August 2018

Melrose has a temporary morato- rium barring recreational marijuana establishments through at least December. Newton has a similar moratorium on adult-use shops, but city regulators exempted Garden Remedies from the temporary ban. Herold said the city opted to use the company as a possible test case on rec sales. Focusing on Health and Wellness “The adult-use market is full of customers that are looking for health and wellness products – much like the medical market – so we think it’s an ideal place for us to be,” Herold said. Part of the plan is to try to attract clients who may not have felt com- fortable registering for medical mari- juana cards due to privacy or other concerns. There’s also a push to go after the consumer who cares about consuming virtually organic cannabis. Being founded by a physician allows Garden Remedies to lean into the message of being a cannabis company focused on helping patients and scientifically producing clean cannabis that is free of chemicals and added nutrients like nitrogen-phos- phorus-potassium solutions found in hydroponic grows. It’s an approach that could benefit the company with adult-use custom- ers who are sticklers about how the plants are grown. “We grow in soil and never add any pesticides or fertilizers to the can- nabis,” Herold said. “It requires more space. We, obviously, have soil we have to store and move around. It’s also more expensive, but we believe it gives us a better medicine in the end.” Garden Remedies pays special attention to the terpene levels in the plants. (See related story, Page 56.) Terpenes are the chemical compounds responsible for the smell of cannabis and help define a given strain’s unique effect. Focusing on terpenes allows the company to grow cannabis for different patients’ needs, such as pain and nausea control, according to Herold. With recreational sales starting, Herold said, the company will have to educate first-time cannabis buyers about how Garden Remedies’ grow- ing method is different and what that difference means to quality. Reaching Customers Garden Remedies’ success depends on the company’s ability to reach more customers. The addition of the delivery service allowed the company to sell to patients who may not be able to visit or interested in patron- izing the Newton dispensary. The next-day delivery service also helps Garden Remedies serve municipalities like Worcester, the second-largest city in Massachusetts, where marijuana dispensaries are absent. While Garden Remedies waited for the OK to start recreational sales, the company focused on reaching customers through 10%-15% dis- counts for seniors, veterans and those experiencing hardship. The brand also hoped to stand out through food collections and attending the fourth annual New England Cannabis Con- vention in March. “Entering into the adult-use market is going to require us to operate much like any retail business, right?” Herold said. “Social media and community outreach and all of those things are, obviously, important. We truly intend to create a community around our business and our product both online and in person.” ◆ Garden Remedies uses super soils and organic methods to grow cannabis, as seen at its cultivation and manufacturing center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Garden Remedies Daniel Bryant, an assistant scientist at Garden Remedies, preps for a cannabis oil extraction at the company’s facility in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Garden Remedies August 2018 • Marijuana Business Magazine • 99