Verdant Acquires One of America’s Oldest Cannabis Dispensary Chains

Verdant Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of 15 Native Roots retail dispensaries in Colorado, the company announced on August 4, 2026. Verdant assumed ownership and operation of the stores effective July 31, 2026, after receiving all required regulatory approvals for the license transfers.

The closing establishes Verdant’s first retail operating platform and caps a process that began with a definitive agreement announced in March 2026 to acquire Native Roots’ retail operations, then described as 17 dispensaries. The store count at closing settled at 15.

“Today’s closing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both Verdant and Native Roots,” said Julian Michalowski, Chief Executive Officer of Verdant Capital Partners. “Native Roots has earned the trust of customers across Colorado over the past 17 years, and our responsibility is to build on that foundation. We’ll invest in our people, strengthen our operations, expand product selection, and continue earning that trust every day.”

Josh Ginsberg, a Verdant principal and a co-founder of Native Roots, framed the deal as a handoff of the business he helped build.

“What makes this transition meaningful is knowing the retail business will be led by a team committed to preserving what made Native Roots successful while continuing to raise the standard,” Ginsberg said.

From agreement to close

Verdant and Native Roots signed the definitive agreement on March 3, 2026, covering 17 Colorado dispensaries. The March release stated the transaction was subject to regulatory approval of license transfers and other customary closing conditions.

The five months between signing and close reflect the license-transfer process: in Colorado, a change of ownership for a cannabis retail license requires state and local regulatory approval before the buyer can operate. The August 4 announcement confirms those approvals were received, with the effective transfer dated July 31, 2026.

What Verdant bought

Native Roots is among the longest-operating cannabis retail brands in Colorado. The company traces its founding to 2009 and opened its first medical dispensary on Denver’s 16th Street Mall, later merging with The Dandelion in Boulder in 2013. On its own company history, Native Roots describes itself as the largest locally and privately owned dispensary chain in the Rocky Mountain region, with more than 20 locations across Colorado, two cultivation facilities, and more than 400 employees.

The 15 stores Verdant acquired will continue operating under the Native Roots brand. The announcements describe the transaction as covering Native Roots’ retail operations — 15 dispensaries — and do not detail the treatment of other assets. Native Roots’ history page notes it was the first Colorado dispensary operator to implement an off-premise storage facility license serving as a central distribution point for its retail stores.

Verdant’s platform strategy

Verdant Capital Partners is a cannabis-focused retail operator and investment company formed by industry operators and investors to acquire and run regulated cannabis retail businesses in the United States. The Native Roots acquisition is its first operating platform. The company’s stated strategy is to expand through the acquisition of established retail businesses in regulated markets, applying a standardized operating model while keeping local brands and teams in place.

With the closing, Verdant moves from an acquisition vehicle to an operating cannabis retailer with 15 stores in one of the country’s most mature adult-use markets.