Cookies Unites With Social Equity Partner To Open Its First Illinois Cannabis Retail Store

New Bloomington Dispensary to Host Grand Opening Celebration with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Public Event on Oct. 7

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International cannabis lifestyle brand Cookies today announces the grand opening of its first Illinois storefront for adult-use in the spirited college community of Bloomington-Normal, home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University.

Spanning 2,960 square feet, Cookies Bloomington is only the second dispensary in the city and the first on the area’s west side. It will showcase the full range of Cookies’ cannabis excellence, including its classic cultivars and Cookies SF Local Reserve apparel.

"Opening our first Cookies store in Illinois, one of the largest markets in the U.S., is amazing and we have been working hard at making sure product is on point and the highest quality. We have an absolute fire menu ready for Bloomington this weekend,” said Berner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies. “We are very excited to be in Illinois and we are bringing the heat for customers, who should expect some staple varieties from us as well as some new new.”

Project Equity Illinois, which is partnering with Cookies to open Bloomington’s second legal dispensary, includes John Rushing, who’s a social equity licensee, Illinois native, and disabled United States Marine veteran. The partnership is also slated to bring a Cookies location to Peoria Heights and Pontoon Beach very soon.

“Bloomington is under-served when it comes to cannabis, and is acutely lacking in the kind of top-notch flower Illinoisans want,” said Rushing. “I am proud to be serving my home state, and excited to partner with Cookies, which is known all over the country for its unrivaled genetics and amazing service.”

The grand opening, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 7 beginning at 11 a.m., will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a festive Cookies-style party on the dispensary’s expansive parking lot with food trucks, glass blowers, DJs, and more. If you’re 21 or older and interested in attending the grand opening, please RSVP here.

Located at 1006 JC Parkway in Bloomington, the dispensary will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, please visit: Cookies.co

About Cookies

Cookies is the most globally recognized cannabis company; founded in 2010 by Billboard-charting rapper and entrepreneur Berner and Bay Area breeder and cultivator Jai. The company creates game-changing genetics and offers a collection of over 70 proprietary cannabis cultivars and more than 2,000 products. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company is actively involved in advocacy and social impact initiatives to enrich communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Cookies opened its first retail store in 2018 in Los Angeles, has since expanded to over 60 retail locations in over 20 markets across 6 countries, and was recently named one of America's Hottest Brands of 2021 by AdAge; the first cannabis brand to ever receive this accolade. To learn more about Cookies, visit cookies.co, and to learn more about Cookies CBD, visit shop.cookies.co