Malden’s First Retail Cannabis Dispensary Celebrates Ribbon Cutting

MALDEN, MA — Malden’s first retail cannabis dispensary celebrated its ribbon cutting Thursday a matter of weeks after a soft opening late last year.

Long in the making, Misty Mountain Shop is now open at 323 Commercial St.

This week’s ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration was announced ahead of time with plans to include an array of vendors, food, live music and game options.

Misty Mountain Shop received its provisional license from the state Cannabis Control Commission in September of 2021 after a lengthy licensing process before that point. It then secured its final necessary local approval to open on Nov. 30 of last year from the Malden Cannabis Licensing and Enforcement Commission.

Various retail recreational cannabis dispensaries have opened throughout Massachusetts since the state first allowed recreational retail cannabis sales in 2018.

While it is the first dispensary to actually open up shop in Malden, Misty Mountain has been joined by a handful of other applicant businesses also navigating the licensing process to open Malden locations. Of the other applicants, Malden Business Commissioner and Cannabis Licensing and Enforcement Commission Chair Nelson Miller said in a meeting in November that prospective dispensary Standard Naturals is “very, very close to being done” with its necessary steps for a license and approval.

Outside Malden, other area communities including Chelsea and Melrose already have their own cannabis dispensaries.

Some area communities that previously opted out of hosting local recreational cannabis retail locations have also recently reversed course, with the Woburn City Council voting in September to allow dispensaries in an existing industrial zoning district in town.

Misty Mountain Shop in Malden is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.