RISE Dispensary in Chelsea MA

Meet RISE

Some corners get a second act. For decades, the lot on Beacham Street near the Everett line was known for something very different. Today it is home to RISE Dispensary in Chelsea MA, a dispensary at 200 Beacham St that serves both adults 21 and over and registered medical patients.

If you live in Chelsea, Everett, Revere or East Boston, or you are passing through on the way to the casino or the Tobin Bridge, this is your guide to the store: how it was built, what it is like inside, how to order and earn rewards, and what to see in Chelsea while you are in the neighborhood.

Open since December 2021

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 200 Beacham Street as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since December 8, 2021.

The store opened under the GreenStar Herbals name, and the public celebration came a week later. The Winthrop Transcript reported that the dispensary opened on December 15, 2021, and quoted GreenStar’s president, Tom Morey: “We are happy to say that we are up and running.” Chelsea was GreenStar’s third Massachusetts shop, after Dracut and Maynard, and all three now carry the RISE name.

A fresh start for a famous corner

The backstory is the fun part. According to the Everett Independent, the site on the Everett and Chelsea border was home to King Arthur’s, a club the paper called one of the region’s most infamous adult entertainment venues. Developer Greg Antonelli bought the property in the fall of 2017 and ended that use right away. In 2020, his company knocked down the old building while the dispensary worked through its state and local permits.

Antonelli was glad to see the change. “The stigma is gone now for Everett and Chelsea here,” he told the paper. “I know it was a bad history for both cities and we’re glad we can help do something different there.”

Morey told the Winthrop Transcript that getting there “was almost a three year process of permitting, knocking down the old King Arthur’s” and building something new from the ground up.

Built to be a destination

From the start, the plan was to make this more than a quick in and out. Before opening, Morey told the Everett Independent, “We’re making it very high end and we want to provide the very best products in the market.” He also said, “It’s going to be a fun place, a destination, and it is also close to the casino.”

The plans he described included a gallery with rotating art shows, musical performances, a fireplace and a player piano. By opening week, the Winthrop Transcript described a fireplace, wall art and a player piano as part of the in-store experience. A player piano at a dispensary is not something you see every day, and it sets a relaxed, welcoming tone the moment you walk in.

The new building also came with “plenty of parking on-site,” Morey told the Everett Independent, which is a real perk on this busy stretch near the Everett line.

Neighbors helping neighbors

RISE Chelsea is a hometown shop in a very literal sense. “In fact, the majority of our employees are from the Chelsea area,” Morey told the Winthrop Transcript when the store opened. He said the company wanted to create local jobs and “give back to the city in terms of charity.”

The store page encourages shoppers to “reach out to our knowledgeable staff with any inquiries.” Take them up on it. Whether you are on your first visit or your fiftieth, the people behind the counter are there to help you find something that fits.

Adult-use and medical under one roof

Unlike its recreational-only sister store in Maynard, RISE Chelsea serves both groups. The store page describes it as a “recreational & medical cannabis dispensary,” with a recreational menu for pickup and a separate medical menu.

Shoppers 21 and over just need a valid ID. If you are a registered medical patient, the RISE guide to getting a Massachusetts medical card lays out the basics: see a qualified healthcare provider for a certification, then create an account with the state patient registry and complete the enrollment. The guide notes that “there is no application fee” for registry enrollment, and that you can “Download your temporary digital medical card until you receive your physical card within 7-10 days.” In Massachusetts, medical patients must be 18 or older.

What is on the menu

The store page says RISE Chelsea offers “a broad selection of recreational and medical cannabis products,” with flower, concentrates, edibles and vape cartridges all on the menu. You can browse online before you go and filter by category, brand, price and weight.

Menus and deals change often. Check the Chelsea menu on the RISE site the day you plan to visit, jot down what catches your eye and bring that list to the counter.

