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 rooted in California. This event transforms a site once plagued by violence into a hub for legal marijuana sales and community celebration.
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 overshadowed its reputation. A 2015 shooting there killed two people, contributing to its permanent closure in 2017. Now sharing the building with Pup Social, a members-only dog club that debuted this spring, the dispensary has operated softly for months while managers navigated Illinois’ rigorous licensing and construction approvals.
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 song 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, highlights this three-decade advocacy as what sets Dr. Greenthumb’s apart, with six other locations thriving in California.
Grand Opening and Neighborhood Context
Saturday’s block party kicks off at 9 a.m. in the expansive parking lot, spotlighting performers like DJ Derrick Carter and rapper King Louie, both Green Dolphin Street veterans. B-Real, currently touring with Cypress Hill, plans a personal appearance later this year. The dispensary stocks flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and proprietary products for medical and recreational users, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and adjusted hours Sundays. It joins nuEra, Ivy Hall, and Village Dispensary in Bucktown, reflecting Illinois’ maturing cannabis market after years of regulatory hurdles.
