Cannabis Connection Dispensary in Westfield MA

Cannabis Connection, Westfield’s first

Every city has a first, and in Westfield it was Cannabis Connection Dispensary in Westfield MA. The shop at 40 Westfield Industrial Park Road became the city’s first adult-use cannabis store in 2020, after years of planning, permits and patience. It opened in the middle of a pandemic, ran its first orders out of the parking lot, and has been a local stop ever since.

Cannabis Connection says it is all about education and choice. “Education and customer choice are what makes Cannabis Connection stand apart from other MA dispensaries,” its website says. Here is the story of the store and everything you need to plan your visit.

Open since June 2020

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 40 Westfield Industrial Park Road as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since June 5, 2020.

The Westfield News reported that the store opened to customers on June 9, 2020, as the City of Westfield’s first adult-use marijuana shop. It was a long road to get there.

From an overgrown lot to a new store

The story starts in 2016. When Massachusetts voters legalized adult-use cannabis that November, the founders noticed that Westfield voters had said yes too. “After the election we realized that adult use was coming to Westfield because voters in town voted in favor of it,” founding director Curt Gezotis told The Westfield News in 2018. “We started to look at industrial zoned areas because that’s where most towns allowing cannabis stores to go.”

They landed on a lot in the industrial park that the paper described as run down and overgrown, across the street from the Holiday Inn. At a community meeting at The Shortstop Bar and Grill in October 2018, founding CEO Thomas Keenan shared the plan for a 4,500 square foot building watched by video cameras around the clock.

A month earlier, when the plan went before the Planning Board in September 2018, the design team promised a lawn and new trees out front, parking behind and beside the building, and dark sky lighting with down-lit LED fixtures. They also said the store would not open until 9am, after the busy morning rush in the industrial park.

It’s been a long road

Back in 2018, the team hoped to open in August or September of 2019. It took a lot longer. “We’re at the mercy of the state,” Gezotis said at the time. “They issue licenses at a very slow rate. They make you jump through hoops, which is good, that makes it safe.”

The Reminder later described nearly two years of licensing delays and a lengthy approval process. Then COVID-19 arrived just as the finish line came into view.

Curbside on day one

Because of the pandemic, Cannabis Connection could not have the grand opening its owners had pictured. Instead, it opened with curbside pickup. According to The Westfield News, the first online orders came in at 10am on a Tuesday, with pickups starting at noon. More than a dozen orders arrived right at 10am, and by 12:15pm there were 20 to 30 active orders.

Masked employees set up tables with registers and card readers near the parking lot exit, then radioed inside for each order. Keenan told The Reminder the store served 100 people on its first day, then 180 and 190 on the days that followed.

“It is such an incredibly satisfying feeling to get here,” Keenan told The Westfield News the day before opening. He added that the team “persevered and rolled with the punches and now we have finally made it to the finish line.”

A ribbon cutting with the city

In October 2020, about four months after opening, Cannabis Connection held its official ribbon cutting with city officials, community members and staff. State Senator John C. Velis and Mayor Donald F. Humason presented citations to Keenan and Gezotis, and both marked the store as Westfield’s first adult-use dispensary since voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2016.

“This was a long time coming,” Velis said. Humason praised the location, which The Westfield News said causes little to no traffic buildup while staying easy to reach for anyone making a quick stop off the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Keenan admitted word was still getting out. “We still have people coming in here saying they didn’t even know we were here,” he said.

Time to chat, or in and out

A year in, Cannabis Connection threw a “cannaversary” party in June 2021, with a Thai Chili food truck parked outside for the afternoon. Keenan told The Westfield News the store had found its rhythm. It could take time with customers who wanted to chat and learn more, while others who wanted to get in and out quickly could do just that.

That idea still shows up on the store’s website today. It describes a clean, easy to navigate space and a staff that “takes the time to answer questions without making things overly complicated.” For anyone nervous about a first dispensary visit, that is a welcome promise.

A second Connection

Cannabis Connection now has a sister store. The Reminder reported that Cannabis Connection of West Springfield opened in 2024, and, just like in Westfield, it was that city’s first dispensary. The company lists it at 1102 Riverdale Street. The company says it is passionate about being part of the Westfield and West Springfield cannabis communities.

What’s on the menu

Cannabis Connection stocks the full range of adult-use categories:

Flower
Pre-rolls
Vaporizers
Edibles
Concentrates
Tinctures
Accessories

The store says its products come from Massachusetts licensed suppliers, regulated by the Cannabis Control Commission. It also runs bundle deals, so check the Bundles page before you go.