Order online, pick up in store

The store page sums it up: “Order online for pickup or stop by in person.” RISE’s guide to ordering online walks you through it. Make sure RISE Dispensary Chelsea is selected as your store, add items to your cart, pick a pickup time and confirm. Signing in is optional, but it ties your purchase to your rewards. Medical patients ordering from the medical menu may be asked for their medical card details.

RISE Rewards in a nutshell

RISE Rewards is free. Fill out a short form, confirm your email and you are in. You earn one point per dollar spent, in store or online, and once you hit 100 points you can cash them in. The program page lists 100 points as $3, 500 points as $15 and 1,000 points as $30. Members also get early access to deals and first dibs on new drops, and points can be used across the RISE network.

Tips from the RISE blog

RISE’s Cannabis Insider blog has short, useful reads for anyone heading to the counter. A few favorites:

Read the whole label. RISE’s guide to shopping for RSO suggests reading the potency percentage and the total milligrams together, and checking for a batch number and a testing reference such as a QR code. It is good advice for almost any product.
Start small and ask. The same guide says “Start with very small amounts” with highly concentrated products, and that “it is always best to ask one of our budtenders before you make a purchase.”
Disposables keep it simple. RISE’s post on disposable vape pens calls them “pre-filled, single-use devices designed for one thing: making cannabis simple,” with no separate battery or charger to buy.
Follow your nose. In its post on the linalool terpene, RISE says “Linalool is what makes lavender smell so good, blending floral with a hint of citrus and spice.” If floral scents are your thing, ask which products list it.

Plan your visit

Address. 200 Beacham St, Chelsea, MA 02150.

Hours. Sunday through Thursday, 9am to 9pm. Friday and Saturday, 9am to 10pm.

Phone. (617) 466-0114.

Parking. On-site parking at the store.

Paying. We could not confirm this location’s payment options, so call ahead to ask before your first visit.

Adults 21+ and patients. Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID. Adult-use shoppers must be 21 or older. Registered medical patients 18 and older should also bring their medical card.

Holiday hours can differ, so check the RISE website or call before a late trip.

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. That includes packing it for a flight out of state from nearby Logan Airport.

Your first visit, step by step

Pick your menu. Choose RISE Dispensary Chelsea on the RISE site, then the recreational or medical menu.
Order ahead or walk in. Reserve a pickup time, or come in and browse at your own pace.
Bring the right ID. A government-issued photo ID, plus your medical card if you are a patient.
Ask away. Share what you are looking for and let the staff guide you.
Join RISE Rewards. Sign up so your first visit starts earning points.

Make a day of it in Chelsea

Chelsea is a Suffolk County city of 40,787 people (2020 census), and by land area it is the smallest city in Massachusetts, at about 2.2 square miles. The area was first known as Winnisimmet, and Samuel Maverick became its first permanent European settler in 1624. Chelsea was incorporated as a town in 1739 and as a city in 1857.

The city has been through a lot. On April 12, 1908, the Great Chelsea Fire destroyed nearly half the city and left about 18,000 people homeless, and a second great fire in 1973 burned 18 city blocks. Bellingham Square, the civic and commercial heart of the city with City Hall, grew up after the 1908 fire and is now a historic district. Up on Admirals Hill sits the old Chelsea Naval Hospital, designed in 1836 by Alexander Parris, and the Soldiers Home stands on Powderhorn Hill.

Water frames the whole city. Chelsea Creek and the Mystic River form the line with Boston, the Island End River separates Chelsea from Everett, and the Tobin Bridge carries traffic over the Mystic to Charlestown. Getting around without a car is easy, too. The Silver Line SL3 has served Chelsea since 2018 and runs to South Station, and Chelsea station sits on the commuter rail’s Newburyport/Rockport Line out of North Station. The Winthrop Transcript notes the store is about half a mile from the Encore casino.

Why RISE Chelsea is worth the stop

A corner with a past turned into a bright new shop. A fireplace, wall art and a player piano. A team drawn largely from the Chelsea area, both adult-use and medical menus, easy online ordering and rewards that travel with you. Next time you are near the Everett line, swing by 200 Beacham Street and see the new chapter for yourself.

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