Press & News

4/18/2022

The 411 on 4/20

Happy 4/20 from here in the Berkshires and Hudson Valley! We’re celebrating with a look at some local deals and events around the area.

But first, a brief history of the holiday. It’s…hazy, to say the least. There are several common misconceptions, like the California penal code for marijuana, the number of active chemicals in the plant, and even a Bob Dylan song. However, most historians credit a group of high schoolers in Northern California. As legend has it, the teens—who called themselves the “Waldos”—met up after school (and sports practice) at 4:20 pm. to search for an abandoned cannabis crop. The phrase “4/20” became code for smoking pot and spread among their friends, including members of the Grateful Dead. It was picked up by an editor at High Times in 1990 and made its way into lexicon and lore.

3/22/2022

Mass. border stores have more plans than worries about NY legalization

Massachusetts adult use operators in western Massachusetts are planning for New York’s new legal market, even if the new market is not expected to impact sales any time soon. “People who reside in other states and come visit the Berkshires are part of our customer base,” said Jesse Tolz, marketing director for The Pass, a retail store in Sheffield, Massachusetts.

3/1/2022

The Pass: Farm-to-Label Cannabis in Massachusetts

It’s the Golden Age - or, perhaps it should be called the ‘Green’ Age - of cannabis. A majority of Americans support Federal legislation to remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 substances, and Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have joined nearby Massachusetts and the 33 other States which have legalized medical possession and use, and 14 other States which have legalized recreational possession and use of the substance.

11/2/2021

Peek Inside Massachusetts’ Newest Billion-Dollar Business: Pot Gummies

Gulp! You’ve just swallowed a pot gummy and are ready to get stoned when you ask yourself: Where does this thing even come from? Don’t sweat it—take an inside peek at one THC-infused candy’s journey, from seed all the way to sale.

4/6/2021

Celebrating Women in Cannabis at a Vertically Integrated Facility

Inclusion and camaraderie help us build new relationships and bring us together time and time again.

One particular Massachusetts business makes this the foundation of its core principles as it celebrates its diverse and talented staff for International Women’s Month.

4/1/2021

Day Tripper The Berkshires

Casey tours Berkshire Mountain Distillers and The Pass, a legal marijuana retailer, in Sheffield.

1/31/2021

A look inside The Pass, a hive of cannabis cultivation in Sheffield

Much of the product sold by The Pass comes from its own, on-site growing operation at its Main Street location and another growing facility in Ashley Falls. There is an indoor cultivation center — a multi-tiered system of light and humidity-controlled growing rooms that take plants through every stage of life, and a large natural light greenhouse with grow lights that turn on automatically when natural light levels dip below a certain threshold.

1/12/2021

The Pass Cannabis Dispensary Receives Approval to Expand Grow Capacity in Second Sheffield Location

"This added site will allow The Pass to manage an outdoor area (~43,000 square feet) cultivating 2,700 plants in season, and greenhouses containing 2,400 additional plants year-round to provide raw material for their retail store and wholesale business. The new site will not be accessible to the public."

1/2/2021

The Green Rush: Legal Cannabis on the Rise

"If you think of us like a winery versus a package store, you'll start to get an idea of what we are doing here," explains Ally Brown, marketing manager at The Pass. "We have a multilevel indoor facility and a greenhouse. Everything is done on-site—drying, curing, trimming. Our extracts and edibles are also created on site, all of which are then third-party tested. As soon as they pass, we can bring the product right through the doors."

12/23/2020

Sheffield Cannabis Operation OK’d for Expansion

"Having our flower production on-site ensures that our customers are getting the freshest cannabis possible," said head of cultivation Pete Steimer. "The opening of the Pass' second grow location will allow us to develop our wholesale business, have a stronger presence at dispensaries throughout the state and expand and diversify our in-house menu."

11/30/2020

The Pass to Expand Grow Capacity

"On Nov. 19, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted approval for The Pass cannabis dispensary to add outdoor growing plus five additional greenhouses to its capacity at a second location in Sheffield."

11/24/2020

State approves second grow site for Sheffield cannabis firm

"The Pass, which, in July opened, off Route 7 near the Great Barrington town line, will add a 43,000-square-foot grow site in Ashley Falls to increase supply for its retail and wholesale operations, the company announced Tuesday."

11/24/2020

Second marijuana growing location approved in Sheffield

"SHEFFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A marijuana business has been approved by the state to add another location for outdoor growing and five greenhouses in Sheffield. The business, The Pass, already has an indoor growing facility, an outdoor greenhouse and a lab for manufacturing the product at one location in the town."

10/17/2020

The buzziest getaway for New Yorkers? The Berkshires for legal pot

"The bucolic town of Sheffield, Mass., has become a weekend hotspot for Big Apple residents who want to get high while they get away from the stresses of the city."

