Seaside Cannabis Ramps Up Clone Fest In Year Two

ORLEANS – Cannabis’ legal status in Massachusetts allows anyone to walk into a licensed shop or dispensary and purchase what they want. But for some people, being able to simply buy product pales compared to the opportunity to actually grow their own.

Seaside Cannabis Co. has seized on this segment of the cannabis market with its Clone Fest. Now in its second year, the annual event features not only an expansive line of clones — cannabis strains that are copied from a mother plant — but also resources for people to learn more about cloning and how they can do it themselves.

“We want to capture and engage those green thumbs who maybe want to take it all the way and know exactly what they’re doing to the end point of consumption, to others who maybe just want to try it and have some fun because they’re allowed to do it,” said Spencer Knowles, chief operating officer at Seaside Cannabis, which held this year’s festival 
Saturday at its shop on Lots Hollow Road. “So it really covers the spectrum.”

Seaside Cannabis is one of two cannabis businesses licensed to operate in Orleans, alongside Ember Gardens on Route 6A. The shop celebrated its first year of operation in town in December. Knowles said the shop has gotten a great show of support from the community, namely year-round residents.

“That’s what gets you through the year,” he said. “That’s what keeps the lights on, and that has been super gratifying and fulfilling to get that local support.”

Clones this year were provided by Middleboro-based Suncrafted Cannabis, which operates a “tissue culture lab” that allows for a more advanced form of cloning, Knowles said.

"These are not cuttings from other plants,” he said. “This is the real deal.”

Knowles said based on the popularity of last year’s inaugural event, organizers worked to take this year’s event “to a whole new level.” Whereas last year the shop introduced clones on the day of the event, this year it is rolling out different clones throughout the month of May.

“The two main things that we got from people were ‘We’d like more time to be able to purchase, and we’d like more variety,’” he said.

Seaside Cannabis once again collaborated on the festival with Agway, which offered its own deals and incentives next door. Live music was provided by the Dirty Water Dance Band, while “meet the grower” both allowed attendees to talk to vendors and ask questions.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s event, Knowles said the shop was on pace to sell twice the number of clones that it did last year.

“It is part of the cannabis culture to grow, and also we’re very lucky that the regulations allow homegrowers do it legally,” he said. “So we’re just celebrating where cannabis has always been, which is in someone’s backyard.”