Founded in 2013 by childhood friends and business partners Pete Gallagher and Pat Gottschlicht, Insa has aimed over the last decade to bring high-quality cannabis products and retail experiences to Massachusetts consumers.

The company has since expanded its footprint to include the Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania markets, with more to follow in 2024.

Gallagher, Insa’s CEO, recently spoke to Cannabis Products Insider about the company’s history, its approach to cultivation, product development and retail, and what’s next for Insa.

CPI: How did you get into the cannabis space? What was your interest in cannabis?

PG: My interest in the cannabis industry happened very much by chance, when my childhood and current business partner, Pat Gottschlicht, and I met an owner of a medical cannabis business in Denver, Colorado. We discussed with him the benefits of medical cannabis and the opportunity that recreational licenses presented in our home state, Massachusetts. We believed that this was the opportunity that we had been looking for to revitalize our community and help members of our hometown.

CPI: What’s it like working with your childhood friend Pat?

PG: Pat and I have been friends since elementary school and remained in touch well into our adult years. We followed different career paths, but always talked about the idea of starting a business together. Seeing Insa grow into what it is today was the dream that Pat and I had when starting out, and I know that we couldn’t have done it without each other.

CPI: What was the inspiration behind the name Insa?

PG: Insa is a play on the dominant categories of cannabis strains, indica and sativa. 

CPI: What came first: cultivation or retail? Why is it important to control both?

PG: Insa started out with our cultivation/retail operations, because we believe in a bottom-up approach. We wanted to curate the consumer and patient experience from beginning to end, which applies to both cultivation and retail. All of our products begin in cultivation, and the customer and patient experiences begin in retail.

All of our products begin with our flower, and it’s at the heart of what we do at Insa. We are committed to cultivating high-quality products for the best possible experience, whether that translates into our flower, pure concentrates, world-class edibles or any of our other premium products.

Experience also comes into play with our retail environment, where the patient and consumer journey first begins. Remaining dedicated to thoroughly educating employees is the core of our brand while also ensuring a memorable and approachable in-store experience. Insa customizes recommendations for each patient to guide them through the cannabis-buying process. From the motion-censored flower bar, providing authentic aromas of available strains, to the exquisite lifestyle displays with seasonal edible offerings, Insa allows consumers to experience more of the product through our interactive retail environment. 

CPI: How does Insa approach cultivation?

PG: With cultivation, our team is meticulous in our approach and believes in focusing on quality craftsmanship. Insa’s flower is cultivated by farmers and hardworking artisans of the craft specializing in nurturing the unique qualities of each plant, yielding a more pure and clean experience of each strain’s aromas, flavors and desired effects. We blend technology with diligence and mindful growing techniques to produce well over 50 signature cultivars and counting, all within our state-of-the-art indoor cultivation facilities. 

CPI: How does it approach product development, particularly edibles?

PG: When we opened Insa, we knew that we wanted to take a different approach to crafting our edibles, which is why we enlisted the help of Chef Julian Rose, a classically trained pastry chef. He is now our head chef and director of R&D, and his ethos with handcrafting products is to use all of the best possible ingredients. Chef Julian approaches production from the mentality that cannabis is just one of many ingredients that he works with, and each edible is crafted with the care and attention that he would treat any bakery item. 

CPI: What are some of Insa’s most popular products?

PG: Some of Insa’s best-selling edibles products are our Sour Strawberry Drops and Double Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Bar. A relatively new product that has done remarkably well are our Chocolate Peanut Butter Smooches. 

CPI: When did Insa move into Florida? What was your interest in that market?

PG: Insa moved into the Florida market beginning with our first medical dispensary in Tampa in 2022. We saw a great opportunity to replicate our vertically-integrated model in Massachusetts in a market with lots of existing patients that could benefit from our range of high-quality products and education-first approach to our retail experience. 

CPI: When did Insa move into Ohio? When did the company move into Pennsylvania? Why those markets?

PG: Our Ohio medical dispensary opened in 2023. We began our Pennsylvania wholesale operation in 2018, with our Shamokin Dam cultivation center. Both markets offer different and exciting opportunities to offer Insa to new diverse markets. In Ohio, we only operate retail and in Pennsylvania we only operate cultivation, which gives us the unique opportunity to showcase and perfect our strategies on both aspects. 

CPI: Do you have any other plans for expansion?

PG: In early 2024, we will be opening two dispensaries in Connecticut to begin operating there. Connecticut is the second New England state that we operate in, and we’re thrilled to increase our footprint in our home region.

Insa was also approved for licenses in Alabama earlier this year, so we plan to open operations in 2024. This continuation of our Southeastern expansion can be seen with the opening of our second Orlando, Florida dispensary.

CPI: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

PG: Last year, we launched our first ingestible product, Tablits, which are fast-acting and plant-based. Discreet and reliable, Tablits are crafted with a variety of botanical ingredients and cannabinoids to support the specific needs of consumers and patients alike. Insa Tablits are available in six unique variations to support specific needs: G’Night for sleep aid, Amped for energy, Joy for a mood-booster, Mellow for relaxation, Relief to alleviate discomfort, and Flirty for sexual wellness. Tablits is reflective of Insa’s spirit of innovation and how we continue to offer new ways to make patients and consumers’ days better. Tablits are currently only available in Massachusetts, but will expand into other accessible markets in 2024.