First Worcester Economic Empowerment Cannabis Store Opens

WORCESTER, MA — On a recent Thursday afternoon, Ross Bradshaw was busy transporting plastic tubs full of cannabis products from the back of a van into his Cambridge Street store, New Día. It was a small task, but one that underscores how Bradshaw has touched every piece of his new business.

With help from family and friends, Bradshaw built the store from scratch — literally. He carefully chose the location, drew the floor plan and selected the products he wanted to sell. His vision for the store, which will be Worcester's first under the Cannabis Control Commission economic empowerment initiative, is completely his own.

Bradshaw, a Worcester native, began the process of opening New Día in 2017 after the state recreational cannabis went into effect. He was one of 122 economic empowerment applicants in 2018. The program was meant to be a fast-lane for people of color opening cannabis businesses in areas that were disproportionately affected by drug enforcement.

He chose the Main South area so that he could benefit the community where he grew up. He's held workshops for locals to learn how to interview and write a resume, and helped collect turkeys for a Thanksgiving food drive. The first $5,000 he earns from the business will be donated to the South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corporation.

"We want to be what voters went to the polls for," he said.

The store offers cannabis consumers an array of products, from edibles to flower. Bradshaw is especially proud to sell products from Taunton-based Freshly Baked, which was founded by military veterans Philip Smith and Jenny Roseman to help people coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Smith and Roseman were two of the store's first customers on Monday. The first sale was made to Shanel Lindsay, a New Día investor, but also one of the authors of the state cannabis law passed by voters in 2016 — in fact, it was Lindsay's first purchase since the law went into effect.

Bradshaw said Monday's opening is a "soft" launch, and the store is starting off with online orders for pickup. Bradshaw's vision is to be a destination for cannabis users, but also have a net benefit for the local neighborhood.

"We're putting our community first," he said. "I want to make sure the first dollar and the last dollar goes right back in."

If you go ...

New Día
118 Cambridge St., Worcester
Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
www.newdia.co