KEY TAKEAWAYS: NOLA Cannabis Co. will open its 16,279-square-foot Bourbon Street flagship Wednesday. The three-story dispensary at 433 Bourbon St. combines cannabis retail, patient education and interactive exhibits. The location includes a flower bar, virtual budtender experience, terpene sme ll bar and local art. The flagship expands NOLA Cannabis Co.’s network of licensed dispensaries across the New Orleans area.   NOLA Cannabis Co. will open a three-story therapeutic cannabis dispensary on Bourbon Street on September 9, expanding its New Orleans-area footprint with a 16,279-square-foot flagship focused on retail and patient education. The dispensary at 433 Bourbon St. will feature retail operations, educational spaces and interactive exhibits across three floors, the company announced in a news release. The opening adds to NOLA Cannabis Co.’s network of licensed dispensaries in the Lower Garden District, Uptown, the West Bank, Kenner and Metairie. The first floor of the Bourbon Street location will operate primarily as a retail space, with product and accessory displays, ordering kiosks and an express pickup area for online purchases. The second floor will focus on patient education and individual assistance. It will include a flower bar with selected cannabis strains, aroma jars and accessories. Patients who need a therapeutic cannabis recommendation will also be able to connect with independent authorized clinicians and complete the process at the location, according to the company. The third floor will combine cannabis education with local art and interactive exhibits. Features include a virtual budtender display, a self-guided terpene smell bar and a theater presentation covering cannabis history and the company. Local artist Fred Weber created a custom stained-glass installation for the space. “Bourbon Street is one of the most recognizable streets in the world, and we wanted to create a flagship that reflects both the character of New Orleans and the evolution of Louisiana’s therapeutic cannabis program,” Capt. Lee Jackson, a member of NOLA Cannabis Co., said. “This is much more than a place to purchase a product. We have created three floors devoted to patient service, education and a better understanding of cannabis, all centered around products that are produced here in Louisiana and tested within the state’s regulated therapeutic marijuana program.” The company did not disclose the cost of its investment in the Bourbon Street property. The dispensary will operate from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Products available through NOLA Cannabis Co. include cannabis flower, pre-rolls, gummies, beverages, concentrates and vape pens. The company said products sold at its dispensaries are made from cannabis grown in Louisiana and are subject to the testing, tracking and labeling requirements of the state’s therapeutic marijuana program. Louisiana patients must have a recommendation from an authorized clinician to purchase therapeutic marijuana. Once a recommendation is transmitted to a patient’s selected retailer, eligible patients can purchase products in person or order them for pickup or delivery. “Our goal is to make therapeutic cannabis more approachable, better understood and more accepted while maintaining the safety and regulatory standards that distinguish Louisiana’s program,” Jackson said. “Patients should be able to understand where their products come from, how they were produced and what they are purchasing.” The Bourbon Street store joins NOLA Cannabis Co. locations at 1667 Tchoupitoulas St. in New Orleans, 1407 S. Carrollton Ave. in New Orleans, 1544 Manhattan Blvd. on the West Bank, 100 W. Airline Highway in Kenner and 5055 Veterans Memorial Blvd. in Metairie. ...read more read less