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We opened Chicago’s first medical dispensary in December 2015, and for the past decade we’ve stayed rooted in the community we serve. Now, as a 100% employee-owned company, our commitment runs even deeper.
We recognize that our story is part of a much larger cannabis culture—one built by the advocates, patients, and pioneers who came before us and continue to push for progress today. Looking back is essential to understanding where cannabis is headed, and legalization has only strengthened our responsibility to lead with compassion, education, and impact.
Dispensary 33 opened its doors on December 9, 2015 to a line of 125 medical cannabis cardholders eagerly waiting for a moment Chicago had never seen before. For the first time, cannabis lovers found a safe, welcoming community—without fear or stigma. Clark Street buzzed with morning crowds, news crews, and elected officials. Tears were shed. D33 bags were raised like victory flags. Legal cannabis had finally arrived in Chicago.
In our earliest days, appointments were required, and our hours shifted throughout the week as we learned and adapted. Our name pays homage to 1933, the year alcohol prohibition ended—a nod to liberation and progress.
Illinois celebrated its first legal 4/20—and so did we. With just eight staff members and two POS registers, we served more than 270 people in a single day.
This year also marked the launch of the Cannabis Compassion Program, providing medical patients with $240 in monthly store credit for six months. Since then, D33 has donated over $195,000 to customers in need.
We proudly served over 470 medical patients and debuted Chicago’s first 4/20 street festival: Waldo’s Forever Fest, created to celebrate cannabis, community, and culture. We were named one of the Best Cannabis Dispensaries in America by High Times.
4/20 2018 brought more than 550 patients through our doors and over 3,000 attendees to our second Waldo’s Forever Fest—a day filled with music, community, and conversations with Illinois cultivators.
With more than 750 medical patients served, our third Waldo’s Forever Fest drew a record-breaking 6,000 attendees. Over 30 local vendors, food trucks, and Chicago artists took over the street. Big Freedia headlined, while DJs, comedians, drag performers, and creators filled the day with energy.
Inside the shop, our signature plant-forward aesthetic continued to evolve.
Illinois officially legalized recreational cannabis—and Chicago chose to celebrate at D33. More than 1,300 customers visited on day one, supported by 25 staff inside and 14 outside, alongside neighboring businesses who rallied with us. The Mayor’s Office even held a press conference at our front door with the lawmakers who helped make legalization a reality.
Then COVID hit. We adapted to an entirely new world: masks, glass barriers, curbside pickup, a virtual 4/20—and yes, we even built a video game.
March 2020 With the State’s Shelter In Place orders to overcome COVID nineteen our operations switched dramatically overnight to a preorder only system to protect the safety of our staff and customers.
April 2020 We converted our annual four twenty Waldo’s Forever Fest to a virtual number four twenty in place with over three thousand viewers and various community members. Personalities from the cannabis community in Chicago showcased their talents by blowing glass rolling blunts and performing drag on camera for people to celebrate number four twenty in place from home.
Recreational cannabis boomed, new brands hit the scene, and D33 was ready to grow. On May 13, 2021, Dispensary 33 West Loop opened as our first recreational-only location.
West Loop celebrated its first anniversary with a year of exciting milestones. We hosted the first Pizza Lobo x D33 Party, complete with onsite consumption and more than 600 attendees. We debuted our first billboard and introduced DJs, interactive art, and rotating pop-ups at West Loop—cementing it as a cultural hub.
Collaboration defined the year. We partnered with Side Practice Coffee, the Midwest Access Coalition, WNDR Museum, and more. MAC provided free Plan B, Narcan, and essential resources at our events, and together we created custom “Weed & Abortion Are Both Legal in Illinois” rolling papers. We launched new community programs including Runner’s High and expanded our presence in both neighborhoods we call home.
We launched our first-ever product line: Spark Up, in partnership with our sister brand Spark’d Dispensary. We also refreshed the exterior of D33 Andersonville, giving our flagship its most iconic look yet.
We kicked off the year by offering medical cards for just $75. In January, Dispensary 33 and its four partner Spark’d locations officially became employee-owned through a trust representing more than 200 team members.
Our annual Pizza Lobo 4/20 party took on a Studio 420 theme—disco, glitter, and good vibes all day long.
And now, in 2025, Dispensary 33 celebrates 10 years of shaping cannabis culture in Chicago. We’ve been named Chicago Reader’s “Best Of Chicago” nine years running—and we’re on track for our tenth.
Here’s to a decade of community, progress, and the people who made it all possible.
Dispensary 33 aspires to be a good neighbor and conscientious ally to the community, from providing free cannabis to patients in financial need, to working with local artists. Learn more about our involvement in arts & culture throughout Chicago.
Learn MoreEvery single product we sell at Dispensary 33 is researched, tasted and tested before it reaches our shelves to ensure that growers’ production methodologies are aligned with industry best practices. Strain lineage and lab results are elements that tell a plant’s story. However, in order to fully understand each product, it has to be seen, felt, and smelled.
Displaying cannabis product is a crucial part of our philosophy and how we show our appreciation of the cannabis plant. Our first commitment to quality and customer service is to display actual cannabis product for our purchasers: something that no other dispensary in Illinois has done. Illinois law strictly states that any open product within the dispensary must be destroyed within a week. We worked with architect Jaime Magaliff to create compliant, custom-designed display orbs to display every product we sell, both in-store and online.
The outermost sepal, or “calyx”, structures of the bud should not be stacked on top of each other (known as “foxtailing”), or loosely grouped together (known as “larfy”). These traits indicate that the growing conditions were suboptimal - usually due to excessive heat and/or humidity.
Curing is among the most important factors in producing quality flower. On one hand, if flower is dried too quickly, the buds will become brittle. This can lead to a harsh smoke with less flavor and effect. On the other hand, overly wet flower will create a grassy- or hay-like smell and will be susceptible to mold during long-term storage.
Bud size reveals how a grower sorts and grades harvested flower. Larger buds, known as “colas”, come from the top of the plant and are closer to the light source. These buds are generally more potent and have a greater density of trichomes than smaller buds which are found on the bottom half of the cannabis plant and are generally less potent.
No color is inherently better than another. Although each strain has an ideal range of appearance, color can be indicative of plant placement in a grow facility. Buds that are located closer to the top will present more vibrant colors that help distinguish that particular strain.
Variety is created by understanding which differences are important and should be highlighted. All products are not created equal and should be treated as such. Each product we carry serves a purpose within a range of medicinal and aesthetic qualities. We strive for the highest quality of that product type on the market and do not settle for less.
We often pass on strains that excites us in general, but which display poor lab results. The strain and genetics that a grower uses only tells us the potential; how the plant was cultivated will determine whether or not its potential was met. We only carry strains that reach their genetic potential.
Over time, oxidation degrades THC and reduces moisture content. At D33, we realize this affects the quality of its medicinal properties and the effects experienced after consumption. With a narrower strain selection and a stock of products in constant rotation, we ensure everything we sell is as fresh as possible. Nothing sits on the shelves.
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