Best Dispensary Near Me Essex VT: Gaston Weed Company and the Route 15 Corridor (2026)

The Town of Essex spans far more ground than most people realize. Essex Center — the rural heart of the town along Route 15 — is distinct from Essex Junction, which became its own city on July 1, 2022. That separation matters for cannabis shoppers: Gaston Weed Company at 100 Center Road is in the Town of Essex, while Magic Mann, The High Bar, and Sweetspot are now in the City of Essex Junction, about 10–12 minutes west on VT-15.

Gaston is the area's most distinctive dispensary — not because it's the only one nearby, but because of two features genuinely rare in Vermont's market: a drive-through pickup window for online orders and in-house production of live resin extracts and gummies on the premises.

TL;DR: Best Dispensary Near Essex, by Situation

Gaston Weed Company — 100 Center Rd, Essex Center

Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00 AM–7:00 PM | Sun 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
Phone: (802) 494-4111 | Website: gastonvt.com
License: Tier 1 Adult-Use Retail | Google Rating: 4.8 | Payment: Cash only, ATM on site

Gaston Weed Company opened in 2022 and has built a reputation that's distinctive even among Vermont's growing roster of craft dispensaries. Two features stand out immediately.

Drive-through pickup. Order online at gastonvt.com, choose pickup, and pull through the drive-through window without setting foot inside. It's one of the only cannabis drive-throughs in Vermont — a real convenience for Route 15 commuters between Burlington and Jericho who want to make it a quick, no-browse stop. Walk-in shopping is fully available as well; the drive-through is for online pre-orders only.

In-house production. Gaston makes its own live resin extracts and gummies on the premises. That means the live resin cartridges, dabs, and infused edibles you see on the menu are made in-house from Vermont-grown cannabis, not sourced from a third-party manufacturer. For concentrate and extract shoppers, this is a meaningful difference — you're buying from the producer, and the staff know exactly how the product was made. The flower selection emphasizes small-batch Vermont-grown product from partner farms, consistent with Gaston's craft-focused identity.

The shop uses a market-style layout — open, browsable — and has earned a 4.8 Google rating across reviews. Customers consistently note the staff's product knowledge, particularly around the in-house concentrates. Payment is cash only; there's an ATM on site.

One practical note: Gaston is in the Town of Essex, which has not adopted a local option cannabis tax. The combined rate at Gaston is approximately 20% (14% state cannabis excise + 6% state sales tax). The dispensaries in the City of Essex Junction add a 1% local option tax for a combined rate of ~21%. It's a small difference per purchase, but it's real.

Plan for the Sunday close: Gaston shuts at 5 PM on Sundays, two hours earlier than its weekday and Saturday close. If you're heading over on a Sunday afternoon, aim to arrive by 4:30 PM.

See Gaston Weed Company's full listing, menu link, and current deals.

Essex Junction Options (10–12 Minutes West on VT-15)

Since Essex Junction became its own city in July 2022, its three dispensaries — Magic Mann, The High Bar, and Sweetspot — are technically in a separate municipality from the Town of Essex. But for practical purposes they're the closest alternatives to Gaston, and they fill the gaps Gaston leaves: late hours, card payment, and Sunday evening access.

Magic Mann Premium Cannabis (21 Essex Way, Suite 216) is the most complementary to Gaston: open daily 10 AM–9 PM — two hours later than Gaston on weekdays and four hours later on Sundays. It holds an integrated medical-plus-recreational license, making it the only shop in the corridor for registered Vermont medical patients. In-house Vermont-cultivated products, cash only, ATM on site.

The High Bar (159 Pearl St) accepts Apple Pay and credit cards — one of the few Vermont dispensaries that does due to federal banking restrictions. Craft Vermont-grown flower focus, 4.9 Google rating, open Mon–Thu 10–7, Fri 10–8, Sat–Sun 11–7.

Sweetspot (139 Pearl St, directly across from The High Bar) runs a 30% off first-purchase offer that has been active since its September 2024 opening. Consistent 10 AM–7 PM hours daily.

For full detail on all three Essex Junction shops, see our dedicated guide: Best Dispensary Near Me Essex Junction VT.

Hours Comparison

Gaston opens at 11 AM daily — one hour later than the Essex Junction shops on weekdays. For early-morning access (before 11 AM), head to the Essex Junction cluster. For Sunday evenings, Gaston closes at 5 PM; Magic Mann stays open until 9 PM and is your best option after Gaston closes.

Getting There

From Burlington or Downtown

Take VT-15 (Main Street / Essex Road) east from Burlington toward Essex. Gaston Weed Company at 100 Center Road is roughly 20 minutes from downtown Burlington — a straight shot east on Route 15 through Winooski and into Essex Center. Watch for Center Road on the right; the shop has ample off-road parking and the drive-through entrance is visible from the lot.

From I-89

Take Exit 12 (Williston Road / Essex) and head north on Route 2A toward Five Corners in Essex Junction. At Five Corners, turn right (east) onto VT-15 toward Jericho. Gaston Weed Company is a few minutes east on Route 15 at 100 Center Road. Total time from the interstate: about 10–12 minutes. (If you turn left at Five Corners instead, you reach the Pearl Street shops in Essex Junction in under 2 minutes.)

From Jericho, Underhill, or Smugglers' Notch Corridor

Take Route 15 west toward Essex Center. Gaston Weed Company is one of the first commercial stops you'll reach entering Essex from the east — 100 Center Road is right on the Route 15 corridor. For anyone coming from Jericho or Underhill, Gaston is meaningfully closer than the Burlington or Essex Junction shops.

Vermont Cannabis Rules (as of 2026)

• Age: 21 and older, valid government-issued photo ID required (driver's license, passport, or Real ID).
• Possession: Up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower in public as of July 1, 2026 (S.278 doubled the previous 1-oz limit). Concentrate limit remains 5 grams.
• Consumption: Illegal in any public place in Vermont — only in a private residence where you have permission. Not in parks, parking lots, or vehicles in motion.
• Tax: Vermont charges a 14% cannabis excise tax plus a 6% state sales tax. The Town of Essex has not adopted a local option cannabis tax — Gaston's combined rate is approximately 20%. The City of Essex Junction has a 1% local option tax, bringing the combined rate at the Essex Junction shops to approximately 21%.
• Delivery: Vermont does not permit retail cannabis home delivery.
• Vehicles: Cannabis-impaired driving is illegal and actively enforced in Vermont. Keep purchased product sealed for the drive home. Do not cross state lines with cannabis — federal law prohibits it regardless of state laws.

See also: Best Dispensary Near Me Essex Junction VT — full detail on Magic Mann, The High Bar, and Sweetspot; Best Dispensary Near Me Williston VT — the Exit 12 / Route 2A perspective for southbound shoppers; Best Dispensary Near Me Burlington VT — all Burlington shops by neighborhood; Gaston Weed Company full listing — menu link, hours, drive-through details; The High Bar full listing — craft focus, card payment accepted; Magic Mann full listing — medical integration, open until 9 PM; Full Burlington-area dispensary directory — all Chittenden County shops; Vermont Strain Match — find the right strain by effect.