When the cannabis industry began emerging from the shackles of prohibition in 1996 after more than half a century of raids and harsh punishment, licensed dispensary operators weren’t necessarily comfortable stepping out into the open. Between operators’ understandable urge to keep their heads down and patients’ concern about stoner stigma wreaking havoc on their personal and professional lives, dispensary designs were … let’s call them inconspicuous.
Nowadays, cannabis dispensaries and retailers are more than just stores—they’re brands. From single-location shops to multistate chains, each building embodies the physical manifestation of a company’s mission and philosophy; its raison d’être.