Chesterfield’s first medical marijuana dispensary announces Grand Opening
Hippos Marijuana Dispensary today announced their first retail location in Chesterfield, Missouri is now open. The women-led location is the only operating dispensary in Chesterfield Valley and is the first of three Hippos locations set to open this winter.
The retail store is located at 17409 – G Chesterfield Airport Road in the heart of Chesterfield Valley’s shopping district and is open 7 days a week. Normal daily hours of operation are 10 AM to 8 PM.
A grand opening celebration is being planned for Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 2:30 PM next door to the dispensary at Espino’s Mexican restaurant. The event features celebrity guests like St. Louis Blues Alumni Kelly Chase and Barret Jackman, Waxy Brown, and more. Guests will earn chances to win a Brett Hull meet and greet, autographed hockey jerseys and other limited-edition merchandise. The first 50 attendees will receive a complimentary gift bag.
“We are very excited to bring the first medical marijuana cannabis dispensary to Chesterfield. The Valley is a fantastic community where we plan to hire over 30 people and become engaged with the cultural activities, charities, and local initiatives that are important and make this area so welcoming,” said Nick Rinella, Hippos CEO. “We couldn’t be more grateful to all our neighbors, partners, vendors, state and local agencies including the MOCANNTRADE association who helped us achieve this milestone today.”
“Our dispensary is bright, modern, fresh, and welcoming for all patients regardless of cannabis experience, knowledge or budget,” said Lindsay Lockhart, Hippos Director of Brand and Retail. “We strive to be more than just a physical location to purchase medical marijuana. Hippos looks and feels different from your average dispensary by design. We are different. Our store is specifically designed to make shopping easy and enjoyable, with clearly displayed product menus and information available in an upbeat and fun environment.”
The modern, state-of-the-art dispensary features an art gallery interior with multiple points of sale, a media center, an online ordering system for in-store pick up, and free patient education.
In the past year, the state of Missouri’s medical marijuana sales total $136.05 million according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). There are currently 14,000 medical marijuana license holders in the St. Louis area. Hippos Chesterfield location is located approximately 25 minutes west of the downtown area of St. Louis near Highway 64 and 40 corridor. The store is within walking distance to a variety of restaurants and big-box retailers and has dedicated parking spots for easy access.
The experienced team of budtenders at Hippos in Chesterfield is led by Leigh Carr, the store’s General Manager. Leigh is a registered nurse, a firsthand witness to the opioid epidemic, medical cannabis educator, and a mom. “It is extremely important to educate the community because of the miseducation that has been placed upon us for the last 100 years. Cannabis has been around as medicine for thousands of years. It was in the pharmacopeia up until 1942 and physicians were allowed to use it as medicine. Breaking the stigma on the plant is the first and most important part of educating,” said Carr.
All budtenders are extensively trained and are certified by Missouri’s leading cannabis education provider, Cannabis Cares.
“Our focus is based on education, advocacy, and community. This allows us to comprehend our patients’ needs so we can provide proper customer care. Through this we can focus on the improvement of each patient’s lifestyle in cannabis. We welcome every patient into the cannabis community as we are just a large family,” said Kristopher Nelson, Hippos Assistant General Manager.
For more information about Hippos, Chesterfield’s Grand Opening Celebration or the Executive Team, please visit hipposcannabis.com or contact Lindsay Lockhart.
About Hippos
Hippos mission aims to protect and further the right of all individuals to experience both the joy and the powerful healing properties of cannabis and related products.
Hippos is committed to mind & body wellness. We strive to offer the most eco-friendly and recyclable packaging available when possible. Our retail stores support sustainability in effort to support current and future generations. As part of this commitment, we offer reusable exit bags and encourage our customers to bring them back when they shop.
