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Date: 7/22/2020
EASTHAMPTON – After a soft launch on July 9, the cannabis retailer Insa, which has locations in Easthampton, Springfield and Salem, officially began offering online consultation services on July 13.
Lisa Black, Insa’s online cannabis consultant, said the idea to offer advice came from the retailer’s goal to try to keep up the face to face interactions with its customers after COVID-19 hit.
“Since COVID happened we had to change to a majority pickup space, which doesn’t leave too much for discussion about our products. So, we wanted to be able to offer the in-store experience of asking as many questions as you need digitally,” she said.
Black said that people interested in her consultation services can email her at askinsa@myinsa.com with their questions or to set up a virtual face to face conversation.
She said that so far many of the consultations have been with customers new to cannabis entirely looking for recommendations for products to start with. “A lot of the time the most common thing that we hear is that most people are trying to reduce their pain or anxiety, or something as a sleep aid. So, we’ll give them guidance on what to start off with,” she said.
One of the main concerns Black said first-time customers have is getting too high with their first use.
She said, “A lot of the people who email us are concerned that they will get a little too high from the THC and so we give them recommended places to start so they don’t overdo it the first time and give up their cannabis journey.”
Black said that one of the biggest requests so far has been for products to alleviate pain. “A lot of the products I have been recommending so far have been for pain. We have this Kalee lotion and salve line that has been really effective for targeting pain, so I have been recommending that quite a bit,” she said.
While Insa is open inside at all its locations, Black said most of their orders are for pick-up.
“The majority of our orders are still pickup because it’s a little bit safer that way. That’s what we had to start off with when we started reopening and so a lot of people got into that groove and are continuing to utilize the service,” she said.
She added that customers are required to wear masks and follow the social distancing guidelines in each location.
Black also said that the consultation falls directly in line with Insa’s goal to be an education-focused retailer.
She said, “We really want to be education focused, we want to be a place where you feel comfortable asking questions. We do further testing on our products that isn’t required just so people can get a better idea into what they are buying. So, our consultation service ties into what we are all about here.”