Top Shelf

Our choices for the best California dispensaries give you more than solid, smart service.

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

When it came to choosing our favorite dispensaries in the Golden State we considered several factors including guality products, knowledgeable staff , and a safe, comfortable environment. Below are the top selections of Sensi California.

ROSE MARY JANE / OAKLAND

At Rose Mary Jane, farm-to-table is a way of life and the dispensary off ers the highest quality product, grown naturally by trusted producers. Rose Mary Jane is a unique cannabis retailer whose experience, selection, and advocacy leadership are shaped by its mission to promote fairness, justice, gender inclusiveness, and equity.

In Lake Merritt, Oakland, the new location features a fi rst-of-itskind cannabis beverage bar and garden. The company is focused on creating gender-inclusive spaces, easy-to-navigate, and operated by team members passionate about making all experiences outstanding.

Rose Mary Jane is committed to social equity, including supporting freedom for cannabis prisoners, partnering with local nonprofi ts, and providing purpose-driven career opportunities for team members. It views the cannabis industry as a force for good when legalization, expungement, and equity are prioritized. Rose Mary Jane also supports the fi ght for the freedom of cannabis prisoners through its partnerships with the Last Prisoner Project and the Women’s Prison Association.

rosemaryjane.com

PAPA & BARKLEY SOCIAL / SOUTH EUREKA

Papa & Barkley and Humboldt Social, inside Papa & Barkley’s headquarters in South Eureka, hosts a community experience with a spacious dispensary, tasting room, day spa, and restaurant (see page 24). Its cannabis concierge welcomes guests into the light- and greenery-fi lled space and helps each guest fi nd the products that meet their wellness needs.

One of California’s leading brands in cannabis wellness has been making products in Eureka since 2016. Papa and Barkley’s cannabis wellness products include tinctures, chocolates, balms, and skincare. Meanwhille, Social Nature is Humboldt Social’s own line of cannabis products that create a full spectrum of experiences. Papa and Barkley Social carries product lines from three of Humboldt’s women-led farms— Sunrise Mountain Farm, Emerald Queen Farm, and Dewpoint. These three farms represent the best of Humboldt’s sun-grown, family-farmed craft cannabis.

A top recommender says: “They have a friendly, knowledgeable staff with nice, higher-end cannabis fl ower, concentrates, edibles, and pre-rolls. They also off er excellent spa amenities with options like THC and CBD with infused, hot stone massage. Plus, the food truck

off ers excellent food. I recommend the Bulgogi beef lettuce wraps.”

papaandbarkleysocial.com/dispensary.

THE WOODS / WEST HOLLYWOOD Actor and activist Woody Harrelson’s new cannabis dispensary is now open in West Hollywood, off ering an elevation of the retail cannabis experience with plans to include a consumption lounge in its backyard garden. The Woods is a unique experience, off ering an organic, elegant atmosphere where customers can shop for the highest quality natural cannabis products. The space is made of two distinct halves: one side is the freestanding neighborhood bar; the dispensary occupies the other. Each side was designed to appeal to diff erent customers and both off er a fun time and a chance to share each other’s experiences. Porthole windows provide a passageway between the two businesses—and break barriers.

The Woods showcases an elevation of the retail cannabis experience designed for every kind of cannabis devotee. Collaborators include Harrelson, comedian Bill Maher, Erba Markets founders Devon Wheeler and Jay Handal, and designer Thomas Schoos.

The Woods honors the heirloom and legacy cannabis market, a vibe that infuses the entire state of California. It also refl ects its founder’s values, opening an inclusive platform for its community and celebrating cannabis culture in this, its fi rst location. The dispensary also has plans to expand with a consumption lounge, event space, and neighborhood bar later this year.

Cofounders Harrelson and Wheeler fi rst visualized the project when they visited the location, which once housed Schoos’ work studio. Experts designed a space that showcases everything the duo admired most about the legacy cannabis industry: nature, wellness, culture, and community.

thewoodsweho.com

WYLLOW / LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles-based bi-cultural, woman-owned cannabis brand, Wyllow, off ers a premium selection of rare cultivars. Wyllow also transforms how people get to know cannabis products through its visionary and immersive new dispensary experience. In addition to Wyllow products, its dispensary and delivery menu includes edibles, fl ower, concentrates, tinctures, vapes, and topicals. And the California brands featured here are hand-selected with the conscious cannabis connoisseur in mind. The staff at Wyllow guides customers towards curated cannabis off erings that meet adult-use or medical needs.

