Here’s what you need to know if you plan to shop at either store:

Mass Alternative Care Inc. in Chicopee and Canna Provisions Inc. in Lee each received “commence operations” notices from the state Cannabis Control Commission on Monday.

Two recreational shops will open Friday, bringing the total number of adult-use stores in Massachusetts to 22.

Chicopee — Mass Alternative Care Inc.

Mass Alternative Care in Chicopee will be Hampden County’s first recreational marijuana shop.

The family-run business specializes in craft cannabis and cultivates its marijuana plants on site, general manager Kevin M. Collins said.

“We’re definitely all about customer service and knowledge,” he said. “We like to educate our customers and be able to answer all their questions.”


Mass Alternative Care opened its Chicopee location as a medical dispensary in August 2018. The company also has plans to open stores in Amherst, Lee, and Springfield. Lee is expected to be a medical dispensary only and Springfield will be adult-use only. Amherst is expected to be both.

Location

The store is at 1247 E. Main St. in Chicopee.

Hours

The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The store will be closed Mondays.

Parking

A large parking lot is expected to accommodate all customers and will include reserved spots for medical patients.

Payment

The store is cash only and will have a traditional ATM for customers who do not bring cash.

Purchasing limits

The company expects to have temporary purchasing limits at first but is still working out the details of those limits.

Lee — Canna Provisions Inc.

The Lee location will be Canna Provisions’ first marijuana dispensary, and the company’s leaders say the store is like nothing consumers will have seen before.

“No matter how many dispensaries you’ve been in, you have never been in one like this,” Canna Provisions cofounder and COO Erik Williams said.


The store has a mission to educate consumers — about cannabis and about the Berkshires. All of the displays at Canna Provisions’ Lee location are made of antiques that Williams and CEO Meg Sanders bought from around the Berkshires.

And when it comes to the cannabis experience, Sanders, who is also the company’s cofounder, said she and Williams really want to get to know their customers and ensure they leave feeling more informed than when they came in.

“We really wanted to emphasize that customer experience, that unique opportunity to meet each individual customer exactly where they are on their cannabis journey,” Sanders said.

Location

The store is at 220 Housatonic St. in Lee.

Hours

Canna Provisions will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

Parking

The store has a 26-space parking lot, as well as arrangements with several other local businesses. The additional parking locations are just a short walk from the store, and there will be signs directing customers where to go.

Payment

Customers can pay with cash or debit cards. Canna Provisions will be using a cashless ATM system for debit cards that charges a small fee.

Purchasing limits

Beyond the state-mandated purchasing limits, Canna Provisions will have a temporary limit of a quarter of an ounce of marijuana flower. Company leaders hope to lift that limit after the initial opening rush.

Felicia Gans can be reached at felicia.gans@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @FeliciaGans.