Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon Opens Weed Lounge In NJ, MMJ Retail In FL And Latest Shop Openings

Celebrity Collab To Bring Cannabis Lounging To Newark, New West Hollywood's Place To Unwind

A celebrity-legal trio revealed their plan to expand the dispensary for downtown Newark, which will eventually feature a consumption lounge, in the early months of next year, reported NJ.com.

Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop radio personality Charlamagne tha God and a South Carolina civil rights lawyer were granted a Class V license by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission for Oregon-based Hashstoria to launch marijuana sales and "legally expand the cannabis industry" in Newark.

The Hashstoria dispensary and lounge, where cannasseurs can buy, smoke or consume marijuana products, was designed by Rachael Grochowski of RHG Architecture + Design. 

West Hollywood, California also got a cannabis consumption lounge last week. PleasureMed is owned and operated by Brian Robinson and it includes two restaurants - Irie and Hind, a a dispensary and consumption lounge.

The 6,500-square-foot facility is located at 7733 Santa Monica Boulevard, reported Eater LA.

Top Cannabis Players Ramp Up Retail Footprint In Florida

Meanwhile, three cannabis multi-state operators grew their retail footprint recently.

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TRUL TCNNF kicked off sales at 4256 Lafayette Street in Marianna on Saturday, Oct. 28. Located along U.S. Highway 90 and less than five miles from Interstate 10, the new dispensary offers greater convenience to Florida patients and caregivers in Jackson, Washington and Calhoun counties.

On Friday, Oct. 27, Verano Holdings Corp. VRNO VRNOF opened the MÜV Satellite Beach store located at 106 Florida Highway A1A. The company's 72nd Florida dispensary and 135th location nationwide joins nearby MÜV dispensaries in Titusville, Merritt Island and West Melbourne.

Cannabis retail chain RISE Dispensaries, owned by Green Thumb Industries Inc. GTII GTBIF, kicked off medical marijuana sales at its tenth retail location in Florida and 86th nationwide. RISE Dispensary Sun City Center at 1509 Rickenbacker Drive, Sun City Center, will hold a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

The Florida cannabis market is experiencing significant growth, setting the stage for the potential legalization of recreational use. Trulieve recently injected an additional $500,000 into Florida's ballot initiative that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing the company's total donations to a staggering $39.55 million.

The political committee, Smart & Safe Florida, tasked with propelling the industry-backed campaign, is behind a proposed "Adult Personal Use of Marijuana" constitutional amendment. The proposal encapsulates a provision that would greenlight individuals aged 21 and above "to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise."

Cannabis advocates have garnered enough petition signatures to place the measure on the November 2024 ballot, which still needs the Florida Supreme Court's approval. The Justices have planned to hold a hearing on the issue in November.

Latest Weed Store Openings In US And Canada

Medicine Man Technologies, Inc., operating as Schwazze SHWZ SHWZ, announced a cannabis store-within-a-store model in Fort Collins at 5740 S College Ave UNIT A, combining a Star Buds neighborhood dispensary with a Standing Akimbo Hotspot. Collin Lodge, president of retail at Schwazze, said the new concept is "all about meeting the customer where they want us to be."

Bloom Montana unveiled its latest Bloom marijuana dispensary in Great Falls at 817 23rd Street North. This is the brand's 25th cannabis dispensary.

High Tide Inc.'s HITI HITI 2LYA Canna Cabana retail cannabis store at 101 Sage Valley Common NW in Calgary, Alberta, recently launched sales of recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories. The opening marked High Tide's 157th Canna Cabana branded retail cannabis location in Canada and the 78th in Alberta.

Photo: Courtesy of Budding on Unsplash

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