When Cypress Hill released their second album, Black Sunday, in 1993, the CD liner notes included 19 facts about cannabis, including several notes about the plantâs medicinal and wellness benefits. Though listeners to the recordâwhich debuted at number one on the Billboard charts that week with the strongest Soundscan score of any rap record up to that timeâprobably wouldnât have needed to read the booklet to guess that the group was generally marijuana friendly. A scan of tracks titled âI Wanna Get High,â âHits from the Bong,â and âLegalize Itâ might have been a clue.
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Now, almost exactly 25 years after Black Sunday dropped, one of Cypress Hillâs principle MCs, B-Real (Louis Freese), is preparing for a new debut. On August 15, the man who once rapped, âHello, my name is Dr. Greenthumbâ (and, a couple bars later, that the âDEA canât keep Greenthumb in checkâ) will open a new, high-end medical and recreational use marijuana shop called, naturally, Dr. Greenthumbâs Dispensary.
Dr. Greenthumbâs aims to be among the first of the current wave of modern cannabis retailers to open in the San Fernando Valley, with a large, sleek location in Sylmar.
âSylmar is our backyard so to speak,â B-Real says of the location. âFor my team, it is practically where it all started. Where the beginning of our love for cannabis and cultivation crossed paths. So it made sense to do it there when the opportunity came about. This also will be one of the first high-end dispensaries to come to the San Fernando Valley area, which is an under-served market right now.â
B-Real started collaborating with cultivation expert Kenji Fujishima on a brand of cannabis products several years ago, which lead to his desire to open a storefront of his own. He initially planned to open a medical-only facility in Orange County back in 2016, but that project was short-lived.   Â
âAs advocates and brand-builders, we felt it was imperative that we have a landing place for what we produceâour flowers, concentrates, and other related products. Seeing places like TLC [Collective in Boyle Heights]Â and [rapper Bernerâs dispensary] Cookies do such amazing work in their shops inspired us to do something great. These shops served as an inspiration for us when opening this retail space, and we look forward to bringing that same type of experience to people coming to our place.â
Some 40 different strains of the house marijuana line will be available at Dr. Greenthumbâs when it opens.Â
âWhen we started out the brand, it was based on âOG Kushâ strains, because, at the time, that was the sought-out strain in Southern California,â B-Real says. âAs the industry and culture evolves, exotic strains hit the market, and now there a new demand for those. Weâve been developing new strains for some time, to have the options people are looking for now.â
Working with Fujishima, who boasts over two decades of experience crafting strains, Dr. Greenthumbâs will release new, limited-edition products and flavors every week, in addition to the core line. Even in the crowded cannabis marketplace, theyâre hoping the effort they put in to developing and growing products will stand out for consumers.
âI think the years that our team has in cultivation makes a big difference in the quality of our product,â B-Real says. âWe put a lot of love, care, and passion in the cultivation, and I think thatâs the distinction.â

Photograph courtesy of Dr. Greenthumb's
In addition to the cannabis products, the shop will also stock an in-house range of clothing and merchandise and smoking accessories, including Phuncky Feel Tips, reusable glass mouthpieces to be used when smoking rolled joints (an invention of B-Realâs own, sort of like the short, weed equivalent of Audrey Hepburnâs cigarette holder in Breakfast at Tiffanyâs).
B-Real was not an early advocate for Californiaâs current legal cannabis policy, arguing in 2016 that Proposition 64 might actually be bad for marijuana users and small businesses like his own, but heâs come around, citing some regulatory updates as the rules have gone into practice. Even as the store opens, as he said in a statement to Civilized, âI still think there are things that need further due diligence to give the small business owner a chance at succeeding before the big businesses start to come to play.â
Nonetheless, heâs making an ambitious bet on cannabis retail. In addition to the Sylmar shopâwhich will also have space for a studio for his online media project BReal.TV and special events, like Wednesdayâs opening party, featuring DJs and live performancesâDr. Greenthumbâs is looking at opening a second location in Cathedral City, outside Palm Springs, in the near future, and a downtown L.A. store a bit further down the line.
âIt will be a great experience for the fans and myself,â B-Real says. âBut even for the people who donât know who I am or have no idea who or what âDr. Greenthumbâ is, I know when they came through our doors and pick any strain on the shelf, they will leave with something amazing. Thatâs whatâs important to me. That they have a great experience.â
Dr. Greenthumbâs Dispensary opens with a celebration on Wed., Aug. 15, 8 a.m.-10 p.m., at 12751 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar.
RELATED:Â These Female Entrepreneurs Are Cultivating a Modern Cannabis Lifestyle
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