1st Cannabis Dispensary Opens In Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego's first cannabis dispensary is officially open.

It's not only the village's first recreational marijuana business but also the company's. Market 96 celebrated the grand opening of its first store, at 1144 Douglas Road in Mason Square, with a ribbon-cutting Sept. 14.

“We’re pleased that Market 96 chose Oswego to open its first location in Illinois,” Village of Oswego Administrator Dan Di Santo told Patch in a statement. “We welcome this new addition to our community.”

The store opened almost four years after the Oswego Village Board voted in December 2019 to approve the commercial zoning of cannabis businesses.

"Our commitment is to create an experience of genuine hospitality for our guests as they visit their Market 96 neighborhood dispensary," Anthony Walker, the Oswego store's general manager, said in a statement. "Our team of advisors are here to serve as a trusted resource and to make our guests feel welcome, valued, and comfortable throughout their cannabis journey."

The Oswego dispensary is designed for guests to "celebrate botanical life," according to a news release, and offers a varied collection of products, including a selection from social equity craft growers and local artisans. The store also features an augmented-reality mural showing off nine different plants inspired by the nine female founders of Blounts&Moore, Market 96's parent company.

Through its name, Market 96 aims to pay tribute to the first state-level cannabis legalization in the United States in 1996 and honor the experience today, according to a news release.

RELATED: Oswego Village Board Approves Cannabis Commercial Zoning

Blounts&Moore, which has six adult-use retail licenses, two craft grow licenses and a transporter license, plans to open additional dispensaries, including one in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood in the fall, officials said.

"We are proud to make Oswego the home of our first Market 96 dispensary, working closely with our exceptional Illinois partners," Rita Scott, a founding partner of Blounts&Moore, said in a statement. "With an outstanding dispensary team in place, we look forward to being an active member of the Oswego community and to bringing additional top quality, accessible dispensaries to other neighborhoods in Illinois."

Oswego's Market 96 is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.