Dispensaries Near Ipswich and Cape Ann, MA

Ipswich has no licensed cannabis shop on the Cannabis Control Commission's Where to Buy list, and its tracker entry includes a retail ban. Along the coast to the north and east, though, the list has six shops: two in Rowley, one in Essex and three in Gloucester. Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea have none. This guide goes town by town, from Ipswich out to Cape Ann, then covers a medical card for a resident and the drive down US 1 to Peabody.

Six shops, three towns

Cannabis Control Commission "Where to Buy" list, retrieved October 23, 2026. The list has no row for Ipswich, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Hamilton or Wenham.
Shop (as the Commission lists it)	Address	License type on the list
Fine Fettle	116 Newburyport Tpke, Rowley, MA 01969	Medical and adult-use
Cape Ann Cannabis	300 Newburyport Tpke, Unit 1, Rowley, MA 01969	Adult-use
BB Botanics, LLC	242 John Wise Avenue, Essex, MA 01929	Adult-use
Happy Valley	39 Great Republic Dr, Gloucester, MA 01930	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

Only the first row, Fine Fettle in Rowley, carries a medical license on this list. Every other shop is adult-use. A separate public feed on the Commission's website names a different licensee at the 116 Newburyport Turnpike address, so confirm the name, the license and what the shop serves before you rely on it. The Commission does not date the list.

Cape Ann, one town at a time

Ipswich

The tracker reads adult-use "Zoning in place; retail ban", delivery "Delivery permitted" and social consumption "No zoning in place". The tracker does not explain the term, and this page does not guess at it: ask the Ipswich town clerk what the bylaw says. Rowley is the nearest town with listed shops, about 6 miles from Ipswich Town Hall on Green Street by road.

Rowley and Essex

Rowley reads "Zoning in place" and both Rowley shops sit on the Newburyport Turnpike, which is US 1. Essex also reads "Zoning in place". Its one listed shop is on John Wise Avenue, which carries Route 133 toward Gloucester.

Gloucester

Gloucester reads "Zoning in place; license cap". The tracker does not give the cap, so this page states none. The three listed shops are at Great Republic Drive, Essex Avenue and Whistle Stop Way. Route 128 ends in Gloucester, so it is the natural gateway for anyone coming up from Boston.

Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Hamilton and Wenham

Manchester-by-the-Sea reads "Zoning in place" but has no listed shop. Rockport, Hamilton and Wenham each read "Ban in place". A shop that is not on the Commission's list is not listed here, whatever other directories show.

Driving south to Peabody

Advanced Dispensary is the nearest of AC's locations to this area. From Ipswich Town Hall to 25 Newbury Street the router gives about 17 miles and about 30 minutes by car in light traffic, by Topsfield Road and Ipswich Road to US 1, then US 1 and I-95 south and US 1 again into Peabody. From Rowley Town Hall it is about 17 miles and about 29 minutes. From Essex Town Hall, about 17 miles and about 28 minutes via Route 22, Route 1A and Route 128.

Farther out on Cape Ann the trip lengthens. From Manchester-by-the-Sea, the router gives about 17 miles and about 26 minutes. From Gloucester City Hall it is about 23 miles and about 34 minutes, and from Rockport Town Hall about 27 miles and about 39 minutes, both on Route 128 and US 1. Route 128 and US 1 slow down at rush hour. Advanced Dispensary will serve registered medical patients and caregivers only.

Medical card for Ipswich and Cape Ann residents

The process is statewide, and distance from a shop does not change it:

Find a certifying provider registered with the state. The Commission publishes no list; AC names nobody.
Wait for the four-digit PIN the Commission emails after the visit.
Log in to the patient portal, enter the PIN, and attach a valid ID and a bill or letter showing your Ipswich, Rowley, Essex, Gloucester, Rockport or Manchester address. Nothing is charged by the Commission.
Print the temporary card on approval and look for the official card in the mail.

Patients may be 18 or older. The full card guide covers caregivers and renewal.

AC and Peabody, for Ipswich and Cape Ann readers

Advanced Cultivators grows in Lowell, Massachusetts (license MC283314). Peabody is south of Cape Ann on the same US Route 1 that runs through Rowley and Topsfield, and AC is renovating a medical dispensary there at 25 Newbury Street. No opening date has been announced. Patients and caregivers from Ipswich and Cape Ann can sign up on the Peabody page to hear first.

Advanced Dispensary, 25 Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960. Phone: (978) 896-6640.

Sources

The shop list was retrieved on October 23, 2026 and the zoning tracker was read on October 30, 2026. The Commission publishes both without an updated date and tells readers to confirm details with the town.

Everything above comes from the Commission's public pages. It is not a shop ranking, medical or legal advice, or a statement about what marijuana does for a health condition.