Watsonville has gotten its newest retail cannabis dispensary.
Catalyst Cannabis, which has 17 other locations statewide, is the city’s third pot shop.
The store opened on June 2, and plans a grand opening for the end of July.
General Manager Jon Kolodinski has roots in Santa Cruz County’s cannabis culture that date back to 2010, when he founded Creme de Canna.
That company ran a location in Santa Cruz dispensing medical marijuana six years before California voters legalized it for retail use.
That location closed in 2012, but Creme de Canna has kept producing its marijuana products, such as cannabis-infused ice cream, with flavors like Bananabis Foster and Straw-Mari Cheesecake.
In returning to the retail world, Kolodinski says he wanted to partner with a company with a strong track record of retail operations, while still remaining true to the “cannabis culture” credo of focusing on the healing power of the plant, staying away from corporate takeover.
“I’ve been actively pursuing reopening a consumer–facing model in our region for 11-and-a-half years,” he says.
He says he plans on focusing on social equity with the company’s outreach arm, a nonprofit called Catalyst Cares. That has so far included participating in Natasha’s Run for Justice on June 10, and the Low Times car show on June 25.
He also plans to support the Watsonville Police Activities League.
The shop offers a wide range of cannabis products, including smokable and edible products, in addition to CBD-infused products.
It is based on a “convenience store model” that allows customers to shop products that are not locked behind counters, with a team of knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions, Kolodinski says.
“We are a passionate group of people,” he says. “As cannabis consumers and aficionados, we understand this plant and its benefits.”
Catalyst Cannabis will hold a classic car show at 3pm on July 4.
The business is located at 1324 West Beach St., in the alley behind John Deere. It is open every day from 9am–9pm.
For information, visit catalyst-cannabis.com.
A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the address for Catalyst Cannabis.
