DORCHESTER, Mass. — Boston’s first recreational marijuana dispensary has abruptly shut down leaving workers without jobs, answers, or even access to their belongings.
Employees at Pure Oasis in Dorchester’s Grove Hall said they were getting ready to go to work last Wednesday, only to receive an email that the business had suddenly shut down and their jobs were gone.
Rolando Alvarez, who worked at Pure Oasis for over a year, said they were never notified ahead of time. In fact, screenshots from their scheduling app show many were still expected to be on shift days after the shop had already closed.
“The email said, ‘effective immediately we’re shutting down, we tried everything, our accounts froze, and we don’t know when you’re going to get paid,’” Alvarez recounted. “I’m devastated. It’s just one of those things where it’s like, the economy right now isn’t the best.”
Kim Rodriguez, who worked at the shop for over a year, said they’re struggling to get unemployment benefits because they claim the company isn’t responding to state requests to verify their employment.
“My family depends on me, I have kids, I have rent and now I have a baby due anytime soon this month. It could be today, tomorrow, any day,” Rodriguez said.
The employees also explain they’ve been unable to retrieve personal belongings left inside the store after repeated attempts to contact management went unanswered.
“At least I want to get my belongings and my personal stuff, but we’re not allowed to go inside the building and there’s been no answers from management,” Rodriguez explained.
Financial troubles may have been building behind the scenes. Court filings indicate the dispensary was sued over alleged missed payments to vendors. The company is facing six lawsuits filed against them in the past year. The latest judgement ordered against them for over $2.2M.
Lynnz Bransfield, who worked security at the front desk, said those issues were apparent on the job, recalling calls from cannabis suppliers asking when they’d be paid.
“I don’t think they really had any desire to pay their debts. I feel like we’re getting the short end of the stick when we did nothing but show up and show out while we were here,” Bransfield said.
Pure Oasis made history as Boston’s first recreational cannabis shop back in 2020, but now, its abrupt closure is leaving workers searching for accountability, and their next paycheck.
Even customers, like Davel Matthews, are being left in the dark.
“I just drove here to come inside, and I can’t even go inside,” Davel said. “I’m very surprised and now they’re saying it’s permanently shut down.”
Boston25 reached out to Pure Oasis to address these claims.
Owner Kobie Evans provided the following statement:
“This has been an incredibly difficult situation for us, and our first priority right now is our team. We’re deeply saddened by how quickly things unfolded and the impact this has had on our staff, many of whom have been with us for years.
Like many small, locally owned cannabis businesses, we’ve been facing significant financial pressure due to broader economic conditions. A combination of declining consumer spending, increased competition, and ongoing cost pressures made it increasingly difficult to sustain operations at this location.
We understand how frustrating and unsettling this has been for our employees. We want to be clear that staff are able to successfully file for unemployment, and we are actively communicating with team members to support them through that process.
Access to the building has been more limited than usual due to the regulatory requirements associated with cannabis operations. As a controlled substance, there are strict compliance protocols we must follow regarding access, inventory, and security even during a closure. We are working as quickly as possible to coordinate safe and compliant access for employees to retrieve their personal belongings.
At the same time, we are actively exploring potential solutions that could allow us to reopen in the near future. While nothing is finalized, we remain committed to doing everything we can to return and continue serving the community.
This is not an outcome we ever wanted, especially in a community we care deeply about. We’re grateful for the support Grove Hall has shown us over the years and remain committed to handling this transition as responsibly as possible."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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