Primitiv, a Webberville-based cannabis company founded by former NFL teammates Rob Sims and 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Calvin Johnson Jr., has announced Primitiv Boston, a wellness-focused cannabis dispensary, will open soon on High Street in Boston’s waterfront district.
Primitiv Boston is a collaboration between Johnson and Sims’ cannabis and wellness brand, Primitiv, and the duo’s former Detroit Lions teammate Gosder Cherilus, along with his partners at High Street Cannabis.
“This collaboration is something we have been cultivating as a team for the past couple of years, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it become a reality,” says Johnson. “Rob and I have known Gosder Cherilus since our days in the league as members of the Detroit Lions, and we’ve been brothers-in-arms ever since. Being able to collaborate on this new Boston-based dispensary with Gos and his group is special for us.”
The trio will appear at the Fohse booth as part of the New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) Boston on March 10 between 2-4 p.m. to discuss Primitiv Boston, the launch of their CBD-focused product line Primitiv Performance, and the group’s ongoing partnership with Fohse, a leading manufacturer of high-performance LED grow lights designed for cannabis cultivation.
Primitiv introduced its cannabis products into Michigan-based dispensaries in 2021 and opened its flagship cannabis dispensary in Niles in early 2022. In addition, Johnson and Sims have been promoting the health-related properties of cannabis for years.
In a physically demanding sport like professional football, athletes learn to deal with the pain to keep playing and extend careers as long as possible. Athletes and others recovering from serious injury are often prescribed opioid painkillers for treatment, which can lead to dependency and addiction. Johnson and Sims felt the need for a more holistic approach to their pain management, and Primitiv was born out of that belief.
“We’ve seen so many of our brothers from around the league turn to other forms of pain relief just to get through the game, day, or season, and that doesn’t always have a positive outcome,” Sims says. “We believe in the holistic properties of cannabis as an all-natural, plant-based option not just for athletes but for anyone looking for relief.
“We’ve just scratched the surface in our innovation process with the launch of our nano CBD product line, Primitiv Performance, in February and hope to have more exciting announcements later this year.”
Cherilus describes what visitors to the dispensary can expect once it opens.
“Primitiv Boston will be a very welcoming retail provisioning center, as we are taking a customer service-first approach to how we interact with our guests, believing this is a very personalized industry,” Cherilus says. “We want to take the time to get to know our guests and help them find the right type of medicine they are looking for depending on their specific needs, as this is truly a wellness brand.
“I’m so excited to bring this to Boston and couldn’t imagine better teammates than Calvin and Rob.”
To read DBusiness’ recent feature on Johnson, Sims, and the cannabis industry in Michigan, visit here.
