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Date: 6/30/2020
EASTHAMPTON – The only cannabis shop in downtown Easthampton, The Verb is The Herb (TVIH) owned by Billy Hartley is undergoing a change in ownership and a name change. The store is currently managed by CEO Meg Sanders and COO Erick Williams. The name passersby will shortly see outside of the shop is Canna Provisions.
Under new management, the store will have an authentic Canna Provisions experience like one would find at their first store in Lee, Sanders said. “Our same people, guiding philosophy, attention to aesthetics with our stores reflecting the communities they are in, and the same care and obsession of providing the best legal cannabis products available in Massachusetts” said Sanders.
With a new owner, came a new look. The entire store was transformed from top to bottom. The team redesigned the store and how it would serve their customers. Sanders said they wanted the same attention to care and sense of space as they always do.
The shop opened two months after businesses were asked to close their doors due to the pandemic, causing them to have to furlough a full staff and then bring them back in a short time frame. Business slowed down Sanders reported. “Cottage Street, under normal circumstances, has a lot of foot traffic due to the phenomenal shops, restaurants and bars located there. With these shops closed, or limited in operations, the foot traffic isn’t where it should be. The good news is we are seeing business move to reopen,” Sanders stated.
Canna Provisions has been offering curbside pick up for their customers since May 25 to ensure the safety of the store and their customers. They have worked directly with the city of Easthampton to create a safe environment. Employees are protected by plexiglass at the cashier stations, they wear masks and gloves, clean between each transaction, and are given time throughout the day to wash their hands. “Our customers are required to wear masks inside the store. We practice social distancing throughout the entire process,” said Sanders.
In order to make a purchase, customers have to pre-order on their website, www.cannaprovisionsgroup.com. Once the customer proceeds to checkout, it will ask them for their name, phone number, birthday, and a time that they wish to pickup their order. Payments will be made at pickup. Upon arriving at the location, customers will check in with an employee which includes checking ID’s before completing any transaction.
Sanders and Williams are not letting COVID-19 get in the way of their businesses. Once the Cannabis Control Commission approves to change ownership and if all goes well, they will have their third store opening this week located in Holyoke.
“We are hoping that all businesses return to some type of normal operations this summer,” Sanders said.