Verano Expands Medical Cannabis Footprint in West Virginia

CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. has launched its sixth medical Cannabis outlet in West Virginia, targeting the heart of the state’s capital to reach more patients in a market that continues to draw steady but measured demand.

The new Zen Leaf Charleston began operations with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, bringing Verano’s total dispensaries count to six locations across the Mountain State, including stores in Buckhannon, Clarksburg, Morgantown, Westover, and Wheeling. Company executives highlighted the move as a direct response to the needs of Charleston’s 48,000 residents, the largest population center in West Virginia.

“We’re thrilled to welcome patients at Zen Leaf Charleston as we expand our dispensary footprint across the Mountain State,” said George Archos, Verano’s founder and CEO. The outlet stocks Verano’s lineup of products sourced from the company’s 40,000-square-foot cultivation and processing plant in Beaver.

On a broader scale, this step fits Verano’s playbook of measured growth in core markets. With 159 dispensaries across 13 states and over 1 million square feet of cultivation space, Verano reported $615 million in net revenue through the first three quarters of fiscal 2025, with full-year estimates now hovering around $821 million, reflecting a roughly 7% decline from 2024 amid softer demand in key markets, up 8% from the prior year.

Analysts see West Virginia as a low-risk bet: stable demand, coupled with Verano’s supply chain efficiencies, could lift state-specific revenue by 15-20% in the coming year. But the real challenge lies in retention: Can operators like Verano deliver value that offsets the premium pricing?

In the end, this Charleston debut underscores a simple truth in Cannabis retail. Footprint matters, but so does follow-through. For Verano, it’s a solid incremental gain in a program that’s held firm against calls for adult-use reform. As patient numbers climb and supply chains stabilize, expect more operators to eye similar plays, provided they price for the long haul. That’s the math driving today’s expansions, and it’s one worth watching as 2026 unfolds.