Basking in the glow

seaN MCCarthy

For many people, using cannabis was a forbidden thrill – stealing away with friends to a secluded location to smoke a joint. But since it became legal for adults in 2016, buying cannabis in Massachusetts is now as common as getting a candy bar at a convenience store.

Chappy Dickerson knew this day was coming. “In 1999, I was stationed in Germany in the Army and I must have visited Amsterdam 42 times,” he says with a touch of sarcasm. “I saw the amount of people going in and out of these coffee shops and I realized it was a matter of time before this trend was coming to America and I wanted to get ahead of it.” And he did. “When I got home in 2001 I told everyone that I was going to open a dispensary one day and that they would be buying cannabis from me.” And they did. In February 2018, Dickerson opened Bask, a registered cannabis dispensary located at 2 Pequod Road in Fairhaven, just off of Alden Road. Offering both medicinal and recreational cannabis, the store provides as many as 450 different products for patients and consumers over 21. “Everybody and anybody uses cannabis,” Dickerson says. “The people that come through our doors are from every part of society. Our clientele includes your aunts and uncles, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. I love seeing a parent and their 21-plus child shopping together. “Nowadays there’s no picture of what a cannabis user looks like. It used to be the guy in the tie-dyed shirt with the long hair, but not anymore. Deep down I always knew everybody could benefit from the medicinal effects of cannabis. Even recreational users are finding that cannabis can help them sleep or can help relieve aches and pains.” Born and raised in Mattapoisett, the 42-year-old Dickerson is a member of the Mattapoisett Fire Department, as well as being a member of the town’s Conservation Committee and the Agricultural Commission. “I’ve always dabbled in growing cannabis,” Dickerson says. “I started back when I lived at home with my mother. I had plants growing in my bedroom window. When my mother discovered them I told her they were marigolds, but she didn’t believe me.” Today, the number of full-time employees at the Bask store in Fairhaven is 70, and the business is experiencing consistent growth. Since February 2020, Dickerson has been cultivating and processing Bask’s marijuana at their 52-acre AmeriCann site in Freetown. The Freetown location boasts 49 employees. “People are supporting their families thanks to this industry, and buying from a local business helps keep money in the town,” Dickerson says.

the grass is greeNer

Massachusetts customers are legally allowed to buy one ounce of cannabis at a time, though they can make a purchase every day if they wish. All customers must have valid identification, whether it’s a driver’s license, passport, or military ID. Bask offers more than just conventional marijuana. Their shelves are stocked with

Chappy diCkersoN CuttiNg the ribboN to Mark the start of bask’s reCreatioNal CaNNabis sales iN february 2021

concentrates, edibles, beverages, lotions, tinctures, and other products. They also place an emphasis on educating consumers about the products and how to use them. “People love choices,” Dickerson says. “Before stores opened people didn’t have options and a lot of times they did not know what they were buying. Now we have a legal marketplace where customers can select from over 400 different lab-tested products, so they know exactly what they are getting. Our staff is highly trained to answer questions and we have education specialists

that can meet “ one-on-one to help, whether you’re new to cannabis or experienced. It’s important to us that customers and patients understand what they’re purchasing and how to use the products before leaving our shop.” Dickerson says that consuming cannabis can be similar to drinking. “There are many levels of consumption,” he says. “Just like you can have one beer socially, you can microdose, or consume just a small amount, and feel great. I like to start with a little bit at a time and be sociable. I want to be able to have a conversation with people. I may bring a cannabis seltzer drink to an event rather than alcohol and I won’t get so inebriated that I can’t function. “People want to be sociable when they use cannabis. Eventually there’s going to be bars that people can go into to have a smoke, a cannabis-infused drink, or an edible. You won’t be using it in front of your child and you’ll be around people who appreciate it. It will take a little while but it’ll get here.” Dickerson has plans for a second Bask location, to be situated in Taunton. The South Coast also has dispensaries in Fall River, Wareham, and Taunton.

Nuggets of WisdoM

“Like every responsible business, we want to be a positive part of the community. I want people to look at Bask as a part of the community that makes a difference,” he says. “We have freedom for a reason, so if we can give back we should definitely give back.” Bask’s community service endeavors

include working with the Bristol County Veteran’s Association, the United Way of New Bedford, the Fairhaven Animal Shelter, Operation Clean Sweep, Be the Solution to Pollution, South Coast LGBTQ Network, Buy Black New Bedford, as well as the Friends of Jack organization which raises funds and support to enhance the physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being of children across the region. Bask offers discounts for fully disabled veterans and Hospice Patients. “You can’t help everybody, but we do our best to help those eveN reCreatioNal who have fallen on hard times,” users are fiNdiNg Dickerson says. And some that CaNNabis CaN people use canhelp theM sleep or nabis during hard times – medicinal CaN help relieve marijuana was made legal in aChes aNd paiNs “ Massachusetts in 2013 and its uses include treatments for arthritis, anxiety, chronic pain, cancer, and rehabilitation from hard drugs. “People have been using cannabis for thousands of years, but it’s come a long way,” Dickerson says. “The line of products and uses will only get more innovative.” Bask is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for recreational and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for medical. Dickerson says it has been “a lot of hard work and a lot of hours.” “We have a lot of people who come into the dispensary who haven’t used cannabis since college because they didn’t want to get in trouble,” he says. “For many people it’s an enjoyable way to go back to their youth and many have found the medicinal benefits of cannabis to be helpful in their everyday lives. “Since cannabis has become legal, people are much more accepting of it. Nowadays buying cannabis doesn’t have to be an awkward handoff in a parking lot, and you don’t have to go and wait at somebody’s house. “When I walk into Bask I feel like a kid in a candy store. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.” For more information, visit cometobask.com. seaN MCCarthy has been a freelance journalist for 27 years. He lives in New Bedford.

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