San Francisco weed has been open for recreational use in California—meaning no medical card needed—since 2016. If you partake, you probably have a go-to SF shop by now, but in case you’re looking for a new selection of products or just somewhere 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.
Luckily, California was quick to label dispensaries as “essential businesses,” and you can be sure that all of these stores are taking COVID-19 protocols seriously, including frequent cleaning, mandatory masks/face coverings, hand sanitizer stations, and limited capacity to ensure social distancing. The latter means that there will very likely be a line out the door at a lot of these spots, but you can avoid that (and taking any unnecessary safety risks) by pre-ordering for pickup or getting it delivered. One or both options are available at every spot on the list.
(And you’ve probably got it all figured out by now, but just in case, a friendly reminder that now’s not a great time to share joints, blunts, or any paraphernalia.)
All across America cannabis is becoming a legalized and well-accepted consumption product that is becoming more and more popular all the time. With a dozen states that allow for legal use of cannabis, another handful that allow for medical use, and almost all that allow for CBD use, the craze seems to be growing faster than anyone can keep up with.
This growth is known by all California residents due to the 2018 legalization of public consumption of cannabis. And boy, was 2018 an interesting year with dispensaries popping up on every street corner, and just as quickly disappearing. Well established brands close shop, and hobbyist opening up where they left off. It’s was a rollercoaster of a year in 2018 and there have been many ups and downs to it.
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 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 “the vibe attracts the tribe.”
The first and only dispensary you’ll find around Shakedown Street is right at home in this hippie soul neighborhood. Berner’s on Haight is a local collaboration from Shawn Richard, a Cannabis Equity Program partner who was greatly 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 menu of drinks, edibles, tinctures, vapes, and prerolls.