Mass Green Retail Dispensary in Lynn MA

Mass Green Retail, a hometown dispensary on the Lynn and Saugus line

Some dispensaries are built by big companies. Mass Green Retail Dispensary in Lynn MA was built by a guy from Lynn. Founder and CEO Jordan T. Avery grew up in the city, graduated from Lynn Tech, and spent years working to open a cannabis shop in the place he calls home. Today Mass Green Retail, known to regulars as MGR, sits at 829 Boston Street, right on the Lynn and Saugus line.

The store calls itself “LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED,” in capital letters, and it means it. It is open every day from 9am to 11pm, it offers online ordering for pickup, and its team is happy to talk you through anything on the shelf. Here is the story behind the shop and everything you need for a smooth first visit.

Open since 2023

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 829 Boston Street as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since August 29, 2023.

The big party came a month later. As the Lynn Journal reported, Avery cut the ribbon at a grand opening on Saturday, September 30, 2023, and about 400 people came by to congratulate him. The store stands on the former site of O’Brien’s Restaurant, a spot plenty of locals will remember.

“Today is a day that fills my heart with pride and gratitude,” Avery said at the opening, according to the paper. He also said, “I’m excited to open Massachusetts Green Retail in the very city that has been my home, my school, and my life’s journey.”

Five years in the making

Getting here was not quick. Avery told the Lynn Journal that the opening took more than five years, with obstacles, delays and legal battles along the way. Back in 2020, the Daily Item reported that a local company had been cleared to open a recreational marijuana shop on the Lynn and Saugus line after a legal dispute between the two communities was settled. The paper’s photo identified Avery as the owner of the planned shop.

The Lynn Journal also painted a picture of a hard worker from the start. As a kid, Avery earned money shoveling snow, cutting grass and raking leaves, and he carried the dream of opening his own business in his city back to his days at Lynn Tech, where he graduated in 2013. His mother, Kimberly Day, was there on opening day, beaming.

Meet the founder

Mass Green Retail’s About page fills in the rest of Avery’s story, and it is a full one. He is a lifelong Lynn resident and holds a Social Equity certification from the state. The store describes itself as “Lynn’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary.”

Avery’s ties to the city run well past the shop. According to the store’s About page, he:

Serves on the City Council. He is the Ward 7 City Councilor in Lynn, and he previously chaired the Lynn Human Rights Commission.
Mentors young people. He mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Teaches safety skills. He teaches CPR, first aid and lifeguarding.
Shows up in a crisis. He volunteered with the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services, including a two-week hurricane relief deployment to Puerto Rico, and helped coordinate food and donation efforts during COVID-19.
Keeps busy on weekends. He officiates youth and college sports.

The About page sums up the motivation as “giving back to the community that raised him.”

What makes MGR different

Plenty of shops sell cannabis. MGR leans on a few things that set it apart:

Local roots. The founder grew up here, and the store says it aims to give back “to the neighborhoods that support us.”
Lab-tested products. At the grand opening, Avery said the mission was to be good neighbors and offer safe, lab-tested and approved cannabis products.
Fair opportunity. The store says it is committed to diversity and inclusion and to economic empowerment for communities harmed by prohibition.
Transparency. The About page lists transparency and compliance among its core values, along with strong relationships with vendors, customers and staff.

A team that teaches

MGR puts a lot of weight on education. The store says its staff help customers read Certificates of Analysis, the lab reports behind each product, along with product labels. If you have ever stared at a package and wondered what all those numbers mean, just ask.

The team is led by Director of Operations Benny Sanquintin, who oversees operations and compliance, from inventory audits to staff development. Customer Experience Manager Seth Novoselsky rounds out the leadership the store highlights on its home page.

The store’s online Buying Guide is a great place to start before you visit. It covers ways to use cannabis, strain types and their effects, cannabinoids, terpenes and concentrates, all in plain language.

What’s on the menu

MGR stocks the full range of adult-use categories:

Flower
Pre-rolls
Vapes
Concentrates
Edibles
Tinctures
CBD
Accessories
Apparel, so you can rep the shop

There is a specials section too, and the online menu shows what is in stock right now. The selection moves fast, so check before you head over.

Order online, pick up in Lynn

The quickest trip is an online order. Browse the online menu, place your order for pickup, then swing by the store on Boston Street to grab it. You will still show your ID at the counter. The store also points out that public use is not allowed and that cannabis should never be used in a vehicle.

