A cannabis brand founded by Cypress Hill’s B-Real launches its inaugural Chicago dispensary Saturday in Bucktown with a block party featuring local hip-hop artists and DJs. The grand opening at 2200 N. Ashland Ave. marks Dr. Greenthumb’s expansion into the Midwest after two decades in California. This event transforms a site once plagued by violence into a hub for legalized marijuana, reflecting broader shifts in urban cannabis culture.
From Infamous Nightclub to Cannabis Venue
Dr. Greenthumb’s occupies the former Green Dolphin Street nightclub, a spot renowned for DJ sets and live music until public safety crises derailed it. A 2015 shooting there killed two people, contributing to its permanent closure in 2017. Now, the building houses the dispensary alongside Pup Social, a members-only dog club that debuted this spring, signaling a deliberate pivot toward community-oriented businesses.
Cypress Hill’s Enduring Cannabis Legacy
B-Real, born Louis Freese, started Dr. Greenthumb’s in 1998, drawing from his alter-ego in a Cypress Hill track of the same name. The rap group, famous for “Insane in the Brain” and “Hits from the Bong,” championed marijuana legalization since the early 1990s, when few public voices did. Daniel Firtel, president at TRP which manages the brand, credits this history for setting Dr. Greenthumb’s apart, as the company operates six California locations and now enters Illinois.
Grand Opening and Neighborhood Context
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, an expansive parking lot hosts the block party with performers like DJ Derrick Carter and rapper King Louie, both Green Dolphin Street alumni. B-Real, currently touring with Cypress Hill, plans a personal appearance later this year. The dispensary stocks flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and brand-specific products for medical and recreational users, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Navigating Approvals Amid Local Growth
Years of licensing delays, construction, and community meetings preceded the soft opening this summer, with neighbors raising concerns in late 2023. Firtel described Illinois’ entitlement process as particularly arduous. Dr. Greenthumb’s joins nuEra, Ivy Hall, and Village Dispensary in Bucktown, underscoring the neighborhood’s emergence as a cannabis cluster and the industry’s role in redeveloping troubled urban spaces.
