First Adult-use-Only Dispensary Opens In Illinois’ Third Largest City
CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executives with Verano, a leading multi-state cannabis company, and Mayor Steve Chirico celebrated the opening of Zen Leaf Naperville, an adult-use only dispensary. The store, located at 1516 N. Naper Blvd., is at the main intersection of the suburb’s resurgent Ogden Avenue retail corridor and less than a half-mile from the Interstate 88 interchange. Naperville is the company’s fourth Zen Leaf dispensary storefront to open in Illinois, with plans to open several additional locations in the state.
“Naperville is a nationally renowned market for top retailers of every industry. We’re proud to open a flagship regional adult-use dispensary in this premier and award-winning community,” said George Archos, founder, chairman and CEO of both Verano and Zen Leaf. “Through the leadership of Mayor Chirico and the city council, the city is poised to realize the many benefits the fast-growing cannabis industry provides. The city will enjoy the economic and fiscal benefits, and adults will gain safe, convenient access to high-quality, regulated cannabis products at Zen Leaf’s unique and customer-focused dispensary.”
Zen Leaf Naperville is the first adult-use only dispensary, and second overall, to open in the city after the city council passed an opt-in ordinance in August 2020.
“I always believed that with responsible regulation Naperville would attract the best of the industry, and the team at Zen Leaf kept their promise and has opened a distinctive, first-class dispensary in our community,” said Mayor Chirico. “Despite the pandemic and economic uncertainty, Zen Leaf is just one of several prominent businesses opening new retail destinations at this Ogden Avenue retail gateway, further elevating its prominence as a thriving, regional retail destination.”
Zen Leaf Naperville took the place of a long-vacant restaurant. The dispensary has already created 30 new jobs in the community. City officials believe adult-use cannabis will generate significant local tax revenue in the years ahead.
To provide a quick, convenient shopping experience, customers can also place their order online at www.zenleafdispensaries.com, and the dispensary offers same-day, in-store pick up. The store has a cashless ATM feature available to facilitate a customer’s purchase using a debit card, enhancing convenience and reducing cash handling.
The dispensary has a mandatory mask policy in effect.
The new dispensary offers a comprehensive menu of cannabis products including concentrates, edibles, vaporizers, and flower. Customers must be 21 or older to enter the store or purchase product.
On January 1, 2020, Illinois became the eleventh state in the country to legalize the use of recreational cannabis. Illinois’ thriving cannabis market surpassed $917 million in combined sales through November and is expected to reach $1.2 billion by the end of the year. Zen Leaf Naperville is Verano’s twenty-first operational dispensary in its national portfolio to begin retail sales of medical or adult-use cannabis, with additional locations throughout the country under construction.
Zen Leaf Naperville is open from 9 AM to 9 PM Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 10 PM Friday and Saturday, and 10 AM to 6 PM on Sunday.
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About Verano: Verano is a leading vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis operator in the U.S. An operator of licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and retail facilities, Verano is devoted to the ongoing development of communal wellness by providing responsible access to regulated cannabis products to the discerning high-end customer. Active in 12 U.S. states, with 21 active retail locations and approximately 440,000 square feet across its cultivation facilities, Verano has been profitable since it was founded. Verano produces a full suite of premium, artisanal cannabis products sold under its trusted portfolio of consumer brands: Encore™, Avexia™ and Verano™. Verano designs, builds and operates inimitable Zen Leaf™ branded dispensary environments that deliver a superior cannabis shopping experience in both medical and adult-use markets. Learn more at http://verano.holdings/
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