The Fresh Connection Dispensary in Cambridge MA

The Fresh Connection, a fresh stop near Inman Square

Cambridge Street has character. Wikipedia notes the stretch east of Prospect Street carries strong Brazilian and Portuguese influences, and the neighborhood around it is one of the most densely populated in the city. Right in the middle of it, at 966 Cambridge Street, sits The Fresh Connection Dispensary in Cambridge MA, a recreational dispensary between Inman Square and East Cambridge.

The name says a lot. The shop carries the name of The Fresh Connection, a cannabis grower based in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and its house line is right there on the menu. For shoppers, that means a direct line from a Massachusetts grow room to a neighborhood counter in Cambridge.

Whether you live in Wellington-Harrington, you are walking over from Inman for dinner or you are coming across the Somerville line, here is what to know before you go.

Open on Cambridge Street since March 2023

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission lists 966 Cambridge St. as an active, licensed adult-use cannabis retailer, open since March 20, 2023.

That date is a small piece of Cambridge history. When the shop at this address opened in March 2023, Cambridge Day reported that it was Cambridge’s third adult-use cannabis store and the first one outside Central Square. Before that, every legal adult-use sale in the city happened in Central Square. Cambridge Street got its turn.

A former glass shop in Wellington-Harrington

The building has a working past. According to Cambridge Day, 966 Cambridge St. is the former Harvard Glass space, and it sits in the Wellington-Harrington neighborhood, between Inman Square and the school complex that includes the King Open and Cambridge Street Upper School.

So the next time someone asks where the old glass shop went, you will have a fun answer. The storefront is still serving the neighborhood, just with a very different menu.

Meet the grower behind the name

The Fresh Connection’s own story started long before legal cannabis did. MMJDaily reported in 2025 that founders William and Samantha Seagaard, with their partner Zach, dreamed of a legal cannabis business back in high school. Not everyone believed them. “People thought we were crazy, laughed it off, and said it was never going to happen,” MMJDaily quoted from the team.

They made it happen anyway. According to MMJDaily, the team was outbid for early buildings, so it bought an old paper mill in Fitchburg that also housed a TV station. Rent from those tenants helped keep the business going in the early days. Today, the outlet reported, the Fitchburg grow supplies nearly 100 retail stores across Massachusetts.

How the flower is grown

The Fresh Connection is all about care and patience over gadgets. MMJDaily described a hands-on approach that includes:

Soil from Maine. The team grows in soil sourced from Maine.
Good bugs, not sprays. Beneficial insects handle pests instead of sprays.
Clean rooms. The grow follows strict cleanliness rules.
Hand trimming. Flowers are trimmed by hand.
Picked from seed. Phenotypes are selected in house, starting from seed.

Samantha Seagaard sums up the philosophy in four words: “it’s people and intention.” MMJDaily also reported that her side-by-side trials showed little difference between a $500 to $700 grow light and a $2,000 light, so the team chose the cheaper option and put its effort into the plants instead.

Slow dried, jarred in glass

Freshness is in the name, and the brand backs it up. A 2024 press release published by Fat Nugs Magazine explained that The Fresh Connection harvests onto racks rather than bins, slow dries its flower and then cures it for four to six weeks. Flower is trimmed on the stem and hand packaged into black glass jars with compostable lids. The release noted that the opaque glass blocks light that could oxidize the product.

If you like to judge flower with your eyes and nose, ask a budtender to tell you more about how the house line is grown and stored.

What’s on the menu

The Fresh Connection Cambridge keeps a full menu. According to the store’s online shop, the categories include:

Flower
Pre-rolls
Vapes
Concentrates
Edibles
Tinctures
Accessories
CBD extracts and CBD topicals
Greeting cards
Non-cannabis packaged food and drinks

Yes, greeting cards. If you need a card for a friend’s birthday on the way to the party, this might be the only dispensary errand that doubles as a card shop run.

The menu changes often, so browse it online before you go to see what is in stock.

Order ahead for pickup

Want to skip the browsing? The Fresh Connection’s online shop lets you pick your products and choose in-store pickup at the Cambridge store. Pickup runs on the same schedule as regular store hours. Bring your ID when you come in to collect your order.

Deals for members

The shop’s website has an Offers page with featured deals and a weekly spotlight. Sign up or log in on the site to see exclusive offers for members. Deals change often, so check before each visit.

