Down to the Roots

Down to the Roots at 7 Pineview Drive is Chester's only CCB-licensed adult-use cannabis dispensary — and the closest legal cannabis shop to Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, about 16 miles north via Route 103. The shop is housed in a restored post-and-beam barn, giving it a distinctively Vermont feel that sets it apart from the strip-mall dispensary format common elsewhere.

Opened September 13, 2023, Down to the Roots was founded by Andi Goldman, Meredith Milliken, and Scott Blair, who met in 2022. The shop has invested in a custom Cannatrol preservation system — a climate-control vault that regulates dewpoint and humidity to maintain flower freshness from farm to customer, keeping cannabinoids and terpenes intact longer than standard storage. It is one of the few Vermont dispensaries to have built this system into its retail vault.

The menu covers craft-grown THC and CBD products: flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vaporizers, and concentrates, with an emphasis on small-batch Vermont growers. The shop caters to a range of customers — legacy enthusiasts, micro-dosers, and first-timers alike.

Discounts: 15% off for seniors (65+) and veterans (daily), 10% for Vermont and New Hampshire residents, 10% for Okemo Mountain employees, and for medical cannabis card holders 20% (Vermont card) or 14% (out-of-state card). Confirm current discount rates in-store or at downtotherootsvt.com.

Hours: Monday–Tuesday 11:00 AM–6:00 PM, Wednesday closed, Thursday–Friday 11:00 AM–7:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM–6:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM–4:30 PM. The 9 AM Saturday open is the earliest in the Chester area. Note the Wednesday closure — plan accordingly.

Vermont cannabis tax in Chester: 20% total (14% excise + 6% state sales tax). Chester has not adopted a 1% local option sales tax, so the rate stays at 20% — one point lower than Burlington or Manchester. Confirm at time of purchase.