Notes

The Best Recreational Weed Dispensaries in San Francisco
Cannabis has been open for recreational use in California—meaning no medical card needed—since 2016. It was, rightfully so, deemed an “essential business” last March, a necessary declaration since we never needed the gift of marijuana more than we did in 2020. If you partake, you probably have a go-to SF shop by now, but in case 420 has inspired you to branch out, you’re looking for a new selection of products, or just need a spot that delivers past 7 pm, we’ve put together a list of our favorites, all of which offer quality and variety in oils, vapes, flowers, edibles, and everything in between.

Unfortunately (or, fortunately, as the people who live around the park would say), the 420 celebration in Golden Gate Park has been officially canceled for the second year in a row, and, trust us: there’s no point in even trying to go because Hippie Hill will be barricaded off with fences and, if it’s anything like last year, will also be surrounded by cops making sure no one even thinks about trying to get in (and issuing citations, if necessary).

If you are planning to head out and do a little shopping, there’s no need to stress. All of the places on this list are taking COVID protocols seriously and will expect you to as well. That means none of the consumption lounges are open right now, so you’ll have to enjoy your purchases at home. We can’t find any information about when consumption lounges will be allowed to reopen—though it’s very hard to even imagine sitting in a room willfully inhaling other people’s exhaled smoke—but it does seem like they’ll be allowed to reopen when California fully reopens the economy on June 15. But maybe hold off on sharing joints, blunts, bongs, or any of the rest of it for just a little while longer. Here are the best dispensaries in SF for all of your 4/20 (and beyond) needs:


Harborside
Oakland
Put simply, the legal cannabis industry would not be where it is today without the work of Steve and Andrew DeAngelo, co-founders of Harborside and legendary cannabis activists and entrepreneurs. The pioneering dispensary was the first anywhere to do cannabis lab testing, both for safety screening and potency analysis. Today you’ll find an assortment of top-shelf products and gear, presented by a peacemaking, well-trained staff who subscribe to the DeAngelo motto that “the vibe attracts the tribe.”
How to order: Harborside’s Oakland location is open for in-store shopping (10 am to 8 pm), curbside pickup (10 am to 6 pm), and delivery (10 am to 7 pm) with a $50 or $100 minimum depending on where you are in the East Bay.

Berner's on Haight
Upper Haight
The first and only dispensary you’ll find on SF’s very own Shakedown Street is right at home in this hippie/counter-culture enclave. Berner’s on Haight is a local collaboration from Shawn Richard, a partner of SF’s Cannabis Equity Program who was personally affected by the War on Drugs, and Berner, aka Gilbert Milam, a Galileo High School dropout who made his bones in the cannabis industry in the 1990s working at SF’s Hemp Center medicinal cannabis dispensary. The dispensary has more than 60 strains of flower on offer, including Berner’s signature Cookies line, as well as a full menu of drinks, edibles, tinctures, vapes, and prerolls.
How to order: Berner’s is open from 9 am to 10 pm for in-store shopping and pickup. Delivery is not available at this time.


Medithrive
Medithrive
Medithrive
Mission and Walnut Creek
It just wouldn’t be the Bay Area if a weed shop didn’t sport some insane level of technology to view your bud. Therefore, Medithrive has a camera with a macro lens displaying flowers on a 4K monitor for optimized #nugporn glory. There’s also a strong mix of health and wellness products like Canndescent calming and creative vape cartridges or Releaf capsules from multi-time Cannabis Cup topicals winner Papa & Barkley.
How to order: Medithrive is open for in-store shopping, storefront pickup, and delivery ($50 minimum). Store hours are 10 am to 10 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 8 pm on Sunday. Credit card payments are allowed for well-established customers who have shopped there at least three times and have spent $300 or more.

Sparc
Lower Haight and Mission/Castro (SoMa location is temporarily closed)
Swap bud for tech, and this sleek space could easily be an Apple store. You’ll get the same care you would from the Genius Bar, and you can be sure that each product has been through rigorous testing for purity and strength. Peruse the extensive menu from a big screen behind the counter if you know what you’re after, or rely on the patient and knowledgeable staff to walk you through the offerings and explain the difference between the strains.
How to order: Sparc is open for in-store shopping, pickup, and delivery. Store hours vary based on location, but all locations are open daily.

