Why We Chose to Launch in Massachusetts

It’s a monumental new era of legalized cannabis in the United States – but it hasn’t come without the tireless efforts of true believers, activists, and political allies. Just as important as providing natural wellness options for all, we need to celebrate and honor those who sacrificed to get us to where we are today.

As we move forward, we can’t wait to share more Gentlemen Smugglers lore with consumers in search of premium cannabis along with unparalleled storytelling. With that being said, you might be wondering why we chose this particular state to develop our brand.

Keep reading to find out about why Massachusetts is ideal – both historically for smuggling and for our upcoming launch.

Smuggling in Massachusetts

So, why exactly has The Bay State become so well-known for smuggling? Simply put, because of:

“The sheer amount of offload sites!”
— Pinckney Green, Gentlemen Smuggler

It is therefore no surprise that Massachusetts has historically been attractive to smugglers. Even before colonial times, the state’s jagged coastline was the scene for countless illicit capers.

Gentlemen Smugglers & The Bay State

The original Gentlemen Smugglers considered the rough coast of Massachusetts to be just the right type of conditions to pull off the perfect run.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the crew utilized offload spots from Falmouth to Hyannis, Woods Hole to Elizabeth Islands, bringing in-demand imported weed to the people of Boston and beyond.

Gentlemen Smuggler, Les Riley, recounts a story about chartering the ferry that went to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket from the Cape:

“Put your vans and cars on the ferry for a wedding party overnight, meet the mother ship at sea… Put the pot in the vans and cars, and come back to the docks in time to pick up passengers for the scheduled trips.”

Pretty nifty, huh? Employing countless other cunning plans such as this one, giving the people what they wanted is what we set out to do all those years ago, and now… we’re here to do it again, bringing high-quality cannabis and unique storytelling back to the Commonwealth.

“High Stakes, High Adventure” — Cementing Our Legacy

We chose Massachusetts for the launch of our brand because our brand is our legacy. There’s so much activity in the legal market, it is mission critical for us to do our part for the legal cannabis industry.

Therefore, we take pride in not only providing our customers with premier natural cannabis solutions, but we also care deeply about giving back to local communities and ensuring social equity for all.

Cannabis Social Equity in Massachusetts

As we mentioned above, in addition to our partnership with The Last Prisoner Project, choosing Massachusetts also had a great deal to do with the Commonwealth’s position and initiatives regarding cannabis social equity.

When charting the course for our brand, we wanted to be part of a state that was actively involved in working to provide support to local communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the senseless War on Drugs.

In addition to its existing social equity programs, we love the progressive nature of Massachusetts state legislators always working to reform/improve cannabis social equity guidelines while increasing diversity.

Making a Real Difference: Stay Tuned for More News Regarding Our Cannabis Social Equity Initiatives

Subsequently, as the Gentlemen Smugglers brand evolves into the future, we are deeply committed to doing our part in furthering efforts to reverse the harmful effects of decades of failed drug policy.

Excited to find out more? Be sure to connect with us & track our social media channels for the latest news and updates regarding our brand.

VANESSA BUTLER

With a rich background in accounting and a trail of successful mentees launching their accounting firms, Vanessa is not just a financial expert but the force behind the scenes, ensuring the numbers align for daring endeavors. Juggling the roles of being an accounting professional, mentor, business consultant, and proud DOPE CFO Pro Badge holder, she continues to bring a unique blend of dedication and organizational prowess to her role.

In 2019, Vanessa launched her accounting firm, Butler CFO & Tax, where she’s helped hundreds of firm owners and non-profit organizations scale their businesses.  She has been a driving force helping the Gentlemen Smugglers to stay successful.

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Peter Cardoz

As a passionate cannabis advocate, lifetime food enthusiast and veteran scientist, Peter brings his wealth of knowledge and love for cannabis to the Gentlemen Smugglers team. He started his research career from an early age, eventually conducting research at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, where he become published in Nature Communications.

In 2021, Peter started his own consulting company, Cardoz Blended Gourmet, and a launched a line of gourmet, live resin infused CBD culinary oils.

Cathy O'Hara

Meet Cathy, head of People Operations at Gentlemen Smugglers. Cathy is a former journalist turned Tech Pioneer. As the 35th employee at AirBNB, Cathy helped scale the home-sharing startup into the mega star it is today.

Cathy joins GS with a proven knowledge of recruiting, people leadership, community relationship building, customer service operations, workflow planning and project management. Plus she’s just a cool world traveler.