Adams' First Marijuana Cultivation Opens
ADAMS, Mass. — Following five years of development, the town's first marijuana cultivation, LC Square, opened last week with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The company at 173 Howland Ave. has overcome a variety of obstacles over the last few years from a pandemic and renovation setbacks to navigating the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
It had been a long path and Art Babayan, principal of LC Square LLC, said it was important to shine a spotlight on the employees because it could not have been done without them. But there's still a lot of work ahead, he said.
"It's been a long journey, and it's a lot of people … participated on this journey. We're here now, but this is just another race," Babayan said. "A lot of people put hard work every day here and we're just moving forward every day trying to be better."
When Babayan came to Adams a few years back, he had other opportunities but decided to build his cultivation facility here because of the way he felt interacting with local people.
The area aligns with his purpose and needs, he said.
"People need to come together and start helping each other and that's what we're here for. Adams meets that … It's just the vibes that I felt around here," Babayan said.
Adams was one of the first communities to create a local marijuana bylaw but has yet to see as much development as other communities, Town Administrator Jay Green said.
"The cultivation and manufacturing marijuana is a very interesting business. We've seen communities all over Massachusetts receive benefit, indirect and direct benefit from that type of business," Green said.
LC Square opening in Adams is very important for the community and Babayan and his team of 42 employees have done a fantastic job improving the facility, Green said.
The building had been occupied by the former Berkshire Outdoor and before that, Powder Shield Technologies but had been vacant for some time. It was in a state of disrepair in the town's industrial section of town, Green said.
"It is a complete transformation from a building that was probably not long for the wrecking ball to something that's generating tax revenue, creating jobs, and it has a viable purpose, and contributes back to the community," he said.
Babayan said he is looking forward to continuing to build the best possible product and continue to grow the company to provide more jobs.
Some 60 percent of LC Square employees have faced economic hardships or barriers, he said. These are people who are getting second or even third chances, he said. Some of his employees are former convicts, and some are in or have participated in drug recovery programs.
"They are part of us and we are making an impact … already we have people who started here in September who I personally see the way they evolve, and the way they change. The way they're happy to be here," Babayan said.
Creating a workplace culture is integral to productivity because staff will be spending a third of their lives in the workplace, he said.
As a team they cultivate a culture in which they do not speak evil, see evil, or hear evil, which is demonstrated through a painting of three wise monkeys displayed in the break room, Babayan said.
At the start of the day the message is one of the first things they see. That message is the foundation of LC Square because we try to help and support each other here, Babayan said.
"If you're not happy in what you're doing, there's no way we'll be able to produce the best possible product because people will not be at their best. I truly believe that," Babayan said.
Floor production manager Robert Buck said the work place environment is amazing and is something he has not experienced before.
"Everything has emphasis on learning from mistakes. So, anytime we get a mistake, we try to figure out where it comes from and we learn from that," Buck said.
"That's one of the main things I like. It's just we're all in this together. We're all learning. It's just I don't know, it's just special. It's something I haven't been a part of before like this."
A common complaint in the industry is that the cannabis regulation process is long and complicated but it is necessary, Babayan said, and once you start diving into the details these regulations make sense.
LC Square hopes to have its flower hit the market this week. Its brand, SparQ, can be found in about 67 stores, a lot of which are in the Berkshires, including Clear Sky Cannabis Dispensary in North Adams, Bloom Brothers in Pittsfield and Liberty Market, Garden Remedies Cannabis, among others.
More information on LC Square's products here.
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