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When Restore Dispensaries first opened its doors on Frankford Avenue in Fishtown in May 2018, they became Philadelphia’s first Medical Marijuana dispensary, ahead of what would be a wave of dispensaries opening in the city shortly thereafter.
In the nearly seven years since, Restore has gone on to open five more locations in Pennsylvania, as well as one in New Jersey. During that time, Restore’s executive team, many of whom have been with the company since the very beginning, has watched the industry’s landscape change completely, as a market initially made up of many independently owned dispensary groups has dwindled down to a market dominated by just a handful of large MSOs.
MSOs, or multi-state operators, are cannabis companies which operate in various medical and adult-use markets, and are vertically integrated, spanning from cultivation to production to retail. Restore, along with other independents who were initially granted a dispensary license during the first round of permits at the start of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana program, is not vertically integrated.
Restore is currently the last remaining independently-owned dispensary group in the state. Not only that, they have recently been granted a cultivation license, so that they can vertically integrate their operations and fairly compete in the Pennsylvania cannabis market. This was made possible through Chief Operating Officer Rob Stanley’s continued efforts in Harrisburg, regularly meeting with lawmakers and advocating for Restore’s unique position in the state of Pennsylvania.
“It was important for us to communicate what it would mean for our business and the industry at large, if the state were to award us a cultivation license. All of the cultivators have their own dispensaries, so we just wanted an even playing field and to provide quality products for the patients of Pennsylvania,” said Stanley.
With the passing of a December 2023 bill, Restore Dispensaries’ wish was finally granted.
It will still be some time before Restore will see the fruits of their labor, as their cultivation site is currently being planned. However, the team could not be more excited for this next chapter.
“It’s been really interesting to see just how much things have changed since the start of the program,” says Restore’s Director of Marketing, Taylor Shields. “We’ve held a lot of hope that we would one day get to grow our own product here in Pennsylvania, and we’re just really proud to have been able to weather all of the ups and downs in the industry and still be standing here as a strong competitor in Pennsylvania’s medical market, with even more opportunity on the horizon.”
To learn more about Restore — voted Philly’s Best Medical Marijuana Dispensary by Metro Philadelphia readers for four consecutive years — visit their website at restoredispensaries.com.
Sponsored content produced in partnership with Restore Dispensaries
“}]] When Restore Dispensaries first opened its doors on Frankford Avenue in Fishtown in May 2018, they became Philadelphia’s first Medical Marijuana dispensary. Read More
