The High End named first MBE and WMBE cannabis company

Holyoke, MA  Massachusetts cannabis just got more diverse. The High End is proud to be the Commonwealth’s first-ever Certified MBE and WMBE cannabis company after successfully petitioning the Cannabis Control Commission to create pathways for equitable industry access for women and people of color. The mission-driven company will continue this vital advocacy work as it establishes itself in the Northeast.

The High End was also awarded provisional licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and retail, and has a research license in-process.

Its 60,000 s/f facility will house cultivation, petroleum-free extraction, kitchens, and a research lab. With sustainability and wellness at its core, The High End will employ an organic living soil cultivation program, whose artisanal, small-batch flower will be the bedrock of its brand. A portion of its flower will be processed for sale as concentrates or used in its chef-driven infusions program, which includes exciting limited-edition projects with celebrated chefs from New York City and around the world. The High End is also committed to uplifting the farmers that contribute ingredients to its infusions program, such as dairy and cacao.

Its flagship dispensary in historic downtown Holyoke, the gateway to New England, is paired with a turn-of-the-century pharmacy-inspired coffee shop – a warm, welcoming, and engaging venue for customers to learn about cannabis while shopping for hemp-derived CBD, handcrafted accessories, and literature, and enjoying exceptional coffee or house-made botanical elixirs.

East Coast cannabis consumers currently lack access to genuinely seed-to-sale craft producers, let alone one that marries its products with hospitality to deliver a holistic and enhanced experience. Today’s cannabis operators are focused on pounds produced over cannabis crafted; grams sold over customers served. The High End will change this dynamic.

The High End began as an idea to create high end cannabis chocolates, tapping into the founders’ network of extraordinary culinary talent. During research, it became evident that, in order to deliver reliable edibles, it must also control cultivation, as there exists no flower in the market that meets its growing standards. This revelation coincided with the founders’ navigation of the NY medical marijuana program for their daughter’s epilepsy and their necessity for clean and consistent cannabis. Living soil cultivation therefore became imperative. And when The High End learned that Holyoke – a city with nearly 100% carbon-neutral energy generation – welcomed the cannabis industry, the founders traded in their Brooklyn home for the 1890s mill building that is today their corporate headquarters.

The company’s founding team is comprised of sustainability-obsessed trailblazers with diverse professional backgrounds from Wall Street, New York City food and wine, Colorado living soil cannabis, regenerative agriculture, and film. And they are collaborating with some of the foremost thought-leaders in research, operations, advocacy, and soil health to cultivate the next generation of cannabis experiences.

The company continues to seek opportunities for strategic partners who share its vision for growth.