Cypress Hill member B-Real’s cannabis brand, Dr. Greenthumb’s, launches its first Chicago dispensary Saturday with a block party in Bucktown, featuring local hip-hop artists and DJs who once performed at the site’s notorious predecessor. The grand opening at 2200 N. Ashland Ave. marks the brand’s Midwest debut after months of soft operations in a building shared with Pup Social, a dog club. This event revives a space once plagued by violence, signaling cannabis culture’s foothold in a transforming neighborhood.
From Green Dolphin Chaos to Cannabis Haven
The location previously housed Green Dolphin Street, a nightclub celebrated for DJ sets and live music but scarred by public safety failures, including a 2015 shooting that killed two people. Authorities closed it permanently in 2017 amid repeated incidents. Dr. Greenthumb’s and Pup Social now occupy the redeveloped site, with management securing approvals and completing construction over several years. Daniel Firtel, president at TRP, which manages the brand, described Illinois’ licensing and entitlement processes as particularly drawn out, delaying the soft opening until earlier this summer.
Cypress Hill’s Enduring Push for Legalization
B-Real, born Louis Freese, founded Dr. Greenthumb’s in 1998 in California, drawing from his alter-ego in the 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. Firtel highlighted their three-decade activism, from an alleged Saturday Night Live ban after DJ Muggs smoked on air in 1993 to ongoing advocacy. The brand now runs six California dispensaries plus this Chicago outpost, stocking flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and proprietary products for medical and recreational users.
Block Party and Neighborhood Context
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, an expansive parking lot hosts the grand opening with performers like DJ Derrick Carter and rapper King Louie, both Green Dolphin alumni. B-Real, currently touring with Cypress Hill, plans a return visit later this year. Neighbors raised concerns at a late-2023 community meeting, but the dispensary joins a cluster in Bucktown, including nuEra, Ivy Hall, and Village Dispensary. Hours run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. This expansion reflects cannabis’s cultural integration amid Illinois’ maturing market.
