Northeast Alternatives Marijuana Dispensary Fall River, MA

At the age of 19, NEA’s Founder and CEO, Chris Harkins lost his mother after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Devastated by the loss, and weighed down with firsthand knowledge of the harsh side effects and hardships that traditional cancer treatments can bring, when Chris’ father received a similar diagnosis years later, Chris believed he could find a better solution.

Chris dug in and devoured hundreds of articles, books, case studies, reports, stories, reviews, and videos – just about anything he could get his hands on – to better understand his father’s disease and the array of potential alternative treatments. Again and again, he kept being drawn back to the stories of people who were using cannabis to aid their recovery, and he became convinced in its medicinal value. Cannabis was changing people’s lives for the better time and time again. Won over by his son’s research, Phil began experimenting with medical marijuana and very quickly found true relief. That was the catalyst for Chris. He became committed to spreading the knowledge he’d gained about cannabis and its many uses to a far wider audience. NEA was born.

Chris joined forces with Rich Rosier, his cousin to begin building out the NEA leadership team. With their combined business experience and determination to help people like Phil, the dream started to become a reality. They were fortunate to find an ideal location in Fall River, MA. Leveraging Chris’ knowledge of real estate development, they custom-fit the building to match the unique specifications of a premium cannabis cultivation and retail facility.

From the beginning, NEA’s been committed to offering the very best genetics. This became possible when Kyle Bishop and Zac Cooper agreed to join the leadership team. Kyle and Zac relocated from CO in November 2017. They brought tremendous experience and extensive cultivation and product knowledge from years of consulting with huge name brands and producer/processors from around the country. Finally, after securing the necessary regulatory permits, building out a top-notch team of cultivators and budtenders, and creating the perfect environment to grow exceptional cannabis, Northeast Alternatives opened its doors on June 30, 2018 to serve MA medical patients.

On January 20, 2019, cannabis prohibition in Southeastern MA came to an end. NEA became only the sixth dispensary in MA and the first in Southeastern MA to open to anyone 21 years or older. For NEA, this historical and exciting moment in time marks just the beginning. With plans to continue to expand its cultivation capacity as well as the number of retail stores in MA and other East Coast states, NEA will continue to pursue the dream of providing consistent, high-quality cannabis to all medical patients and recreational users who want or need access to this plant’s amazing benefits.