OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- MKSI Investments LLC has announced the grand opening of Cookies Oakland, a new flagship cannabis dispensary in the heart of downtown Oakland, Calif., with a kick-off event and ribbon cutting held on Friday, Dec. 6.
Located at 1776 Broadway in Oakland, CA, the space is an iconic piece of cannabis history. Formerly, the location served as the headquarters of the famous Oaksterdam University, America's first cannabis college. Later, it was the home of California's Proposition 19, the nation's first ballot measure to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. The building was later transformed into the Oakland Community Partners dispensary by Timothy Sherwood, a cannabis industry veteran and longtime friend and associate of MKSI Investments. When Sherwood passed away in October 2018, OCP was left under the stewardship of Salwa Ibrahim and Martin Kaufman, co-founders of MKSI Investments.
"Our roots in legislative reform run deep so keeping this space true to its cannabis legacy was important to us," said Ibrahim, also the co-founder of Blüm, the nation's first publicly traded cannabis dispensary chain. "Cookies is the global leader in the cannabis industry and compliments Downtown Oakland's thriving business district well. We couldn't think of a better way to honor our friend Timothy."
MKSI Investments was early to partner with Cookies, which is recognized as the world's largest cannabis consumer-recognized label.
"The cannabis industry has thrived off and on in Downtown Oakland for over 20 years," said Kaufman, also the CEO of MKSI Investments. "The Bay Area cannabis market has been great to us. With the Fox Theater, the Paramount Theater and multiple high rises within blocks of the store, we're looking forward to putting tons of top notch cannabis out there for consumers to enjoy. It's a shame our friend Tim didn't live to see his plan to fruition but I know he'd be proud."
"We couldn't have found a better location in Oakland. Being in the old Oaksterdam location and next to Dope Era is a blessing," said Berner, founder and CEO of Cookies. "With Oakland being home to our partners at Grandiflora and one of the cities alongside San Francisco to kick off the 215 movement back in '96, it was only right to bring Cookies to the town."
Cookies Oakland officially opened with a ribbon cutting event on Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. The first 100 customers received a free gift, and those who spent $250 or more received an invite to an exclusive, off-site, grand opening party, featuring a live DJ, drinks and more. The VIP party takes place from 4 p.m. - midnight, with food available from 5-8 p.m. Cookies Oakland will carry the entire family of Cookies products including Cookies, Lemonnade, Runtz, PowerzzzUp, Minntz and Grandiflora lines.
