Last verified: May 2026
The Operator History
Native Roots Cannabis Co. was founded in 2010 by Josh Ginsberg and partners on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. The company grew to 21 storefront locations across Colorado, tied with LivWell as Colorado’s largest dispensary chain by store count, and operated as the state’s largest privately held vertically integrated cannabis company.
Native Roots’ original strategic posture differed from many of its peers: privately held rather than publicly traded, focused on Colorado rather than expanding into other states, and emphasizing brand consistency across stores. The 16th Street Mall flagship became a symbolic Colorado cannabis location through the early-to-mid 2010s.
The Verdant Capital Partners Sale
⚠️ In early 2026, Native Roots agreed to sell 17 of its 21 stores (cultivations not included) to Verdant Capital Partners, a cannabis equity firm co-founded by Josh Ginsberg himself. The transaction structure — selling stores to a Ginsberg-co-founded equity vehicle — reflects the complex MMSO-PE landscape of the post-2024 Colorado cannabis market.
The deal:
- 17 of 21 retail storefronts transfer to Verdant
- Cultivations remain with Native Roots / original ownership
- The four storefronts not in the transaction may remain under Native Roots ownership
- CEO Jonathan Boord continues to lead Native Roots through the transition
Why the Sale
The Native Roots divestiture, like the parallel PharmaCann/LivWell sale to Vireo, reflects:
- The 47% Denver sales contraction since 2020
- The 40%+ statewide Colorado sales contraction
- The 65%+ wholesale flower price decline since 2021
- The structural difficulty of operating large vertically-integrated operations in a contracting market
- Capital-allocation pressure from investors seeking returns
The fact that two of Colorado’s largest chains divested 17 of 21 stores each in the same window (late-2024 through early-2026) is a structural signal about the Colorado mature-market dynamics, not just operator-specific challenges.
The Brand Through the Transition
Native Roots stores are characterized by:
- Original Denver-built brand identity
- Mountain-and-plant aesthetic (logo, store design, packaging)
- Broad product range across flower, vape, edibles, concentrates, tinctures
- House Native Roots-branded flower (long-running cultivar program)
- Veteran, senior, and patient discounts
- Loyalty program
How the Verdant transition affects in-store branding remains to be seen. Verdant may retain the Native Roots brand for store-set continuity (the brand has substantial Colorado consumer recognition), or rebrand portions of the portfolio over time.
The Cultivation Retention
An important nuance: cultivations are not included in the Verdant deal. This means the underlying plant stock and product supply pipeline remains under the original Native Roots ownership through the transition. Wholesale relationships continue between the Native Roots cultivations and the new Verdant retail operation, plus other Colorado retail operators that Native Roots cultivations serve.
Josh Ginsberg’s Position
Josh Ginsberg’s position in the deal — co-founder of both the seller (Native Roots) and the buyer (Verdant Capital Partners) — is unusual but not unique in cannabis. The structure allows Ginsberg to:
- Realize liquidity from the original Native Roots equity through the sale
- Maintain operational influence through the Verdant vehicle
- Position Verdant for additional Colorado cannabis-equity acquisitions in a contracting market
Whether Verdant will pursue additional Colorado cannabis acquisitions through 2026–2027 is an open question. The opportunity set is meaningful as more operators seek exits.
Geographic Footprint
Native Roots’ original 21-store Colorado footprint included locations in Denver (multiple), Boulder, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado Springs (medical-only due to Colorado Springs’s rec ban), and ski-country resort communities. The 16th Street Mall flagship has been a symbolic location since 2010.
Companion Page — Industry Contraction Detail
For the broader Denver / Colorado industry-contraction picture — including the parallel PharmaCann/LivWell divestiture and the structural drivers of the 47% Denver sales decline — see our industry contraction page.
Companion Site — Statewide MSO Detail
For statewide Colorado MSO detail and the broader Native Roots / PharmaCann / Vireo / Cannabist / Schwazze competitive landscape, see COCannabis.org.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
Related on this site: Denver Dispensary Hours, Denver Best Dispensary, Denver Dispensary Near Me.