Earn points every visit

Regulars should join the loyalty program. The store’s tagline for it is simple: “Earn Points on Every Purchase!” Sign up to start earning rewards, and ask a staff member at the counter how points work and how to redeem them.

A block party to remember

MGR knows how to celebrate. For its third anniversary, the store lined up a 21+ block party at the shop with about 25 vendors and partners, a DJ, a dunk tank, free ice cream, a free buffet from a local Italian kitchen, an open patio, giveaways and raffles. The store says more than 900 people checked in for the Year 3 celebration. Follow the shop on Instagram so you do not miss the next one.

Tips from the MGR blog

MGR keeps an active blog with handy reading for curious shoppers. A few takeaways worth knowing before your visit:

Smell comes from terpenes. In a post on why some cannabis smells like gas, fruit, candy or cheese, the store explains that aroma comes mostly from terpenes, plus genetics, freshness, and how the flower was grown and cured. It lists limonene as citrus-like, myrcene as earthy or musky, pinene as pine-like, linalool as floral and caryophyllene as peppery.
THC is not the whole story. The same post says THC percentage does not tell you how good a flower smells. Freshness, terpene profile and genetics are better guides.
Frost is natural. In a post on trichomes, MGR explains that the frosty look on buds is made by the plant itself and is not added after harvest. You “cannot reliably determine THC potency just by looking at cannabis flower,” so check the lab results on the package instead.
Shop with your senses. The trichome post suggests checking aroma, bud structure, moisture and the packaging date, and thinking about what you have enjoyed before.
Store it well. Heat, light and air can weaken aroma over time, and cannabis should always be stored securely away from children and pets.

Plan your visit

Address. 829 Boston Street, Lynn, MA 01905, on the Lynn and Saugus line.

Hours. Open every day, Sunday through Saturday, from 9am to 11pm.

Phone. (781) 813-3869.

Order ahead. Shop online for pickup on the store’s website.

Adults 21+. MGR is an adult-use (recreational) dispensary, so no medical card is needed. Bring a valid ID showing you are 21 or older.

Parking and payment. The store’s website does not list parking or payment details, so call ahead if you have questions.

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

Read the Buying Guide. Get familiar with terms like terpenes and cannabinoids before you go.
Browse the menu online. See what is in stock and what is on special, and order ahead if you like.
Bring your ID. A valid ID showing you are 21 or older.
Ask about the label. Staff can walk you through the Certificate of Analysis and the product label.
Join the loyalty program. Start earning points on your very first purchase.

Make a day of it in Lynn

Lynn has a long and layered story. The area was first incorporated in 1629 as Saugus, the Massachusett name for the area, and the city was later named in honor of the Rev. Samuel Whiting, who arrived from England in 1637. These days Lynn proudly calls itself the “City of Firsts,” a campaign that began in the early 1990s.

For the best view in town, head to High Rock Tower Reservation. Its stone observation tower looks out over Nahant, Boston, downtown Lynn, Egg Rock and the ocean, and a public telescope sits at the top. The park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted.

History fans have plenty to explore. Lynn Heritage State Park holds the southern end of the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, and the Lynn Museum and Historical Society tells the city’s story. The Lynn Common Historic District stretches between North and South Common Streets. Pine Grove Cemetery is one of the largest rural cemeteries in the country, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not once called its fieldstone wall the second longest contiguous stone wall in the world. The Mary Baker Eddy House is here too, a nod to the founder of Christian Science, who had a serious fall in Lynn in 1866.

Lynn has given the world some famous names. Actor Walter Brennan, a three-time Academy Award winner, was born here, and so was Estelle Parsons, who won Best Supporting Actress in 1967. Harry Agganis, the All-American quarterback at Boston University who went on to play for the Boston Red Sox, is another local legend.

Getting around is easy. The Lynn station on the MBTA Commuter Rail’s Newburyport/Rockport Line reaches North Station in about 20 minutes, and an MBTA ferry runs from Blossom Street Pier to downtown Boston. Logan International Airport is about 5 miles south. MGR sits on Boston Street by the Saugus line, and the store says it is a handy stop for shoppers coming from Boston, Revere, Saugus and Swampscott before they continue north.

Why Mass Green Retail is worth the stop

A founder who grew up down the street, a team that will happily decode a lab report, a deep menu, a loyalty program and parties worth marking on your calendar: Mass Green Retail is Lynn through and through. Order ahead, bring your ID, and come meet the hometown shop on Boston Street.

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