Rob Patton, Co-Founder of Green Meadows, a cannabis retailer in Southbridge Massachusetts, is in his office when his phone rings. “There’s a customer here that wants to speak with one of the Pattons.” Rob heads downstairs to greet the curious customer but he already has an idea of where the conversation is headed.
“My grandfather was your grandpa’s driver in Vietnam” or “My cousin flew helicopters with your grandfather in Vietnam,” and “Our great grandfathers served in WWII together,” are stories Rob commonly hears at the dispensary.
“Probably at least once a month there’s some connection that comes in and it just makes you feel closer to the community, and you know, it makes you feel proud,” Rob says.
Maybe this shouldn’t be surprising (even in a weed dispensary) in a state like Massachusetts when you consider the state’s rich military history. Towns like this still hang banners honoring fallen soldiers from WWII and Vietnam. Their families keep their legacies alive in the towns they grew up in.
None of these families are more legendary than the Patton family.
George Patton is one of the most famous generals in American history and the Patton family is the only family in history that saw a father and son command the same division in the US Army. The Second Armored Division, more infamously known as ‘Hell on Wheels,’ was commanded by General George Patton in WWII, and then by his son Major General George Patton IV during his time in Vietnam.
That father and son duo were Rob’s great-grandfather and grandfather, respectively.
When Rob’s grandfather returned as a Two-Star General from Vietnam in 1980, he didn’t want to simply retire, he wanted to learn how to grow and farm through organic cultivation. He taught himself how to grow organic blueberries and strawberries on a beautiful Victorian farmhouse and essentially kept that going until 2004 when he passed away from Parkinson’s disease.
The spirit of cultivation and military excellence runs deep in the Patton family and this history is vital to the Green Meadows ethos to this day.
Veteran Leadership
Honoring veterans and using the cannabis industry’s unique benefits to help them in any way possible is one of the most important commitments made by Green Meadows’ team. Rob believes his family has always been trailblazers and while opening a cannabis business might not be the most likely chapter of the Patton family legacy, its potential to help the veteran community might make it the most impactful part of their story yet.
It starts with their staff which is comprised of 15 percent veterans.
Giving veterans opportunities to do impactful work is important because the sense of purpose that military service provides is hard to replicate in civilian life. The cannabis plant also happens to be incredibly impactful for many veterans.
For all of the veterans who turn to cannabis as medicine, for PTSD, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and social reintegration, Green Meadows provides the most aggressive medical discounts as the state will allow, Rob says.
Veterans get a 30 percent discount regardless of their veteran status every day of the week.
Twice a month, every month on the 11 and 22nd, veterans can get 40 percent off. Those dates are significant because the 11 represents Veterans Day and 22 remembers the 22 veterans a day who commit suicide.
They also have an in-house brand called General’s Aide where a percentage of proceeds is funneled directly into their Green Meadows – Patton Alliance For Veterans charity – creating a robust closed-looped system for veteran aid and assistance.
Green Meadows Are Retail Standouts
The Patton story is vibrant and meaningful, and Rob wants the other brands on the shelves to bring something interesting to the table as well. Brands like the Gentleman Smugglers which was founded by Barry “Flash” Foy, one of the OG marijuana smugglers in the entire country.
In many ways, it doesn’t get more OG than Barry Foy. The Gentleman Smuggler himself was responsible for smuggling 250 tons of cannabis between 1971 and 1986 and became the ire of the entire Reagan administration’s war on drugs. He served 10 years in federal prison and now he’s back in business and a portion of all their profits are donated to the Last Prisoner Project.
If you’re at Green Meadows looking for edibles, Coast Cannabis Co. boasts the New England tradition of sports excellence in their wicked good edibles, kid. Their gummy lineup features several minor-cannabinoid options like CBG and CBN which allows for hyper-specific dosing options for customers and “their chocolates are fantastic,” Rob says.
Fernway is the cannabis company who makes the number one-selling vape in Massachusetts. Their team embraces cannabis culture to its fullest, the creativity, the healing, and the adventures the plant can take you on.
Rob knew Fernway’s founders before either of them got into the cannabis industry – like young comedians at an open mic they relayed big dreams of one day making it in the industry. Now they both showcase incredible products on shelves in the same stores in Massachusetts.
The Harvest Club
Veterans are a major focus for Green Meadows, but they offer a diverse rewards program that any customer can take advantage of and it’s called the Harvest Club.
Signing up for the Harvest Club allows you to build up points that can be used for basic benefits like discounts up to more interesting rewards like facility tours granting access to where all the magic happens, in the garden.
The clone club is one of the best benefits they offer where you can grow their genetics in the comfort of your own garden.
They’ve sold thousands of clones over the past two years of offering the program with only two returns to show for it and they are the number one provider to home growers in Massachusetts, according to Rob.
Their clones have a higher rate of success because they go home with the customers with eight inches of growth and they’re fully rooted in biodegradable pots. You don’t get to take home puppies before eight weeks and the same goes for their clones. The genetics offered in the Clone Club are exclusive for home growers, but there’s a slew of great genetics rolling through the retail shelves as well.
Gummy Buns (Biscotti x Grease Monkey) is a strain from Exotic Genetix that took home a NECANN award for best preroll in 2023. Fanta Sea and Bitties (Bahama Mama x Jigglers) are some fun new genetics that have been sprinkled into the mix as well.
Hell On Wheels OG is one strain in particular that represents Green Meadows’ entire ethos. A cross between Hindu Kush and Blueberry OG, a nod to Grandpa Patton’s blueberry farm and the legendary tank division he commanded.
“It’s an absolutely gorgeous plant when it’s growing, it’s always praying, the thing looks beautiful,” Rob says, gushing over the strain.
Anyone looking for a way to donate or help with veteran-based charitable causes can go to the Green Meadows – Patton Alliance For Veterans website to learn more.
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