Unity Rd. opens franchise dispensary in Boulder

BOULDER — Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), which operates the Unity Rd. brand of marijuana dispensaries, has opened its first Boulder location on Pearl Street.

The shop is owned by father-son-duo Bruce and Nate Wetzel.

“We had been looking at the cannabis space for a few years, trying to determine our best entrance that would mitigate the high risk,” Nate Wetzel said in a company news release. “We knew that by partnering with a solid franchisor we wouldn’t have to go through the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ and dig into cannabis franchises. We found a few that were just selling a business plan, no long-term support, and then discovered Unity Rd. The team has a depth of history on both the retail and cultivation side with awards to back them up. We felt most comfortable with Unity Rd. versus other routes into this nascent industry.” 

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Unity Rd., which has agreements in place with 15 franchise operators across the country, plans to open additional pot shops along the Front Range and could acquire existing dispensaries, according to the release. 

“Our corporate acquisition strategy eases hurdles for newcomers looking to acquire an existing dispensary and keeps ownership in the hands of local owners,” Unity Rd. chief franchise officer Mike Weinberger said in the release. “We’ll get the stores fully converted into a Unity Rd., train the shop team and oversee operations so franchise partners have a seamless transition to ownership.”

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