What Ascend Cannabis does

Ascend Cannabis is a multi-state cannabis dispensary operator that sells recreational and medical marijuana products through company-owned retail stores. The business operates 42-plus dispensary locations across seven U.S. states — Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — serving both adult-use consumers aged 21 and over and medical marijuana patients with valid state-issued cards. The legal entity is Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc., a privately-held corporation domiciled in New York, with Ascend Cannabis functioning as the retail operating brand and DBA.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer retail model with online ordering, in-store shopping supported by trained budtenders, curbside pickup at select locations, and delivery available at certain Massachusetts and New Jersey stores. Its technology stack centers on a proprietary online ordering platform, the Ascenders Club mobile loyalty application (iOS and Android), the Ascend Pay direct bank-transfer payment rail, and integrations with Dutchie (POS and e-commerce) and Alpine IQ (loyalty and CRM). Product assortment spans flower, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates, edibles, beverages, tinctures, and topicals, and is differentiated by a portfolio of wholly-owned house brands — Ozone, Simply Herb, Effin' Edibles, Royale, Honor Roll, High Wired, Common Goods, and the regional retail banners East Coasting and Mister Jones.

Revenue is generated entirely through one-time retail cannabis sales at dispensary locations, with no disclosed enterprise, wholesale, or licensing revenue streams. The company supports customer acquisition and retention through content marketing (the High Note educational blog), organic social, SMS programs, location-specific SEO landing pages, and the Co-Lab for Social Equity community initiative. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes are documented in the available source material, though the breadth of the house-brand portfolio indicates a history of brand acquisitions at the parent level.

Name

Ascend Cannabis

Legal name

Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://letsascend.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ascend Cannabis is a multi-state cannabis dispensary operator (under Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.) running 42-plus retail locations across seven U.S. states, selling recreational and medical marijuana products to adult-use consumers and medical cardholders through in-store, online-order, curbside, and delivery channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis Dispensary Retail

NAICS

All Other Health and Personal Care Retailers (456199)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Cannabis Dispensary + Ancillary Retail (Accessories, CBD/Hemp, Merchandise) (CRANAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CRANAFAB), Cannabis Online Ordering for Dispensary Pickup (Click-and-Collect) (CRANAGAC)

Keywords

• Cannabis dispensary retail
• Recreational marijuana sales
• Medical marijuana dispensary
• Cannabis flower and edibles
• Multi-state cannabis operator

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices40 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Cannabis Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of cannabis products including flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, beverages, concentrates, tinctures, and topicals. Sales split between adult-use recreational (21+) and medical marijuana patients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ascend Cannabis is a multi-state cannabis dispensary chain operating 42+ retail locations across seven U.S. states (Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). The company sells adult-use recreational and medical marijuana products, including flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, beverages, concentrates, tinctures, and topicals, complemented by exclusive proprietary house brands (Ozone, Simply Herb, Effin' Edibles, Royale) and an Ascenders Club loyalty program.

Product overview

Ascend Cannabis operates a multi-state dispensary network across Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, offering recreational and medical marijuana products. The company's portfolio includes proprietary sub-brands (Ozone, Simply Herb, Effin Edibles, Royale) alongside featured partner brands, supported by an Ascenders Club loyalty program, digital online ordering platform, and the High Note cannabis education resource. The dispensaries offer a range of product categories including flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, beverages, concentrates, tinctures, and topicals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ozone: Exclusive cannabis brand offering flower, pre-rolls, gummies, vapes, and concentrates.
• Simply Herb
• Effin' Edibles
• Royale
• Honor Roll
• High Wired
• Common Goods
• East Coasting
• Mister Jones
• Ascenders Club

Products and services

• Ascenders Club Loyalty Program Free loyalty rewards program for cannabis customers to earn points on purchases and redeem them for discounts, exclusive offers, and tiered rewards across all Ascend locations in the U.S.
• Ozone (House Brand) Proprietary Ascend cannabis house brand offering premium flower, pre-rolls, gummies/edibles, vape cartridges, and concentrates sold through Ascend dispensaries.
• Simply Herb (House Brand) Proprietary Ascend cannabis house brand featuring flower, vape cartridges, all-in-one vapes, pre-rolls, small buds, and shake/trim products sold through Ascend dispensaries.
• Effin' Edibles (House Brand) Proprietary Ascend cannabis edibles brand offering a range of cannabis-infused edible products sold through Ascend dispensaries.
• Royale (House Brand) Proprietary Ascend cannabis house brand focusing on premium flower and phenos sold through Ascend dispensaries.
• High Note Cannabis Education Blog Public cannabis education blog and resource platform offering guides on strains, consumption methods, concentrates, plant anatomy, and cannabis culture for Ascend customers.
• Ascend Cannabis Online Ordering Digital ordering platform enabling Ascend customers to browse cannabis product menus, reserve items, and place orders for in-store or curbside pickup across dispensary locations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AWH (Ascend Wellness Holdings)coreOthersParent company of Ascend Cannabis. AWH is a multi-state cannabis operator. The EULA references Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. as the company entity.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Green Thumb Industries: Multi-state cannabis operator with Rise dispensaries in 7+ states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—the same core geographies as Ascend. Operates a similarly branded retail chain with house brands and loyalty programs, making it the closest direct comparable in scale and footprint.
• Curaleaf Holdings: Largest US multi-state cannabis operator with dispensaries in 17+ states including IL, MA, MI, NJ, OH, and PA. Operates a direct retail chain with Select and Grassroots house brands; competes head-to-head with Ascend in nearly every core market.
• Trulieve Cannabis: Vertically integrated MSO with retail dispensaries in 11+ states including Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—directly overlapping with Ascend's footprint. Operates branded retail stores with loyalty programs and house brands.
• Cresco Labs: Multi-state operator with the Sunnyside dispensary brand across Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—the same states as Ascend. Direct retail chain competitor with similar positioning on consumer education and house brands.
• Verano Holdings: Multi-state cannabis operator with dispensaries across 13 states including Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Operates Zen Leaf and MUV retail brands with house-brand portfolios comparable to Ascend's Ozone and Simply Herb.
• AYR Wellness: Multi-state cannabis operator with retail dispensaries in 7+ states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Operates retail chain with similar house-brand strategy and omnichannel ordering platform.
• Planet 13 Holdings: Multi-state cannabis retailer with flagship superstore in Nevada and expansion into Illinois, Michigan, and Florida. Comparable retail-focused model emphasizing premium customer experience and proprietary house brands like Medizin.
• iAnthus Capital Holdings: Multi-state cannabis operator with dispensaries across 7+ states including Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Operates MPX, Beat, and Health for Life retail brands—directly comparable multi-state retail model to Ascend.
• Standard Holdings (Item 9 Labs): Multi-state cannabis operator with dispensaries in Ohio (The Forest), Illinois, and Michigan—directly overlapping with three of Ascend's seven states. Comparable mid-scale MSO retail model with proprietary house brand (Stiiizy).

Others

• Dutchie: Cannabis retail technology platform providing POS, online ordering, and payments infrastructure used by Ascend (referenced in privacy policy). Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than competitor—enabling layer for cannabis dispensaries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ascendretail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modern-cann
• Instagraminstagram.com/ascendwellness
• Facebookfacebook.com/AscendChicagoland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ascend Cannabis