A top recommender says: “I have good things to say about my experience here and with the Wyllow brand! It’s women owned. I went to their grand opening a couple of weeks ago. It’s a cute dispensary with outstanding aesthetics!

The crew has excellent knowledge about cannabis. I told them what I was looking for and how I consume cannabis. They brought out options I should check out. I took them all, including their fl ower. All great products! I will defi nitely come again and have been telling my cannabis connoisseur friends to check this dispensary out.”

shopwyllow.com

SPARC / SONOMA Sparc fi rst opened in 1998 when California passed Proposition 215, making medical cannabis available to those with a doctor’s recommendation. The fi rst Sparc retail facility opened in San Francisco (and is still open). The new Sonoma dispensary is focused on its customers and being part of establishing the cannabis tourism industry in the valley. Sparc cultivates cannabis at its biodynamic-certifi ed farm and manufactures and distributes its cannabis products at its headquarters in Santa Rosa.

Along with off ering its own portfolio of brands—Besito, Farm Direct, and Marigold—Sparc Sonoma carries Sonoma County’s own Garden Society, a line of edibles and prerolls, and Santa Rosa’s CannaCraft products, featuring Care By Design and Absolute Xtracts.

Constructed in 1908, the building housing the new dispensary, housed former businesses including Sonoma Grove resort and restaurant, known for its traditional Italian cuisine and proximity to the hot springs. The dispensary will display a plaque to commemorate the location’s role in the Sonoma Valley’s history.

sparc.co

SOLFUL / SEBASTOPOL

Solful posits itself as as an important part of the community in Sonoma County, encouraging health and wellness with its products, services, and education. With the experience of Northern California cultivation and experience behind it, the staff of Solful has encountered thousands of diff erent strains and products. Solful partners with producers dedicated to safety, effi cacy, consistency, and ethical considerations.

The Solful team is committed to understanding the processes and practices that go into creating the things they sell—so they possess a deeper understanding of the products they sell. They believe in those products and feature local craft cannabis farms dedicated to sustainable practices. The knowledgeable staff always advises and shares information. Its mission is to make a positive diff erence in people’s lives, and serve Sonoma County and neighboring towns like Santa Rosa (with a new location opened on 4/20), Petaluma, Marin, and Healdsburg.

The dispensary also off ers a complimentary copy of Solful Field Guide to Getting the Most Out of Cannabis!

A top recommender says: “What a wonderful and pleasant dispensary experience. I loved being able to walk through the products at my own pace and the selection and presentation exceeded my expectations. There are lots of options and detailed information including specifi c terpene content and the farmer who grew the product. I tried the Blood Orange Punch from Alpenglow Farms and it blew me away. Really impressive.”

Grass Ceiling? The lm Lady Buds elevates the stories of women in cannabis at the same time the industry is experiencing a disturbing drop of women in executive roles. TEXT DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Cannabis is booming, and the industry posits itself as innovative, progressive, and forward thinking—but the presence of women in leadership roles in this brave new space is decreasing. Don’t let that disconcerting fact diminish the role of women in the industry, however. They are executives, cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, and commentators in the cannabis world, and fi lmmaker Chris J. Russo set out to document achievers in all those careers in her award-winning fi lm Lady Buds, which is currently airing on the STARZ network and can be streamed on services including Amazon, AppleTV+, and iTunes.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the number of women entrepreneurs and women in leadership roles in the cannabis industry,” says Russo. “But that was back in 2017, since then, things have changed quite a bit. When I envisioned the fi lm, it was important to me to include diverse voices that spoke to different areas of cannabis history in order for the fi lm to include the LGBTQ history of cannabis activism and highlight the barriers to entry for marginalized communities who were impacted by the War on Drugs.”

To make the fi lm, Russo headed to Women In Cannabis networking events and farmers markets and conducted over 100 interviews with mothers, businesswomen, and elders, hoping to bring these diverse stories to a broad audience. Russo wants to create real change, too, with an impact campaign of cannabis panels and events that focus on cannabis policy running alongside screenings of the fi lm.

“It’s greatly disappointing that the numbers of women in cannabis are declining,” says Russo. “But I hope my fi lm shows that women have been the backbone of the cannabis industry for decades and inspires women entrepreneurs to reach for their dreams despite the challenges.”