9/25/2020

A LOOK INSIDE A “FARM TO LABEL” MASSACHUSETTS MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

"The Pass is located right on Rt. 7, at 1375 N. Main St., in Sheffield, Massachusetts. It's about 5 miles North of the CT/Mass border, making The Pass the closest legal Cannabis dispensary to Western Connecticut, and the New York City metropolitan area. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that I would be able to legally step foot inside a marijuana growing operation. But, I did, and I was able to take photographs."

9/18/2020

WHERE TO GET A LUXE CANNABIS EXPERIENCE

"To help with your goal, products are fashioned and packaged in brilliant color codes: From warm tones illustrating the spectrum for sativa, or sativa-leaning strains, cycling to cool tones of indica-leaning and indica strains. So, whether you’re a first-timer, or not, this is a great educational tool. On site, are cannabis consultants, or budtenders, that are extremely knowledgeable and can assist consumers with their objective that will tailor to their needs. Since the retail space is adjacent to the lab, the dispensary staff is able to communicate directly with the processing team regarding specific products. Now that’s what I call luxe shopping experience."

8/30/2020

[Listen] MJ Bulls – Raising Cannabis Capital

"It was a long process but The Pass, a vertically integrated cannabis facility in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts is finally open. Michael Cohen, co founder and President, joins Dan Humiston to talk about his vertically integrated cannabis business. He shares in detail everything about his business, future plans, and retail stores."

8/27/2020

[Listen] Marshall Miles Interviews Chris Weld of The Pass

"The Pass co-founders both live in Berkshire County, but their growing and processing facilities, and their retail store, reside here as well. For Michael Cohen and Chris Weld, the struggle to open the Pass has been a journey of some three years."

8/26/2020

Pull up to The Pass: A local weed dispensary rooted in community

"Located in the Berkshires right off of a major road, The Pass represents a changing landscape. In the middle of a lush valley home to farmers, to the naked eye, The Pass is essentially just another business on the side of the road."

8/24/2020

Cannabis tourism could pick up as US citizens travel more domestically — here’s how entrepreneurs can capitalize on the trend Posted by

"Michael Cohen, founder and president of the vertically-integrated brand The Pass, operates out of The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. Cohen said that cannabis-centric tourism hadn’t reached his market. The lack of activity comes despite dispensaries serving out-of-state buyers from nearby New York and Connecticut."

8/24/2020

The business opportunities awaiting entrepreneurs in ‘cannabis tourism,’ which could pick up as US citizens travel more domestically

"Michael Cohen, the founder and president of The Pass, which operates out of the Berkshires in Massachusetts, sees potential in places where cannabis is less thought off, such as outside Colorado and California."

8/13/2020

What’s The Allure Of Cannabis Concentrates?

“In Massachusetts, the concentrate market isn’t too big yet, and specifically, in Berkshire county, it’s about 6% of sales,” explained Cohen. He does expect that figure to increase in time. “We anticipate that this will change and concentrates will gain more traction as the market continues to mature and consumers start exploring different product types.”

7/18/2020

The Best Places for a Cannabis Vacation Post-Coronavirus

"Much of the world is clamoring to get outside – that includes cannabis consumers like you and me. While the travel bug is real, so too is the COVID-19 virus, and thus, for the time being, it’s best to stay put…"

7/17/2020

The Pass Brings Cannabis to the Berkshires with Adult-Use Dispensary Launch: The Starting Line

"Co-Founder and President Michael Cohen shares insight into the vertically integrated company’s launch into Massachusetts’ adult-use market and the opening of its first dispensary in the Berkshires…"

7/16/2020

‘Farm to label’ cannabis operation opens Friday in Sheffield

"SHEFFIELD — Outside, a fast stretch of state Route 7 cuts through some of this town's many cornfields.
Inside, workers are dealing with another kind of plant…"

7/16/2020

[Listen] New Adult Use Marijuana Store To Open In Sheffield Friday

"A new adult use cannabis retailer is opening in Berkshire County Friday. The Pass is a locally-owned and operated vertical provider, growing and selling its own marijuana products.…"

7/10/2020

Berkshires-centric ‘farm-to-label’ cannabis shop to open next week in Sheffield

"The Pass has a large retail building, and behind it are two facilities: one for growing and another for processing. In addition, the Pass has a grow facility in Ashley Falls…"

7/10/2020

A New Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensary In MA Is The Closest To NYC

"The store claims to be the only locally-owned-and-operated vertical provider in Berkshire County, offering “farm-to-label” cannabis — a playful variation of the Berkshires’ farm-to-table culinary culture…"

6/21/2020

Cannabis Entrepreneurs Share The Best Advice They Ever Received From Their Fathers

"My father, Norman, was orphaned as a young boy but never became bitter or angry…"