TRAVIS DUDA

April Showers Brought Me to Mayflower
A rainy April day was the perfect opportunity to visit Mayflower, and cross another local shop off my list. I took a spin down Park Ave and easily found parking outside of their fairly plain looking building. When I first walked in, the vibe was more clinical than cannabis. The front staff was super friendly but it kind of felt like I was in a new-age doctor’s office. Especially because I had to wait for a minute before entering the showroom. All of this made more sense on the other side of the door when I realized they’re limiting the amount of people in the showroom at one time. This allowed me to comfortably appreciate the interior design and displays. The clapboard background with their logo in front was a nice touch that felt like the hull of a ship. Gorgeous wood display cases and counters bring the whole motif together which also plays nicely with the punch of orange color distributed sparsely through the facility. I always enjoy when I can use a service like CanPay. Getting my purchase in a shiny, white, zip top bag was an interesting choice. It’s certainly more protective than your standard brown paper bag however this felt like my bag was screaming, “I just purchased a controlled substance!” That said, I picked up an eighth of Star Killer and an eighth of Cookies and Cream which were both quite tasty. If you haven’t done so yet, sail on down to Mayflower and check them out.

Overpriced Schwag?
I’ve read a few articles recently stating that Massachusetts’ cannabis is high priced and low quality. Some industry people suggest that part of the issue are the regulations our local Cannabis Control Commission has put on the industry. Bringing legal weed to market that meets the strict CCC standards comes at a premium cost, however it feels like the consumer pays the price. It only takes a quick Google search to learn that we’re paying, at times, double what other states like Colorado and Oregon pay for an eighth, before taxes. What’s frustrating is that we’re not getting a better experience for the price. This could be attributed to a fledgling industry. It’s conceivable that we see better pricing as the laws continue to adapt to the market. I really just want to have the best quality weed available. To hear that some people are embarrassed by the product in our state bums me out. We’ll see if some consumer-focused brand identifies this a niche area and adapts their operations. It’s also an opportunity for the CCC to reflect on their policies and help our companies make Massachusetts, and more specifically Worcester, the pot capital of the Northeast.

All Packed Up
People who know me know that I’m really into packaging. I’ve spent a lot of time talking about packaging that annoys me so I get really excited when I come across one that I enjoy opening. I bought a couple eighths from Good Chemistry recently and was pumped to receive a puck-like container. The size is great, and I like that they fit in a pocket or a backpack. They’re easy to open but not so easy that a kid can do it. They also stack nicely and the design is clean and fun to look at. Most importantly, it’s easy to get every little crumb out before calling the container empty. Honestly, these containers are cool enough that I’m probably gonna save them to put other stuff in. Also in an unrelated note, thank you to the staff at Good Chemistry for receiving my package of stickers due to a shipping error. That was a pretty funny problem to explain to everyone at the front desk. The Seltzer Time podcast has the full story, give it a listen!

Thanks for reading and happy trails!
-Travis (@hunchbacktravis)