GREAT BARRINGTON — At the beginning of March, Great Barrington welcomed its fourth cannabis dispensary to town. Farnsworth Fine Cannabis, located at 126 Main Street, sells a unique variety of cannabis products in a museum-quality showroom.
The company was created by partners Alexander Farnsworth and Adam Lippes. Farnsworth first visited the Berkshires at Lippes’s Monterey home in 2012. At the time, recreational cannabis had not been legalized, but Farnsworth knew then that Great Barrington “would be the perfect place for a pot shop.”
Six years later, Farnsworth and Lippes began operating their delicately designed dispensary, featuring floor-to-ceiling white oak cabinetry with almost 100 illuminated cabinets to display their products. Even the building falls into their design concept, for their dispensary exudes a feeling that it “could’ve been open in the 1950s and would’ve had a similar look and feel, perhaps,” Farnsworth said.
Like most companies in the industry, Farnsworth Fine Cannabis hasn’t gone without certain superficial strifes. When the two men began carrying out plans for their business, they originally called the company “High Minded.” However, after the state Cannabis Control Commission took issue with the word “high,” they changed the name overnight to what it is today.
The name change allowed Farnsworth to honor both his paternal and maternal sides. The name Farnsworth comes from his father, while the iconic hummingbird logo stems from his mother’s maiden name, Bird. Together, they create a meaningful front for the dispensary.
Farnsworth said he also chose the hummingbird because “they are elusive, and they’re always buzzing, and I feel like when we consume cannabinoids, it activates our receptors and creates this buzzing feeling.”
Since its grand opening in March, the store has “been doing amazing. It’s been growing every day,” said Farnsworth. Currently, the company has a 17% return rate within a 60-day period, meaning customers have returned 12–14 times in the past two months. The dispensary has already created a strong community, and “we are grateful to have met so many incredible customers and visitors.”
Farnsworth Fine Cannabis effectively serves a range of people, from those “who are just dabbling with cannabis and trying to get into the market, to really experienced users and connoisseurs,” said Farnsworth.
The dispensary carries a multitude of products, including traditional pre-rolls and their own cannabis cigarette, which features a luxury-length filter for a smoother smoke. The shop also carries gourmet chocolate bars, mints, “lotions and potions,” tinctures, gummies, and aphrodisiacs. In addition, there are beverages, including a Gwyneth Paltrow-sponsored brand, Cann, which is “super hot in Hollywood,” according to Farnsworth. Come summer, Farnsworth plans to release the company’s very own body oil.
As for flower, Farnsworth predicts that “some of the best flower is yet to come on the market,” because, within a 10-mile radius of Great Barrington, there are numerous farms that may just be getting plants in the ground now or in the coming months. The Farnsworth dispensary currently has grove partners from Pittsfield to the South Shore.
While the THC products might be the most eye-catching items for cannabis users, the store will also be selling a variety of glassware and gold and silver accessories, including cigarette holders, ashtrays, and rolling paper trays. Some clothing apparel and jewelry will also be available for purchase. Among the jewelry will be a rainbow sapphire cannabis leaf necklace to represent the company’s connection with pride.
The company is LGBT-owned, and Farnsworth and Lippes decided to further integrate diversity into their company through their employees, with at least 65% of their staff being made up of LGBTQ+ members, women, people of color, and veterans. Currently, there are 15 members to their team, but the company is looking to hire four more for the busy summer months.
Since Farnsworth himself grew up in a more conservative area in Utah where he “was worried about the prospects of my future because I was living in a place where I didn’t fit in […] and I wasn’t sure there were environments like that that existed,” creating a safe and accepting environment is an important part of the Farnsworth company.
While there are approximately 10 other cannabis dispensaries in Berkshire County, Farnsworth Fine Cannabis does not plan to actively try to stand out in contrast to them. Instead, the co-owners remain “focused on our experience,” Farnsworth said. He notes the importance of creating connections through their personal approach to cannabis retail. The shop is “a place where you can come in and you can talk to people, and you can see things with your own eyes,” as pre-ordering is not necessary. Farnsworth added that, “the cannabis space has become way too transactional,” and their goal is to create a true “experience” for their customers.
The legalization of recreational cannabis use in New York at the end of last month has created some concern within the Massachusetts cannabis industry because many customers are from out of state. However, “for now I’m not worried at all because the Berkshires will always be a destination,” Farnsworth said. Already — and despite the pandemic — the dispensary has greeted customers from 24 states.
Farnsworth estimates it will take between one and three years before New York is up and running in the cannabis sector. However, he has “no doubt that New York is going to be the most advanced, the largest market, and probably the most cut-throat in the country or the globe.”
Overall, Farnsworth is happy with the dispensary he and his partner have created, and is optimistic that the shop will “continue to be a place of excitement, exploration, and discovery.”
Farnsworth Fine Cannabis is open Monday—Friday from 12–8 p.m. and weekends from 1–8 p.m.
