Following a soft launch in April, Verdi Cannabis officially celebrated the grand opening of its Park Slope location at 360 Seventh Ave., between 10th and 11th streets, on June 12.

The legal dispensary, founded and co-owned by father-and-son team Mitchell and Ellis Soodak, is the second Verdi Cannabis location in New York City. The duo opened their first shop in Chelsea last April.

Verdi — a name derived from “verdigris,” the green patina that forms on copper or brass as a result of oxidation — sells high-quality smoke-related products, edibles, tinctures and even CBD items for dogs, all sourced from carefully vetted New York cannabis producers.

The small menu is designed to make the shopping experience less overwhelming — especially for new customers — and features high-quality products at reasonable prices.

“I like to say we have upstate prices downstate,” Ellis Soodak told Brooklyn Paper. “We have $10 pre-rolls, $30 eights. Those are things usually you only see in the illegal stores, not the licensed dispensaries.”

The selection of cannabis goods at the Park Slope location is based on the best-selling products at the Chelsea store.

“[Park Slope] is a much smaller store. So it doesn’t make sense to have that huge menu, but I strongly believe that we have something for everyone,” said Soodak, the youngest dispensary owner in New York City at 26.

Soodak’s business philosophy centers on creating a genuine, judgment-free shopping experience rooted in kindness — a place where customers feel like part of a community.

“When I was younger, I was bullied a bit, and when I opened my own business, I wanted to make a store where everyone feels welcome,” Soodak, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, said. “Even the people that are a bit off-putting.”

Located in a former pharmacy, Soodak preserved as many original details as possible, including the fabric wallpaper and ceiling tiles. Photos of “old-school” Brooklyn and a bright red jukebox complete the design.

“We tried to keep as much of the original bones of the store as possible,” Soodak said. “I think we have, like, a homey feel.”

The father-and-son team qualified for a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license because Mitchell was arrested in the early 1970s on a nonviolent cannabis charge. He and a group of friends were caught selling marijuana out of a suitcase while attending SUNY Stony Brook.

After the arrest, one of the friends’ fathers bailed them out. But the storeowner recalls overhearing his friends saying, “Well, Mitch’s name is on the suitcase. Why don’t we just throw him under the bus?”

Frantic, Mitchell called his own father, who told him not to worry and that he would handle it in the morning. However, the stress of the arrest led to his dad’s untimely death.

“At 5 a.m., [my dad] gets a call, ‘Your dad had a stroke. He’s dead,’ Soodak recounted. He said the stress of his arrest in the 1970s — when marijuana was heavily stigmatized — was a key factor that led to his grandfather’s death.

Mitchell and his father, a liquor store owner, never got the chance to work together and run a family business. That’s why Soodak says he feels especially grateful to partner with his dad and launch a joint venture.

“My dad inherited the family liquor store at the age of 21 and has been running liquor stores pretty much ever since, for the past 53 years,” Soodak said. “He never got to run a store with his dad, so we’re really blessed that we got to do this together because it’s kind of like pure karma, you know.”

Ravens View Genetics, a micro cannabis grower based in the Catskills, showcased several of its products — including whole flower and pre-roll variety packs — at Verdi’s grand opening. Owners Joann and Michael Kudrewicz named the brand in honor of their daughter, Nina, who died suddenly in 2015. Through a medium, she told her father, “When you see the black bird, it is me, coming to you.”

Ravens View marketing specialist Car Shapiro told Brooklyn Paper the company is an “old-school type of brand,” focused on purebred rather than hybrid strains.

“Our co-founders, Michael and Joann, have been in legacy. Michael’s been growing for 30-plus years,” Shapiro said. “Our thing is old-school cool and bringing the genetics back [from] the older days when things weren’t over-hybridized, so more pure.”

Verdi’s head budtender, Sai Lester, who has been with the company since its inception, told Brooklyn Paper that Verdi offers a “nice variety” for all customers.

“I always like to ask people what their preferences are, and what they like in terms of taste or feeling. That way, I can see if there is a comparison to my likes,” Lester said of the product selection process. “That way, we have a nice variety for everyone.”

Verdi Cannabis’ Park Slope location is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For live music every Thursday, visit Verdi’s Chelsea location at 158 W. 23rd St.