Peace, love and all things cannabis
New Ashby pot dispensary hopes to have a ‘positive community impact’
» United Cultivation cannabis dispensary officially opened its doors on March 21, the realization of a plan hatched by business partners and owners Danielle Phaneuf and husband and wife Michael and Carolyn Spengler some time ago.
“We started this project with an idea and big aspirations standing around a kitchen island in Cape
Cod,” Carolyn Spengler said. “It has been three long years of hard work and endless paperwork to make this dream a reality.”
Phaneuf and her husband own the property at 601- 603 Fitchburg State Road, which the town zoned specifically for the cultivation of cannabis.
“In a nutshell, Ashby
and this wonderful business chose us,” Spengler said when asked what inspired the trio, all Groton residents, to open a dispensary. “We all bring different strengths and experience to the table and decided to take on this specific challenge together. It is more than just a dispensary, but a true campus focused on positive community impact.”
They offer over 50 strains of cannabis flower, pre rolls, edibles, extracts, vapes, topicals and tinctures at the recreational dispensary.
“We have one of the largest and most diverse menus in the state,” Spengler said. “All products sold through our dispensary have been tested by a third-party laboratory ensuring the safest, highest quality products.”
They also have a variety of noncannabis related items including pieces created by artists from the region.
“Our selection of local, handblown glass is the largest you will find in Massachusetts,” Spengler said. “We support local, small businesses and proudly showcase their works of art in our showroom.”
She said it has been great to see customers in the welcoming and modern space.
“We (feel) very proud to show off all of our hard work,” Spengler said. “We paid close attention to every detail ensuring we could portray the professional yet laid back vibe which we represent. We have received very positive feedback about our facility, the large variety of cannabis and non-cannabis related items, and the friendly, knowledgeable staff.”
The company’s logo is a hand giving a peace sign with cannabis leaves as the fingers. A brightly colored 1974 Volkswagen Beetle sits on the property painted by local artist Ashley Sweet with flowers, tie dye design and peace signs, reflecting hippie culture.
“The VW bug represents a time, late 60s early 70s, when cannabis became more widely used and part of the culture of America,” Spengler said.
She said their dedicated and educated staff is part of what makes them stand out in a sea of newly opened dispensaries in the region, along with their expertise when it comes to cannabis.
“At United Cultivation we are lucky to have assembled a staff that is passionate and knowledgeable on all things cannabis,” Spengler said. “We see customers looking for advice on how to safely continue their use of the plant while others are curious on how to begin their cannabis journey. Traditionally, there has been little available in the way of education for the noncannabis using public and we believe that our staff can fill that void of understanding.”
She said they hired their staff of over 20 people from surrounding towns, and that they plan to hold free education on cannabis related topics for anyone 21 and over.
“Here at United it is top priority to support our local community and be the best neighbors we can be,” Spengler said. “Educating the community on cannabis, its uses, and health benefits are important elements of United Cultivation’s mission.”
Opening a new business can be challenging, never mind during a global pandemic, yet Spengler said the cannabis industry has remained strong over the past year and continues to grow.
“We are fortunate that cannabis is one of the select businesses that has been able to continue to operate during these challenging times,” she said. “This meant all of our vendors and business partners were open as well and we could move forward and continue to make strides toward opening. We were able to incorporate many ways for customers to make purchases in a safe manner, such as mobile ordering, curbside pickup or just coming in to browse.”
Spengler said their “beautiful retail location” is phase one of a threephase plan. The business has permitting in place for 100,000 square feet of cannabis cultivation, which will get underway in the upcoming months, and it is also provisionally licensed for product manufacturing and plan to make its own products on site.
“There are many exciting things to come in the future,” she said.
For now, the Spenglers and Phaneuf are happy to see their dream come to fruition and look forward to a bright future for United Cultivation.
“Our mantra — United Cultivation was built upon a steadfast foundation of friendship and a single commitment: To create a world filled with love, understanding and plenty of cannabis for all.”
For more information call 978-384-2616, visit www.unitedcult.com or follow United Cultivation on Facebook and Instagram.