When Cal Verde Naturals opened its doors in June 2023, it became the first cannabis retailer in Belmont following legalization in 2016.
Three years later, it remains the only active cannabis retailer in town.
On Friday afternoon, Cal Verde, located at 1010 Pleasant St., celebrated its third anniversary. Customers were treated to pizza, a prize wheel, and an opportunity to speak with staff, business owners, and state and local officials.
“It feels amazing,” said owner Kelly Tomasello. “We’ve had a wonderful three years…[We’re] really enjoying having an awesome staff and being in such a wonderful town. We’ve gotten a ton of support from the community.”
Belmont resident and Cal Verde Chief Operating Officer Emma Thurston said despite several years of an industry “in upheaval,” the business in Belmont has been “really lucky.”
“We’ve been rock steady and steadily growing,” she said. “We see a lot of support from Belmont and the surrounding communities.”
According to Tomasello, the endeavor began as an idea around 2017, and in 2019, she first met with town staff to begin the process for bringing a shop to Belmont. It was during that time, she said, that she and her husband, Steve, got to know Thurston.
“We had friends who were in the industry already and that kind of got the wheels turning for us,” she recalled.
Thurston, meanwhile, was a member of Town Meeting in May 2018, when members were asked to consider a petition to have Belmont opt out of allowing recreational marijuana establishments in town.
“I worked really hard … to make sure retail could stay here,” she said. “I was a member of the Economic Development Committee. We needed that tax revenue as a town, so the idea we were just going to ban it, after we voted yes for it, was absurd to me.”
According to Belmont’s Chief Financial Officer Geoffrey Lubien, the business generated $76,000 in cannabis sales tax through March for fiscal year 2026. In FY25, revenue totaled $91,000, and $39,000 in FY24.
“We contribute enough to pay for, annually, a full-time employee of the town,” Thurston said. “That’s our direct 3% tax contribution.”
Following the special Town Meeting vote to retain retail in Belmont, the partnership between Thurston and Tomasello grew. Tomasello said she appreciated Thurston’s background in retail, as well as the fact she was an engaged Belmont resident, and a mother who was interested in the cannabis industry.
“Everything kind of fell into place,” Tomasello said.
In November, Massachusetts voters may be asked to consider a ballot question seeking to repeal laws permitting the sale of recreational marijuana and the personal cultivation of cannabis in homes. According to a report in the Commonwealth Beacon, however, cannabis advocates are alleging that a number of signatures collected to get the question onto the ballot were collected through “illegitimate means.”
A hearing by the State Ballot Law Commission was expected to be held July 15, with others to follow, if needed.
Kevin Gilnack, political director for the Stop the Repeal campaign, attended Friday afternoon’s celebration, both to acknowledge Cal Verde’s anniversary and to inform attendees of the upcoming ballot question.
“It would send businesses like this back underground, eliminate the testing and labeling and other protections that keep consumers safe, and destroy jobs and local economic development,” said Gilnack, who filed an objection to the signatures submitted. “We’re doing our due diligence in trying to make sure their signatures are all valid and if not, we’d love to see it removed from the ballot.”
Tomasello urged voters to consider the question from the perspective of “mom and pop shops” like her own.
“When my husband and I got into the industry, we put our life savings into this store,” she said. “People need to remember there’s no federal funding. There’s no option to even get a business loan from a bank… When you look at it from a mom and pop standpoint, we’re not a multi-state operation. … When people think of repealing it, think of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it for a lot of people.”
The two women also emphasized the loss of jobs for people in the state. At the Belmont cannabis store, 16 people are employed.
Tomasello added that in the last three years, Cal Verde has been a frequent sponsor of community events, including Porchfest, the Belmont Farmers’ Market, Belmont Helps, and the gala for Belmont Foundation for Education.
“We try to be really good members of the community while we’re here,” she said.
A second cannabis retailer, Mint Cannabis, was set to open down the street but recently transferred its license to a group called Clover Partners, LLC, for $1 million, a transaction allowed under state statute.
The board voted in the spring to require the new retailer to negotiate a new community host agreement.