and healthy living, and Emma is passionate about education and reducing the stigma around responsible adult cannabis use.

Inside the shop

Cal Verde did not settle for a plain box. When the build-out wrapped up, the project team described a 4,100 square foot dispensary with separate entrance and exit vestibules, a reception area and a retail floor with “a dark wood, coffered ceiling, custom millwork throughout.” Hardwood and ceramic tile cover the floors, lots of windows bring in natural light, and menus and product details show up on several large flat screens. A long display and checkout counter lets several shoppers get help at once.

Shoppers notice. One reviewer on Cal Verde’s website says, “The interior is gorgeous,” and another describes being greeted by “a delicious smell” that was “reminiscent of a spa.”

What shoppers say

The reviews on Cal Verde’s site keep coming back to people. Shoppers mention budtenders by name, and one writes, “Honestly I’ve never encountered an unfriendly or unhelpful employee at Cal Verde.” Another calls the store “Senior friendly,” with staff who are “knowledgeable and patient with walk-in orders.”

And a detail dog owners will love, from one happy customer: “Bonus, the shop is dog friendly!”

Good neighbors in Belmont

Cal Verde says it is “happy to serve the communities in which we operate,” and it backs that up locally. According to the Belmont Voice, the store has sponsored Belmont Porchfest, the Belmont Farmers’ Market, Belmont Helps and the Belmont Foundation for Education gala. “We try to be really good members of the community while we’re here,” Tomasello told the paper.

The shop also gives back through the town budget. The Belmont Voice reports that Belmont’s cannabis sales tax brought in $39,000 in fiscal 2024 and $91,000 in fiscal 2025. Thurston said Cal Verde contributes enough “to pay for, annually, a full-time employee of the town.”

In July 2026, Cal Verde marked its third anniversary with pizza, a prize wheel and a chance to chat with staff, the owners and state and local officials. The store now employs 16 people. “It feels amazing,” Tomasello said, looking back on “a wonderful three years.”

Cal Verde also makes the case for shopping local on its blog. Its post on woman-owned stores says, “Woman-owned cannabis businesses like ours tend to emphasize inclusivity, sustainability, and wellness,” and argues that money spent locally helps support jobs and community events.

What is on the menu

Cal Verde carries a full range of categories:

Flower and pre-rolls
Vapes
Edibles and beverages, including seltzers
Concentrates
Tinctures and topicals
Accessories and merch

The website has an Our Brands page and a live Menu page, so check what is in stock before you go. The Cannabis Education Center on the site has a short guide for each category, from indica, sativa and hybrid flower to infused drinks and concentrates.

Tips from the Cal Verde blog

Cal Verde’s blog is worth a browse before your first visit. A few highlights:

Know your cannabinoids. The store’s beginner’s guide to cannabinoids explains that THC is the compound behind cannabis’s intoxicating effects, while CBD, CBG and CBC are described as non-intoxicating. It also points out that cannabinoid ratios vary from product to product, so the label is worth a look.

Tinctures, step by step. Cal Verde’s tincture post explains that tinctures are liquid extracts you can take under the tongue or mix into food and drinks. Its advice is the classic one: “start low, go slow.” It also suggests checking whether a tincture is full spectrum or distillate, since the label tells you which kind you are buying.

Summer smarts. The dos and don’ts post suggests heat-friendly products, since chocolate and gummies can melt, and says flower should be stored somewhere cool and dark. It reminds readers to ask before using cannabis around others, never to buy cannabis for someone else, and never to take it across state lines. It also notes that adults in Massachusetts may gift cannabis to other adults as long as no money changes hands.

Plan your visit

Address. 1010 Pleasant Street, Suite A, Belmont, MA 02478.

Hours. Monday through Saturday from 9am to 8pm, and Sunday from 9am to 5pm, according to the store’s website.

Phone. (617) 993-3940.

Parking. One shopper on Cal Verde’s site says the visit “started in the parking lot with lots of free and easily accessible parking.”

Paying. The website does not list payment options, so call ahead to confirm before you go.

Adults 21+. Cal Verde is adult-use only, and you must be 21 or older to enter. Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID.

Stay in the loop. Sign up for the Cal Verde newsletter on the website for news and updates.

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. Cal Verde’s own blog says the same thing: buy locally wherever you are headed.

Your first visit, step by step

Check the menu. Browse the live menu on the Cal Verde website.
Bring your ID. You must be 21 or older to enter.
Call ahead about payment. Confirm how you can pay.
Ask questions. Staff are known for taking time to explain.
Bring the dog. Reviewers say the shop is dog friendly.

Make a day of it in Belmont

Belmont is a town of 27,295 people at the 2020 census, a western suburb of Boston in Middlesex County. It was settled in 1636 and incorporated on March 18, 1859, from parts of Watertown, Waltham and West Cambridge, which is today’s Arlington. The town takes its name from Bellmont, the 200-acre estate of John Perkins Cushing, the biggest donor to the new town’s creation. Cushing Square is named for the estate.

Belmont has three main shopping areas: Belmont Center, home to Town Hall, Cushing Square in the south and Waverley Square in the west. Pleasant Street, which carries Route 60, runs north and south near the middle of town. History fans can look for the William Flagg Homer House and Redtop, once the home of writer William Dean Howells. Painter Winslow Homer also lived in Belmont.

For fresh air, Rock Meadow and Habitat are former farm and estate lands that are open to the public, and Clay Pit Pond was reclaimed from an old dump and quarry off Concord Avenue. The town’s highest point is home to the Boston Massachusetts Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Getting here is easy. The MBTA Fitchburg Line stops at Belmont Center and Waverley, about 16 minutes by rail from North Station, and bus lines cross town. Alewife Station on the Red Line is just over the line in Cambridge.

Why Cal Verde Belmont is worth the stop

Cal Verde is a true local story. Two women with deep retail roots spent years bringing Belmont its first cannabis store, then filled it with dark wood, natural light and staff who take the time to answer every question. They sponsor Porchfest and the farmers market, they help fund the town, and they even welcome your dog.

Stop by Pleasant Street, say hi to the team and see what “Nurture with Nature” feels like.

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