Cypress Hill rapper B-Real’s cannabis brand, Dr. Greenthumb’s, launches its inaugural Chicago dispensary Saturday with a block party in Bucktown, marking the brand’s Midwest expansion. The event at 2200 N. Ashland Ave. features local hip-hop artists and DJs, including veterans like Derrick Carter and King Louie from the site’s nightclub past. This grand opening transforms a notorious former nightlife spot into a hub for legal cannabis sales, reflecting hip-hop’s enduring ties to marijuana advocacy.
From Nightclub Chaos to Cannabis Haven
The dispensary occupies the former Green Dolphin Street nightclub, a venue celebrated for DJ sets and live music until public safety woes closed it in 2017. A 2015 shooting there claimed two lives, cementing its reputation for violence amid repeated incidents. Dr. Greenthumb’s, paired with Pup Social—a members-only dog club that debuted this spring—has operated a soft opening for months after years of redevelopment, licensing delays, and community consultations. Management addressed neighborhood concerns at a 2023 meeting, emphasizing safer operations under Illinois regulations.
Rap Roots Fuel Decades of Advocacy
B-Real, born Louis Freese, founded Dr. Greenthumb’s in 1998, drawing from his Cypress Hill persona and the group’s track “Dr. Greenthumb.” The band, famed 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 history as a differentiator amid California’s six other Dr. Greenthumb’s locations. Cypress Hill even faced an alleged Saturday Night Live ban after a 1993 on-air joint incident, underscoring their bold stance.
Block Party and Growing Dispensary Scene
Saturday’s festivities start at 9 a.m. in the expansive parking lot, reviving Green Dolphin Street performers for a daytime vibe. B-Real, touring with Cypress Hill, plans a later personal appearance. The store offers cannabis flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and brand-specific products for medical and recreational users, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and adjusted Sunday hours. It joins Bucktown peers like nuEra, Ivy Hall, and Village Dispensary, signaling cannabis’s normalization in urban retail landscapes once dominated by riskier nightlife.
