PRINCESS ANNE, MD - Somerset County’s first cannabis dispensary, Happi Daze, officially opened its doors on Wednesday.
The launch follows a lengthy, at times uncertain, approval process.
“A year and a half ago, there was a time our family felt like this may not happen,” General Manager Chris Weimer said.
Maryland issued Kindequity, the LLC behind Happi Daze, a conditional license to operate a dispensary on July 11, 2024. The business requested Princess Anne’s approval to start construction on Mt. Vernon Road on December 3, 2024. Court documents show that the request was ignored initially.
In February 2025, Princess Anne officials passed an ordinance requiring potential dispensaries to obtain a special exception use from the Board of Zoning Appeals to operate. Circuit Court judge W. Newton Jackson III opined that the ordinance violated Maryland law and directed Princess Anne to issue approval for the business.
The dispensary operates in what was once Peaky’s Restaurant.
“We want to honor with the colors of what Peaky's was, with somewhat of the theme of what Peaky's was,” Weimer said.
Some community members said they are still concerned about the presence of a cannabis dispensary in the small town.
“I can remember a few years ago, the biggest thing ever to come to Princess Anne was McDonald's,” John Barnett said. “Now we got a pot store … our state government's opened up a Pandora's box.”
Others told WBOC they believe those concerns are rooted in misconceptions about cannabis.
“I don't think there's any validity to gateway drugs,” pharmacist Stephen Gordon said. “Sometimes you run with people who have other drugs in their possession, but that's purely by chance … that's not because the dispensary is there.”
The Maryland-licensed dispensary requires customers to drop their IDs before entering and is equipped with security cameras.
“One of the most secure places is a cannabis dispensary,” Weimer said.
Happi Daze saw a steady flow of customers on its first day, with vehicles filling the parking lot in the first two hours of opening on Wednesday.