A recreational marijuana company is in the process of opening a dispensary at the old 7-Eleven spot on Centre Street.
Prolific Cannabis recently signed a 10-year lease for the vacant commercial storefront at 684 Centre St., said CEO Eric Lawrence to Jamaica Plain News. Prolific Cannabis has been approved to open a recreational marijuana dispensary in Allston, and hopes to do so in that neighborhood by the end of the year.
Representatives of Prolific Cannabis recently met with the Jamaica Pond Association to talk about their business on July 11. Lawrence hopes to open its Jamaica Plain store by May 2023.
Prolific Cannabis is committed to being an independent, local- and minority-owned business, said Lawrence.
"We do have a socially equitable mission to ensure people disproportionately affected are getting to participate in this industry," said Lawrence. "Not only ourselves, but other entrepreneurs, and the people working for us. Our employment plan is to offer full and living wage benefits."
The company also plans to support affordable housing opportunities by offering funds to associates to help with first, last and security deposits for rental units, and closing costs for first-time home buyers, said Vice President Maya Gaul. Gaul is a lifelong Jamaica Plain resident and current real estate agent for Unlimited Sotheby's.
Part of Prolific's business model is to be engaged with and supportive of the community, said Lawrence.
"Through our community outreach in Jamaica Plain we saw there are a lot of artists in the community, but a lack of artist gallery space," said Lawrence, a Roxbury resident and owner of Lawrence and Co General Contracting. "We are dedicated to allowing artists to display and monetize their work after opening."
Lawrence said that while the biz goes through the months-long approval process they are lending their space to organizations that need meeting space, including JP Centre/South Main Streets. They have held pre-opening events in Allston including artist gallery shows, singer-songwriter workshops, yoga classes, and sewing classes.
The current space has been vacant for more than two years, and Lawrence is looking forward to revitalizing the location and bring it back to life.