The Hempest
An American eco-conscious retailer specializing in hemp clothing, hemp products, accessories, and public education about cannabis and hemp.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Hempest is an American specialty retailer built around hemp-based clothing, accessories, and related products. It was established in Boston, Massachusetts, in December 1995 and is described as the oldest cannabis shop in Massachusetts. From its beginning, the business combined retailing with advocacy and public education: its stated purpose was to help return hemp to ordinary commerce and make hemp products visible to the public. Rather than presenting hemp only as a political or agricultural subject, The Hempest used clothing and lifestyle merchandise as an accessible route into discussions about sustainable materials, cannabis policy, and the distinction between hemp and prohibited forms of cannabis. The original Boston store opened on Huntington Avenue and moved to Newbury Street in July 1997. The company later developed a multi-location presence, with stores opening in Burlington, Vermont, in July 2000; Northampton, Massachusetts, in October 2001; Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April 2006; and Bellingham, Washington, in December 2007. An online store was added in April 2004. The Burlington location closed in November 2015, the Bellingham location closed in December 2009, and the Cambridge store closed in 2020. The available reference material does not establish the current status of the Boston, Northampton, or online operations, so the brand's present operating footprint is uncertain. The Hempest's retail assortment has centered on hemp apparel, other hemp-derived goods, accessories, and educational materials. Its commercial proposition has therefore been broader than conventional apparel retail: products served as examples of lower-impact material choices, while books and information helped explain hemp, cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabis policy. The business has also been associated with educating the Boston public and selling books about CBD since 1997. Advocacy has been a significant part of the brand's identity. The Hempest promoted public discussion of what it regarded as contradictions in drug-war policy and campaigned in Massachusetts for legalized medical and recreational cannabis. It also worked with the Marijuana Policy Project on fundraising activities and signature drives. These activities positioned the retailer within the cannabis-policy reform movement while retaining a consumer-facing focus on hemp fashion and environmentally oriented merchandise. The Hempest stores have generally operated as independent businesses that cooperate with one another rather than as a conventional centrally controlled chain. This structure helps explain why individual locations opened and closed at different times. The available sources do not provide reliable information about a current parent company, owner, executive team, legal entity, financial performance, or present-day corporate structure.
History
The Hempest began in Boston in December 1995, opening its first store on Huntington Avenue. Its founding concept was to bring hemp back into ordinary commercial life and make hemp products visible to consumers. The business approached hemp through apparel and retail merchandise, offering an alternative to conventional fashion while also creating a setting for discussion of cannabis policy and the environmental implications of materials. In July 1997, the Boston store moved to Newbury Street. The brand also dates its public-education work on CBD books in Boston to 1997. This combination of retail and education became central to its identity. The Hempest presented hemp clothing and accessories as practical consumer goods while challenging the public to distinguish industrial hemp, CBD, and cannabis-related policy questions from the broader rhetoric of the drug war. The company expanded beyond Boston during the early 2000s. A Burlington, Vermont, location opened in July 2000, followed by a Northampton, Massachusetts, store in October 2001. The online store opened in April 2004, extending the brand beyond its physical locations. A Cambridge store opened in Harvard Square in April 2006, and a Bellingham, Washington, location opened in December 2007. The stores were generally described as working together while remaining independent from one another. Consequently, The Hempest functioned less like a fully integrated national chain and more like a group of cooperating hemp-oriented retail operations. The location history reflects that structure. The Bellingham store closed in December 2009, the Burlington store closed in November 2015, and the Cambridge store closed in 2020. The available reference does not confirm the current status of every remaining location or the online business. Alongside commerce, The Hempest participated in cannabis-policy advocacy in Massachusetts. It campaigned for the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis and worked directly with the Marijuana Policy Project on fundraising efforts and signature drives. The brand's public mission included educating people about perceived inconsistencies in drug-war policy, making advocacy an important part of its historical positioning. The available material does not identify a founder, named executives, parent company, owner, financial results, current headquarters beyond its Boston association, or a confirmed current operating status. The Hempest is therefore best documented as a historically significant Massachusetts hemp retailer whose retail, educational, environmental, and cannabis-reform activities were closely connected.
- 2020
Cambridge location closes
[1]The Cambridge, Massachusetts, store closes.
- 2015
Burlington location closes
[1]The Burlington, Vermont, store closes in November.
- 2009
Bellingham location closes
[1]The Bellingham, Washington, store closes in December.
- 2007
Bellingham location opens
[1]A store opens in Bellingham, Washington, in December.
- 2006
Cambridge store opens
[1]A location opens in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.
- 2004
Online store launches
[1]The Hempest launches an online store in April.
- 2001
Northampton location opens
[1]A store opens in Northampton, Massachusetts, in October.
- 2000
Burlington location opens
[1]A store opens in Burlington, Vermont, in July.
- 1997
Boston store relocates
[1]The original Boston operation moves to Newbury Street in July. The brand also begins selling books about CBD and conducting public education in Boston.
- 1995
First Boston store opens
[1]The Hempest opens its first store on Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts, in December.
Products and positioning
An eco-conscious hemp specialty retailer combining sustainable fashion and lifestyle products with cannabis education and policy advocacy.
Apparel · 1995
Hemp clothing
Hemp clothing formed the core of The Hempest's retail proposition. The brand used apparel to present hemp as a practical material for everyday fashion and as an environmentally oriented alternative to conventional textiles. The available source does not specify individual garments, labels, or technical fabric compositions.
Lifestyle goods · 1995
Hemp products and accessories
The stores sold hemp-related products and accessories alongside clothing. These goods supported the brand's broader lifestyle positioning and helped connect material sustainability with consumer goods. Specific product names and current availability are not identified in the reference material.
Books and educational materials · 1997
Hemp, CBD, and cannabis books
The Hempest sold educational books, including books about CBD, and used its retail presence to explain hemp and cannabis issues to the public. This educational assortment complemented the clothing business and reflected the store's policy and awareness mission.
Marketing campaigns
- Massachusetts cannabis legalization advocacy
Massachusetts
The Hempest campaigned for the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis in Massachusetts. Its advocacy was presented as part of a broader effort to educate the public about hemp, cannabis policy, and what the business viewed as contradictions in drug-war policy.
- Marijuana Policy Project fundraising and signature drives
Massachusetts
The Hempest worked directly with the Marijuana Policy Project on fundraising efforts and signature drives connected with cannabis-policy reform.
Brand decisions
2020
Closure of Cambridge storeOtherBackground
The Cambridge store had operated in Harvard Square since April 2006.
Action taken
The Cambridge location closed in 2020.
2015
Closure of Burlington storeOtherBackground
The Burlington, Vermont, store had operated since July 2000.
Action taken
The location closed in November 2015.
2009
Closure of Bellingham storeOtherBackground
The Bellingham, Washington, location had opened in December 2007.
Action taken
The location closed in December 2009.
2004
Expansion into online retailStrategyBackground
The brand operated physical stores in several locations and sought an additional way to reach customers beyond its local markets.
Action taken
The Hempest opened an online store in April 2004.
Sources1 sources
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