Customers seem happy. One five-star review on the store’s website reads: “Love this place!!! Quality product and staff is so helpful!”

Order ahead for same-day pickup

You do not need an appointment. Walk in and shop, or browse the online menu and reserve your order for pickup. A few rules to know:

Same day only. Reserved orders must be picked up the same day. Orders left at the end of the business day are canceled.
Mind the clock. Online ordering closes 30 minutes before the store closes.

Rewards for regulars

Cannabis Connection runs a rewards program that it calls “the leading cannabis loyalty program in Massachusetts,” with exclusive offers, rewards and deals for members. Sign up on the store’s website or ask at the counter.

Hosting tips from the Cannabis Connection blog

The Cannabis Connection blog has a handy Thanksgiving weekend guide, and its tips work for any get-together:

Start low. Low-dose edibles around 2.5 to 5mg of THC are a common starting point, and effects can take two hours or more to show up, so wait before taking more.
Label everything. If you serve infused treats, label them clearly. The blog suggests a small card that reads “Infused, 21+ only.”
Keep it separate. Store infused goodies away from kid-friendly snacks, and keep all cannabis out of reach of children and pets.
Plan your ride. Never drive while impaired, and try anything new at home on a day with no errands.

Plan your visit

Address. 40 Westfield Industrial Park Road, Westfield, MA 01085, across from the Holiday Inn.

Hours. Monday through Saturday, 9am to 9pm. Sunday, 10am to 8pm.

Phone. (413) 752-2269.

Paying. Cash, debit and DutchiePay. There are multiple ATMs on site.

Bring your ID. A government-issued ID showing you are 21 or older, with your date of birth, picture and expiration date. The store accepts a U.S. driver’s license or state ID, a U.S. passport or passport card, an international passport, a U.S. military ID, or a firearms License to Carry. Temporary IDs are not accepted. No medical card is needed.

House rules. No consumption anywhere at the store, including the parking lot.

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 look at the Bundles page.
Reserve if you like. Order online for same-day pickup, at least 30 minutes before closing.
Bring the right ID. A valid, non-temporary government ID showing you are 21 or older.
Ask questions. The staff is there to help you choose.
Join the rewards program. Members get exclusive offers and deals.

Make a day of it in Westfield

Westfield is a Hampden County city of 40,834 people (2020 census), on the western edge of the Pioneer Valley. The Pocomtuc called the area Woronoco, meaning “the winding land.” Westfield was incorporated as a town in 1669 and reincorporated as a city in 1920. The name comes from its spot as the most westerly settlement of its day, and until 1725 it was the westernmost settlement in the Massachusetts Colony.

The city’s nickname is the Whip City. In the 19th century, Westfield was a major center of the buggy whip industry, and local factories also made bricks, cigars, bicycles, paper, pipe organs and precision tools. The United States Whip Company Complex is among the city’s points of interest.

Today, Westfield State University is a big part of city life, with students making up about 15 percent of the population. The Westfield Athenaeum, a free public library, was incorporated in 1864 and opened on Main Street in 1868.

Nature is close by. The Westfield River comes down out of the Berkshire Hills and runs right through the center of the city on its way to the Connecticut River. On the east side, the trap rock cliffs of East Mountain and Provin Mountain are part of the Metacomet Ridge, and the 114-mile Metacomet-Monadnock Trail crosses both. Stanley Park of Westfield and the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail are two more local favorites.

Getting here is easy. The Massachusetts Turnpike crosses Westfield just north of the city center, and it meets Interstate 91 about 3 miles east of town. PVTA buses connect Westfield with West Springfield and Springfield, and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport offers charter passenger service.

Why Cannabis Connection is worth the stop

Westfield’s first dispensary has a story worth knowing: an overgrown lot turned into a new store, a curbside opening in the middle of a pandemic, and a team that kept rolling with the punches. Add a staff that takes time to answer questions, same-day pickup and a spot right off the Mass Pike, and Cannabis Connection makes an easy stop in the Whip City.

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

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where is Cannabis Connection in Westfield?

Cannabis Connection is at 40 Westfield Industrial Park Road, Westfield, MA 01085, across the street from the Holiday Inn and close to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Call (413) 752-2269 with questions. Use the Get directions button on this page to open the route in Google Maps.