STIIIZY SOMA GRAND OPENING

On January 28, STIIIZY opened its latest retail store, STIIIZY SoMa, located in San Francisco. The new dispensary is owned and operated in partnership with community leader Rudy Corpuz Jr., who grew up in the SoMa neighborhood surrounded by drug activity and crime before turning his life around and starting United Playaz, a violence prevention and community development organization that has worked in San Francisco neighborhoods for nearly 30 years. Rudy received his license to open the dispensary through the San Francisco Cannabis Social Equity program with support from the California Office of Cannabis and San Francisco Equity Group.

Since its founding in 1994, United Playaz has helped hundreds of people re-enter civilian life after serving prison sentences. Additionally, nearly 4,500 guns and 500 assault rifles have been taken off the streets through United Playaz annual Gun Buy-Back program, which STIIIZY has sponsored since 2020. In keeping with this mission, a portion of the store's proceeds will go towards supporting community organizations throughout the city who also focus on three of United Playaz’s pillar causes: youth violence prevention, restorative justice, and gun violence.

“I see this store as a way to help heal the community,” said Rudy. “The gun buy-back, financially helping families harmed by gun violence, employing our brothers who have been locked up and are looking to now give back, there are so many ways that cannabis can heal the folks right here who society has turned their backs on.”