image description — A motorcycle is used as a sign alerting drivers that they are at Royal Enfield's Motolicks on Route 346. Rambler Cannabis Supply will be opening in the adjacent wood structure.

New Businesses Blend Cannabis Retail and Motorcycle Culture

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:22PM / Friday, April 25, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Royal Enfield is a multinational motorcycle manufacturer; Motolicks will sell its products and custom work.

POWNAL, Vt. — Last week saw the opening of two new businesses in North Pownal: Marijuana and motorcycles.

Royal Enfield of Bennington County, a multinational motorcycle manufacturer, and Rambler Cannabis Supply held their grand opening on Saturday in the brick building at the intersection of Route 346 and North Pownal Road.

Motolicks, the custom parts and performance division of Royal Enfield of Bennington County, is owned by Arthur Thibert Jr. Rambler Cannabis was started by Chris Lussier two years ago as a cultivation facility. He is now expanding it to a retail location next door to Motolicks.

Lussier and Thibert met a little over a year ago when Lussier wanted to check out some motorcycles; Thibert directed him to a Royal Enfield partner.

"We started talking and just kind of realized that like our two brands kind of really mesh well and we kind of wanted to build this," Lussier said.

They decided to bring motorcycle culture and cannabis culture together. The businesses are separate but lease the building together with cannabis dispensary located on the left side of the building.

"Rambler the brand and the feel of it felt like it really connected with the Royal Enfield spirit of things, just that rebellious freedom, doing things your own way," Lussier said.

"Even though they are two different products they blend well," Thibert said.

Thibert started Licks Cycles in Clarksburg, Mass., in 2002 with his late wife, doing custom work with Harley-Davidson. He closed the shop nearly 10 years after his wife passed but still loved riding and came upon Royal Enfield when he wanted to buy a bike. The owners knew about Licks Cycles and decided to partner with him a few years ago.

"It was a fluke, I bought a bike and we hooked up and they were like let's get you back in the business again so that started," he said. "Then we slowly started selling bikes and they asked me about the brand again so we decided to reintroduce the brand now under Motolicks for custom parts for Royal Enfield. ...

"I do my own parts, I do custom leather bags, we do handlebars, we do all kinds of stuff I mean all kinds of mirrors and stuff, it's basically custom parks for the bikes."

Lussier was licensed for cultivation in 2022 and got his retail license in late 2024, just before the Vermont Cannabis Control Board paused retail licenses to address oversaturation in cities and towns.

"For me it was just a group of guys that I connected with and had a good time hanging out with and kind of wanted to spread that to the rest of the community," Lussier said.

Their goal is to see Vermont allow consumption lounges and to be able to expand their space for people to hang out.

"We really want to have that people want to come, a destination, so we'd love to have a much larger place where you come in looking at motorcycles, buy a motorcycle, hang out, and have some venue, buy some cannabis hang out here," Lussier said. "Kind of make it more of just that community hang out space instead of a retail transaction, really want to make it kind of a home."

Thibert would also like to see Motolicks expand into bigger venue where events could be held.

"Have some type of lounge area for us and maybe even make it bigger where we can rent a spot for a tattooist or a barber," he said.

They say they really want their retail spaces to feel like a home to customers.

"We really want people to feel like this is their third place where you can kind of hangout and be part of the community," Lussier said.

They are located at 3584 VT-346, North Pownal. Motolicks' hours are weekdays 10 to 5 and Saturdays 10 to 4. The phone number is 802-753-8889.

Rambler Cannabis is open Wednesday to Friday 11 to 7; Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday 10 to 4. Contact them at info@ramblercannabis.com.

Tags: new business, cannabis, motorcycles,

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Companion Corner: Max at Second Chance

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
03:25PM / Thursday, February 12, 2026

ARLINGTON, Vt. — There is a dog at Second Chance Animal Shelter whose blindness doesn't stop him from wanting to play fetch with his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Max is a 3-year-old border collie has been patiently waiting at the shelter since January 2023.

Lead canine care technician Alaura Lasher introduced us to him.

"He is a mostly blind dog, so we're looking for someone who is willing to work with him and his blindness, he actually does really well, even though he can't see for the most part," she said.

Max was given to the shelter after his previous owner was not able to care for his special needs. His new owner will have to be able to care for him and make sure his eyes are checked every six months.

"He has degenerative retinal atrophy. He had a surgery for this a year ago. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to gain much eyesight back from that, and we're just monitoring him for glaucoma. He would need someone who is ready to take him to the ophthalmologist every six months," said Lasher. "He gets checkups every six months just to make sure he hasn't developed glaucoma yet and nothing is worsening with his eyes."

It is suggested he goes to a home with older children who can understand his condition as well as no other pets, and a safe place for him to run free without worry of getting lost. Especially to play his favorite game of fetch.

"We do suggest a home with no other animals, just because with his blindness, it's a little hard for him to know how to interact with them. We also suggest a home with a fenced in yard again, because he loves to play fetch. He will play fetch for as long as you will let him, and he does amazing at it, even though he doesn't have the best eyes," Lasher said.

Max is on an eye-drop schedule that will need to be followed.

"He does require multiple eye drops a day, so someone would have to be ready and willing to kind of stick to his eye med schedule and be able to administer those daily," she said.

Max has shown signs of reactivity to strangers and animals and would do great if his next family could work with him in socializing.

"He's a very smart dog. He's very intelligent. I think he would do really well with some basic training. Since he's very toy driven, that would definitely kind of help him in his learning and training process."

If you think Max might be the boy for you, reach out to Second Chance Animal Shelter and learn more about him on the website.

Second Chance Animal Shelter is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. It is located at 1779 VT Route 7A. Contact the shelter at 802-375-2898 or info@2ndchanceanimalcenter.org.

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