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 notorious for violence into a hub blending music, culture, and legal cannabis sales.

From Nightclub Troubles to Dispensary Revival

Dr. Greenthumb’s occupies the former Green Dolphin Street nightclub, a venue celebrated 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 space with Pup Social, a members-only dog club that debuted this spring, the dispensary has operated softly for months while management navigated Illinois licensing delays and building redevelopment.

Daniel Firtel, president at TRP which manages Dr. Greenthumb’s, described the process as protracted due to entitlements and construction. The company held a community meeting in late 2023 to outline plans, addressing neighbor concerns before launching the soft opening this summer. An expansive parking lot sets the stage for Saturday’s 9 a.m. block party, headlined by Chicago DJ Derrick Carter and rapper King Louie—performers with past ties to the site.

Cypress Hill’s Enduring Cannabis Legacy

B-Real, born Louis Freese, established Dr. Greenthumb’s in 1998, drawing from his alter-ego in a Cypress Hill track of the same name. The rap group, famed for “Insane in the Brain” and “Hits from the Bong,” championed marijuana legalization since the early 1990s when few public voices did. Their advocacy included a 1993 Saturday Night Live appearance where DJ Muggs smoked a joint on air, sparking rumors of a ban.

Firtel highlighted the brand’s uniqueness rooted in this 30-year history of promoting the plant amid stigma. Cypress Hill’s influence now extends to seven California dispensaries, with the Bucktown outlet stocking flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and house products for medical and recreational users. B-Real, currently touring, plans a return visit later this year.

Bucktown Joins Chicago’s Expanding Dispensary Landscape

The new store operates 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays, joining nuEra on North Avenue, Ivy Hall on Damen Avenue, and Village Dispensary on Webster Avenue—opened last year just blocks away. This cluster reflects Illinois’ maturing recreational market since legalization. Dr. Greenthumb’s arrival infuses hip-hop heritage into a neighborhood shifting from nightlife hazards to regulated cannabis access.