The Apothecarium
Photo courtesy of The Apothecarium
The Apothecarium
Marina, Castro, SoMa, Berkeley
The four Apothecariums sprinkled throughout the city (as well as Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) represent the high-end future of cannabis. Each one recalls the lobby of a stylish, boutique hotel or extremely fancy dermatologist office. The Castro location even won Architectural Digest’s award for best cannabis space in the country. If you’re looking for one-on-one consultations with a knowledgeable budtender in a location that makes you feel like stoner royalty, this is your jam. Not only do they offer impeccable service, but the organization is committed to community engagement—when permitted, they host education events for healthcare professionals and medical patients and have donated more than $350,000 to local nonprofits since 2011. The Apothecarium also offers a rewards points program: Every pre-taxed dollar spent equals one point. Points are initially worth $5 per 100, but as you accumulate more, the value grows.
How to order: All SF Apothecarium locations are open for in-store shopping, pickup, and delivery. You can schedule a free consultation via phone, web, or video. buy live resin online are open daily from 9am to 9pm.

Barbarycoastcollective
Barbarycoastcollective
Barbary Coast
SoMa
Modeled after the Amsterdam coffee shops and recalling San Francisco’s Prohibition past, in normal times, this bar-like dispensary is doing its part to bring a little old SF glamor to the cannabis scene, while offering state-of-the-art smoking, dabbing, and vaping tools. None of the in-house amenities are available right now, but the most important part of the operation—high-quality flowers, pre-rolls, premium vape cartridges, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and accessories—are all still available.
How to order: Barbary Coast is open for in-store shopping, online pre-order, and free delivery ($50 minimum). Open daily from 8am to 9:45pm.

Bloom Room
SoMa
Bright, clean, and mellow with a few stools where, during non-COVID times, you could hang out and partake, Bloom Room is your friendly down-to-earth neighborhood shop. The budtenders have time to offer a little more personal care and attention here and the chill vibe is a little more stoner-friendly... meaning if you’re new to cannabis, you can count on guidance and suggestions. Plus, Bloom Room always has great deals, including $25 eighths (strains rotate weekly) and daily deals that will get you 10% to 20% off. Join the collective and look forward to getting access to community events, art demonstrations, volunteer opportunities, and product samplings and demos whenever those things are available again.
How to order: Bloom Room is open for in-store shopping (a temperature scan is required before entry) and in-store pick-up. Store hours are 11 am to 8 pm daily.

Grass Roots
Lower Nob Hill
Located on the corner of Polk and Post, this petite, discreet storefront feels a little like an under-the-radar dive bar, but one that doesn’t sacrifice quality. What really makes this place shine is its massive menu and the knowledgeable, friendly staff. All the budtenders are patient enough to hear what you’re looking for and can offer recommendations while guiding you to the best deals and values. Sign up for the reward program to earn points that you can redeem for rewards.
How to order: Grass Roots is open for in-store shopping and free delivery ($50 minimum). Store hours are 8 am to 10 pm daily.

The Green Cross
The Green Cross
The Green Cross
Excelsior
A lot of SF dispensaries seem eager to shed weed’s misunderstood reputation with their crisp, white interiors and painstaking professionalism. That’s understandable—and, perhaps, necessary—but if you’re looking for a more relaxed scene that looks a lot more like what you’d expect from a place where you buy pot (think: blacklights and trippy art), head to The Green Cross, which while no less professional, has a small-business vibe some of the posher dispensaries lack. It’s also community-focused and strives to promote social equity in the neighborhood, which, by shopping there, you’ll help support. The blacklight, neon, and psychedelic art are a little nod to marijuana’s youthful stoner side and set this spot apart from the pack. Cash only, but there’s an ATM on site.
How to order: The Green Cross is open for in-store shopping and pickup. Store hours are 8 am to 9 pm daily.

Moe Greens
Civic Center
In non-pandemic times, this swanky cannabis destination is so much more than a dispensary. The 1,500-square foot space has a mid-century/speakeasy feel with dedicated areas for vaping, smoking (in a dimly-lit “High Roller” room), and a dab lounge (“The Vault”). All of the tables even have USB ports and charges, plus fast Wi-Fi throughout in case your WFH vibe is more smoke shop than coffee shop. And even though we can’t enjoy those amenities right now, Moe Greens is still a great spot for premium products and knowledgeable staff eager to help guide you and answer any questions. Check the events page for daily deals, like Wyld Wednesday—buy two packs of Wyld gummies and get the third one for a buck.
How to order: Moe Greens is open for in-store shopping, pickup, and delivery ($50 minimum). Store hours are 9 am to 9 pm every day.

Urbana Mission
Urbana Mission
Urbana
Inner Richmond and Mission
Urbana is the kind of place you’d send your just-now-getting-into-cannabis mom to shop for the first time. It’s the perfect place to be introduced to the world of THC and CBD in all of their many forms. It feels familiar in a fancy boutique pharmacy kind of way and is full of friendly “consultants” to help you learn and find what you need, no matter your knowledge or comfort level. Know exactly what you want? Urbana is also excellent for the seasoned shopper.
How to order: Urbana is open for in-store shopping, pickup, and delivery. Store hours are 10 am to 7 pm daily.


Website: https://wholesale-weed.sale/how-to-buy-weed-online/