Hundreds queued outside Dr. Greenthumb’s on Saturday for the grand opening of Fresno’s first cannabis dispensary in the Tower District, a 3,500-square-foot shop in a former Bank of America branch on Wishon Avenue. The event marked a milestone nearly three years after the city began issuing permits for legal marijuana sales. Cypress Hill rapper B-Real, the chain’s founder, cut the ribbon amid food trucks, giveaways, and a lowrider show, evoking the band’s early fan frenzy at record stores.
Reviving a Vacant Landmark
The dispensary occupies a building abandoned since 2017, transforming its 1,525-square-foot sales floor with murals of B-Real, his signature green thumb print, and Cypress Hill memorabilia. Local co-owner Kacey Auston, who grew up nearby and secured one of the city’s first licenses in 2021, views the project as neighborhood revitalization. “We’re going to help keep the Tower weird,” she said, aligning the store with the district’s bohemian culture near the Tower Theatre.
Councilmember Annalisa Perea, whose district includes the area, attended the opening and praised the change. She called the storefront “the definition of revitalization” for a long-vacant site and noted it advances the city’s cannabis tax revenue targets, which have lagged forecasts by as much as $3 million. The store stocks Dr. Greenthumb’s pre-rolls, flower, and hash oil, plus B-Real’s Insane line from 1998 and products from Snoop Dogg and Stiiizy.
Slow Rollout Accelerates in Fresno
Fresno’s legal cannabis market started tentatively. Embarc and The Artist Tree launched in July 2022, followed over a year later by The Station near Fashion Fair Mall. Four more opened since December: Cookies on Blackstone near Shaw, Higher Level on Blackstone at Santa Ana, and two Culture Cannabis Club sites on Bullard at Highway 41 and Maple and Jensen.
Additional outlets loom. Sweet Flower plans a grand opening this weekend at Shields and Maroa, near El Premio Mayor taqueria. Haven targets the former Fui Hai Chinese restaurant at Belmont and Blackstone this month. Bayan Tree Fresno held a pre-launch party Saturday on Sierra off Blackstone, while a second Embarc readies an old 7-11 at Shaw and West.
State Scrutiny on Licensing Fairness
This expansion coincides with a state auditor’s report last month criticizing Fresno and five other municipalities for weak permitting practices. The review of Monterey and Santa Barbara counties plus Sacramento, San Diego, South Lake Tahoe, and Fresno found missing best practices to ensure fairness, prevent conflicts, and curb favoritism. Fresno specifically lacked an administrative appeals process for denied applicants, prompting calls for greater transparency as the market matures.
