Dispensaries Near Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

In Essex, the town has adopted zoning for adult-use marijuana businesses. The Commission's license file shows 1 active retailer license with a Essex address. Essex voted Yes on the 2016 legalization question, 1,253 to 962.

Essex and AC at a glance

Drive to Peabody: 17 miles, about 28 minutes by car.
Nearest medical dispensary with an active license: Happy Valley, 38 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester. It holds an active Medical Marijuana Treatment Center license in the Commission's license file (read November 4, 2026), about 7.0 miles from Essex Town Hall by straight line.
On the state's Where to Buy list (Oct 23): 1 storefront
Nearest partner shop with AC: Mission Georgetown, about 10 miles away

The shop in Essex and the nearest rows for Manchester

Cannabis Control Commission "Where to Buy" list, retrieved October 23, 2026. The first row is in Essex; the rest are in nearby towns. The list has no Manchester-by-the-Sea row.
Shop (as the Commission lists it)	Address	License type on the list
BB Botanics, LLC	242 John Wise Avenue, Essex, MA 01929	Adult-use
Reverie 73 Gloucester, LLC	73 Essex Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930	Adult-use
Ocean Breeze Cultivators	9 Whistle Stop Way, Gloucester, MA 01930	Adult-use
Panacea Wellness	13 Enon Street, Beverly, MA 01915	Adult-use
Fine Fettle	116 Newburyport Tpke, Rowley, MA 01969	Medical and adult-use

Essex: BB Botanics LLC (retailer, 242 John Wise Avenue, license MR282084)(CCC license file).

Shops near Essex that carry AC

AC's partner list, as of October 31, 2026, names these shops nearest Essex Town Hall, by straight line and not by road: Mission Georgetown (Georgetown).

Shop	Town	Distance	License	AC listed
Mission Georgetown	Georgetown	about 10 miles	MR281754	Flower, prerolls, concentrates

Cannabis rules in Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea

Essex on the zoning tracker: adult-use "Zoning in place", delivery "Delivery permitted", social consumption "No zoning in place"(Zoning Tracker).

Manchester-by-the-Sea on the zoning tracker: adult-use "Zoning in place", delivery "Delivery permitted", social consumption "No zoning in place"(Zoning Tracker).

Essex zoning lists Marijuana Establishments as a commercial use allowed by special permit(essexma.org).

Essex 4-17.7 limits the town to one marijuana retailer, and one each of cultivator, product manufacturer, microbusiness, testing laboratory, research facility, transporter and delivery-only licensee(essexma.org).

The retailer cap in 4-17.7 equals 20 percent of the town's package store alcohol licenses as of March 23, 2020(essexma.org).

Zoning section 6-4.3.2.13 keeps marijuana establishments and medical treatment centers at least 2,500 feet from K-12 schools, preschools, family day care, child care, playgrounds and athletic fields, and 400 feet from property used principally as residential(essexma.org).

By-Law 4-17.2 requires every marijuana establishment in Essex to hold a valid Host Community Agreement at all times, and 4-17.1 has the Board of Selectmen license each establishment annually(essexma.org).

By-Law 4-17.3.1 prohibits consumption on the premises of any marijuana establishment and prohibits social consumption establishments in Essex(essexma.org).

How Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea voted and what has changed

Essex voted Yes 1,253 and No 962 in the state's town results(Election statistics).

Manchester-by-the-Sea voted Yes 1,814 and No 1,772 in the state's town results(Election statistics).

Essex's temporary moratorium on marijuana establishments (formerly 6-14.1, now 6-7.6.1.1) was deleted at the Fall Town Meeting in 2019(essexma.org).

Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea and the towns around it

Commission zoning tracker (read November 5, 2026), 2016 Question 4 town results and Commission license file (rows with commence operations "Yes").
Town	Adult-use entry on the tracker	2016 Question 4, Yes share	Active retailer licenses	Active medical center licenses
Essex	Zoning in place	56.6%	1	0
Manchester-by-the-Sea	Zoning in place	50.6%	0	0
Ipswich	Zoning in place; retail ban	52.9%	0	0
Gloucester	Zoning in place; license cap	58.0%	3	1
Rockport	Ban in place	53.8%	0	0
Hamilton	Ban in place	49.4%	0	0
Wenham	Ban in place	46.6%	0	0
Rowley	Zoning in place	50.1%	3	1

Essex and Manchester to Peabody

From Essex Town Hall on Martin Street to 25 Newbury Street the router gives about 17 miles and about 28 minutes by car in light traffic. Take Route 22 (Martin Street and Western Avenue) to Route 1A, then Dodge Street to Route 128 and US 1. From Manchester Town Hall on Central Street it is about 17 miles and about 26 minutes, by Route 127 and Pine Street to Route 128 and US 1, finishing on Newbury Street in Peabody.

Medical card from Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea

Nearby guides for Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea readers

Advanced Dispensary, Peabody

Advanced Dispensary, 25 Newbury Street, Peabody, is being built as a medical dispensary by Advanced Cultivators, a Lowell cultivator. No opening date has been announced, and Advanced Dispensary has not announced how ordering ahead or delivery will work.

Advanced Dispensary: directions and the patient list