'A great asset for the town': Dighton's first cannabis dispensary 1 Connection opens
DIGHTON — After years of struggles getting off the ground, Dighton’s first cannabis dispensary, 1 Connection, is finally open for business.
Located at 200 Williams St., 1 Connection’s line of products in its adult-use dispensary includes what customers come to look for: flowers and bud, edibles, oils, lotions, concentrates, and all related accessories.
“Our tagline is ‘Everyone Needs a Connection.’ We really feel that way across the board. With our products, the human connection, with each other, and with the community,” said Dawn Gardner, chief operating officer.
An example of strengthening this connection between product and customer comes once they get past the security checkpoint. The first thing one will probably notice when entering the recreational shop is the center display area. Here, samples of some of the store’s more popular strains of bud — names include Galactus, Sour Amnesia, and Bio-Jesus — are encased in plastic containers that are permitted to be held and even smelled by the customer.
Breaking 'the stigma around cannabis'
How 1 Connection intends on separating itself from the competition is its emphasis on customer service, education and helping those new to cannabis.
1 Connection is very focused on promoting the healing benefits of cannabis, which is why it was very important, according to Gardner, that they hire those knowledgeable of the product and industry.
“I believe our customer service will stand above everybody else. A lot of staff see this as a dream job,” said Gardner about the customer service team, affectionately referred to as “bud-tenders,” a play on bartender.
This desire to accommodate all customers includes in 1 Connection’s repertoire a special consultation room. Here, new visitors, unfamiliar with and possibly shy when it comes to cannabis, can get a private session with a member of staff to find out what their needs and education on cannabis are, before any recommendations are given.
“I like the future of this business and the direction it's heading. I want to break the stigma around cannabis,” said Zachary Motta, customer service ‘bud-tender’ in the recreational shop.
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Personal connections to the healing qualities
Fellow ‘bud-tender’ Michael Davol became a big advocate for cannabis when he was prescribed it for pain relief while overcoming back surgery. “This is a great opportunity because it provides so many benefits for people. I want to make people feel comfortable when they come in.”
While there’s lots of money to be made in the state selling cannabis, CEO of 1 Connection Michael Fonseca admits a personal connection brought him to this industry. “I got involved with cannabis because of my wife’s illness,” said Fonseca, referring to cancer. “I saw what it did.”
Fonseca admits he’s never smoked cannabis in his life. Fonseca said he learned a lot about the benefits of cannabis through compassion medicinal centers and cultivation facilities opening up in Rhode Island.
Plans for a cultivation facility
Fonseca is a part owner of Natural Green Choice, LLC, a cultivation facility in Rhode Island.
Fonseca states 1 Connection took five years to come to fruition due to the challenges original owner Rob Caruso had securing funding for the business. “He couldn’t make it work. I came in at the 11th hour for a buyout.”
According to Fonseca, by that point, Caruso was continuing to pay for the license and lease for the building. Thirteen months ago Fonseca bought both. Caruso still retains a percentage of the business. Fonseca states he's invested $10 million so far into 1 Connection.
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Right now, 1 Connection is only selling marijuana products for recreational and adult-use. These products are coming from other vendors in the state. The business is vertically integrated, meaning the intention is to provide and control all aspects of the industry, such as selling, growing, and manufacturing products.
The 20,000-square-foot complex of 1 Connection also houses a cultivation and manufacturing facility. Fonseca states this facility, which will start growing 1 Connection’s own marijuana product, will be up and running in six months.
According to Fonseca, selling of cannabis for medical use, as well as delivery for medical use, can’t start at 1 Connection until the grow facility and kitchen are operational.
Under the conditions of the business’s Host Community Agreement with Dighton, the town receives 3% of gross sales, as well as an initial down payment of $25,000, which was presented to the town at its grand opening May 21.
The agreement also includes 1 Connection doing volunteer work at the YMCA’s Taunton branch. Gardner, who previously worked as a director for the YMCA, said she wants “to do teambuilding and teach leadership skills with the YMCA staff.”
Dighton Selectman Kenneth Pacheco, who has supported the cannabis industry coming to town, had this to say after visiting the business: “I’m very impressed with the facility. The amount of security and variety of products they have make it a great asset for the town. Revenue-wise, it’s going to benefit the town.”
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Dighton's first cannabis dispensary 1 Connection opens
