By Rod Lee

It comes as no surprise to Joe Villatico, chief executive officer of Greatest Hits Cannabis Co., that the marijuana industry has exploded since retail sales of the product in Massachusetts began in 2018.

The state recently topped $3 billion in revenue realized from purchases of marijuana for recreational and medical use, according to the Cannabis Control Commission. Dozens of licenses have been granted by the CCC from one end of the Bay State to the other.

 Some of the merchandise that is available for purchase at Greatest Hits. 

Mr. Villatico, the son of Arnie Villatico of Periwinkle’s Restaurant celebrity, and the brother of Jason Villatico, who now operates its successor—J. Anthony’s Italian Grill—on the Auburn/Oxford town line, is at the forefront of a business that is growing seemingly faster even than the plants that sustain its livelihood.

A father of two, Mr. Villatico left restaurant work at the age of fifteen “to become a serial entrepreneur,” he said in a small conference room in the Greatest Hits building on Chase St. in Dudley on June 2nd. After partnering with Robert Jordan, founder of Native Roots, on the startup of a cannabis company in Colorado, “my attorney said ‘maybe there’s an opportunity for you in Massachusetts.’ I came home in 2019 and put eyes on the premises”—the old Ethan Allen mill.

The success of Native Roots, which rapidly grew to more than twenty dispensaries, fed Mr. Villatico’s desire to replicate that achievement in Massachusetts.

 The “DJ booth,” situated in one corner of the Greatest Hits Cannabis Co.’s home base on Chase Ave. in Dudley.

Greatest Hits has “three locations, Dudley, Lynn and Taunton,” he said. “We have about forty employees and will grow to two hundred fifty to three hundred. We are starting cultivation (in a wing of the mill) July 1st.”

Greatest Hits will celebrate a grand opening on Friday, June 24th and Saturday, June 25th, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. both days.

The public is embracing the store, which sells only marijuana for recreational use (not medical).

“I think the response has been amazing,” he said. “A good amount of our dollars will go back to the community. To take an old mill that was used for storage and turn it into this, giving back to the community is a very big thing. Cannabis is the vehicle in 2022; this is the new yesterday.”

A onetime dirt biking enthusiast who enjoys the fast-paced nature of the cannabis industry, Joe Villatico points to the “$52 million we raised” as a positive indicator that the venture will prosper. Another reason for optimism, he said, is “Massachusetts has done a good job limiting licenses. A lot of it has to do with experience, like the kind my partner has. We went through roughly a year of approvals to get our Community Host Agreement. The CCC (Cannabis Control Commission) is highly involved. You have to take the right precautions. We have one of the best compliance rates and Lucas Baier, our VP of retail, he is phenomenal.”

The lobby of the building on Chase Ave. is situated in direct proximity to the retail store. The lobby is simply appointed with a welcoming floor mat bearing the message “Let the Good Times Roll”—a nod to a music theme that is prevalent throughout. Mounted guitars and a black-and-white décor with a heavy emphasis on musical notes contributes to a warm atmosphere.

There is an even a “DJ station” in one corner of the retail store; yes, Willie Nelson is among those marijuana aficionados whose framed pictures are displayed there.

The retail store is a beehive of activity, with ample staff in place to handle transactions.

As expected, cannabis is booming in the Bay State, with cultivators, product manufacturers, retailers, independent testing labs, microbusinesses, couriers and others riding the wave.

Greatest Hills Cannabis Co. is off to a good start, in joining that mix.

Go to greatesthitscc.com for more information.

  

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.