A sister shop in Somerville

Cambridge is not The Fresh Connection’s only storefront. The company’s online shop also lists a Somerville store at 690 Broadway in Ball Square. If you live on the Somerville side of the line, that one may be even closer.

Plan your visit

Address. 966 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02141, between Inman Square and East Cambridge.

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

Phone. (617) 714-5073.

Parking. Street parking.

Payment. Debit card, with an ATM on site.

Accessibility. The store lists itself as wheelchair accessible.

Pets. The store’s page says pets are welcome.

Adults 21+. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older.

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

Browse the menu online. See what is in stock and check the Offers page.
Order ahead if you like. Choose in-store pickup at the Cambridge store.
Bring your ID. A valid government-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older.
Find street parking or take the bus. MBTA routes 69, 83 and 91 serve nearby Inman Square.
Ask about the house line. Budtenders can tell you how the Fitchburg flower is grown and cured.

Make a day of it in Inman Square and Wellington-Harrington

The Fresh Connection sits in Wellington-Harrington, also known as Area 3. According to Wikipedia, it is bounded by Hampshire Street and Broadway, the Grand Junction railroad tracks and the Somerville line, and it overlaps Inman Square and Kendall Square. With 6,516 residents in 2010, it was the second most densely populated neighborhood in Cambridge, after Mid-Cambridge.

This has long been a neighborhood of newcomers. In 1990 it had the highest share of immigrants of any Cambridge neighborhood, with 40 percent of residents born abroad. Early residents were largely Irish and Canadian, and a large Portuguese community grew here after 1900 and again after 1965. You can still feel that history along Cambridge Street. The Grand Junction Railroad, finished in 1856, brought industries like soap making, woodworking and food processing, and residents later fought off the Inner Belt Expressway, which was never built.

Walk west and you reach Inman Square, where Cambridge, Hampshire and Inman streets meet. The square likely takes its name from Ralph Inman, a Boston merchant whose Cambridge mansion served as General Israel Putnam’s headquarters in 1775. By 1874 locals called the spot both “Atwood’s Corner” and “Inman Square,” and an 1875 petition made Inman Square official. The Inman Square Historic District joined the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1982.

Inman has fun stories to tell. Legal Sea Foods started here in 1950 as a fish market, and a decorative fish on the building at 237 Hampshire Street still marks the spot. The improv troupe The Proposition performed in the square from the 1960s to the late 1970s, with alumni including Jane Curtin. In the 1980s, the Ding Ho restaurant on Springfield Street was a comedy launchpad for Steven Wright, Jimmy Tingle, Bobcat Goldthwait and Barry Crimmins.

Look for the newest landmark too. In 2023 the square got Edge of the Forest, a 12-foot steel deer by Mark Reigelman, inspired by the old “Atwood’s Corner” name and paid for through Cambridge’s Percent for Art program. History fans can also find the James B. Barnes House, an 1824 Federal-style brick house that was moved to 109 Hampshire Street in 1984.

Inman Square has no subway stop, but MBTA bus routes 69, 83 and 91 serve the square.

Why The Fresh Connection is worth the stop

A shop named for a hometown Massachusetts grower, flower that is slow dried and jarred in glass, a menu that even includes greeting cards and a spot in one of Cambridge’s most storied neighborhoods: The Fresh Connection is a fun reason to wander down Cambridge Street. Bring your ID, grab a card if you need one and say hi to the team.

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

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Fresh Connection in Cambridge?

The Fresh Connection is at 966 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02141, between Inman Square and East Cambridge in the Wellington-Harrington neighborhood. Call (617) 714-5073 with questions. Use the Get directions button on this page to open the route in Google Maps.

What are The Fresh Connection Cambridge's hours?

The store is open Sunday from 10am to 8pm, Monday through Wednesday from 9am to 9pm, and Thursday through Saturday from 9am to 10pm. In-store pickup follows the same hours. Check the website before a holiday visit.

Can I order ahead at The Fresh Connection?

Yes. Use the online shop to choose your products and select in-store pickup at the Cambridge store. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older when you pick up.

Is there parking at The Fresh Connection Cambridge?

The store lists street parking. MBTA bus routes 69, 83 and 91 also serve nearby Inman Square, so the bus is an easy option too.

Is The Fresh Connection medical or recreational?

The Cambridge store is an adult-use (recreational) dispensary, so you do not need a medical card. The state lists it as a licensed adult-use retailer open since March 20, 2023. Bring your ID, since every purchase requires proof that you are 21 or older.