Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) is scheduled to open the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in Springfield at 3201 Horizon Drive.

The opening date and official ribbon cutting is set for 9 a.m. Thursday, November 5.

The new location, formerly Outback Steakhouse, has undergone a top-to-bottom remodel to become the area’s first adult-use focused cannabis dispensary.

AWH also operates a second retail location at 628 East Adams Street in Springfield, a retail shop in Collinsville, MOCA Modern Cannabis Logan Square in Chicago and MOCA River North in Chicago.

Ascend Horizon Drive will be the area’s first adult-use focused cannabis dispensary and, according to AWH, create 80 new local jobs in the rapidly growing cannabis industry.

AWH is one of the largest privately-held U.S. multi-state operators in the cannabis industry, currently operating in five states including Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ohio. The company focuses on limited license states east of the Rockies, with flagship locations in desirable retail corridors serving key medical and adult-use markets.

AWH, according to its website, is committed to breaking down traditional barriers in the cannabis marketplace to redefine the industry from the ground up. The company owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, grows award-winning strains, and produces a curated selection of premium products.

AWH also is dedicated to the fight for cannabis criminal justice reform and is a proud partner to support the efforts of the Last Prisoner Project. In 2020, AWH made a commitment to raise $250,000 through a customer donation program at all of its retail locations, which includes a company match of $125,000.

AWH debuted the Ozone family of premium cannabis products in 2019, providing a thoughtful selection of flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, vapes, and edible products to satisfy all types of consumers. High-profile partner brands including Cookies, 1906, and Airopro round out AWH retail offerings and provide customers with some of the best brands and cannabis products available.

For a review of Ozone’s Strawberry #17 flower, click here.