Here's Where To Buy Weed Over Memorial Day Weekend: New Cannabis Shops Open In Five States

Body and Mind Expands In Illinois

Body and Mind Inc. BAMM BMMJ announced the grand opening of a new store in Markham, Illinois, over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Markham shop is located near the intersection of Highways I-57, I-294 and I-80. The dispensary carries a wide selection of popular form factors from brands, including High Supply, Rhythm, Savvy, Dogwalkers, UpNorth, PTS and Daze Off.

New Jersey's New Stores

Tahir Johnson, the owner of Simply Pure Trenton, is about to become the first entrepreneur with a cannabis-related conviction to own and operate a legal recreational cannabis store in Ewing Township, New Jersey, reported NJBIZ.

As an advocate for social equity, Johnson said that he doesn't "want just to be [the store] the best Black-owned dispensary or social equity dispensary," but "really the best in the country or the world for that matter," reported MyCentralJersey.

Meanwhile, Earth & Ivy in New Brunswick opened on Saturday. Located on George Street, the shop is owned by the youngest Black woman to own a cannabis dispensary in the U.S., co-founder Sasha Stephens, the owners said.

Verano Expands Retail Footprint In Pennsylvania

Verano Holdings Corp. VRNO VRNOF announced the grand opening of Zen Leaf Pittsburgh McKnight, located at 4778 McKnight Road, on Friday, May 26.

Zen Leaf Pittsburgh McKnight is the company's 17th affiliated Pennsylvania dispensary and 128th location nationwide.

The new store offers a suite of cannabis therapeutics, including the company's signature Verano Reserve and Essence flower, concentrates and vapes, Savvy flower and extracts and Avexia RSO cannabis oil.

Baltimore Unveils Cannabis Retail Brand Cookies Dispensary

Global lifestyle brand Cookies - founded by Bay-area rapper and entrepreneur Berner the shop opened its flagship Baltimore, Maryland dispensary on Saturday, May 27.

Located at 35 E Cross St. in Federal Hill, Cookies Baltimore will house the region's largest selection of Cookies' proprietary genetics as well as world-class products from other highly acclaimed brands.

GTI Opens Another Virginia Store

RISE Dispensaries, a cannabis retail chain owned by Green Thumb Industries Inc. GTII GTBIF announced that RISE Bristol, the company's fifth location in Virginia and 80th nationwide opened on Wednesday. Profits from the first day of sales were been donated to Virginia NORML.

"RISE Bristol will serve as a place of well-being, compassion and support for medical cannabis patients in Virginia," said Ben Kovler, the company's founder, chairman and CEO. "By opening our doors and donating our first day's profits to Virginia NORML, we stand united in advocating for the rights of patients and the continued advancement of access to cannabis."

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