In the few years since Californians voted to make it legal to smoke weed for fun, the marijuana industry has developed rapidly across Sonoma County.
Dispensaries have popped up like coffee shops, and each day seems to bring a new strain of weed that sets the community ablaze.
However, it can be daunting to visit all of them just to find your oasis, especially when stoner students’ gas costs dip into the weed stash. Competition has led to a unique landscape for the growing industry, where each dispensary finds its niche in location, value or culture.
Here are some convenient locations near the Santa Rosa Junior College campuses to start your own safari into Sonoma’s sinsemilla savanna.
Phenotopia
For those with a desire to dive deeper into local growers, Phenotopia has a plethora of smaller upstart brands to choose from. As a mom-and-pop shop that takes pride in giving smaller operations like itself a spotlight, Phenotopia offers a personable experience that engages customers with both weed and community. They even sell clones for those who prefer to invest.
Pros: Very kind and welcoming environment
that takes pride in its local representation. Great deals with a plethora of interesting small brands to choose from.
Cons: Don’t rely on finding your favorite big brand here.
SPARC
SPARC has surfed the forefront of cannabis retail for a long time. It has a well-established loyalty program in tandem with sales on various products, which allows customers to experiment while still staying inside their budget.
SPARC has a direct, clean online storefront that will bring you right to what you want. In person, the store is formal if not a bit too sterile visually which leads to an atmosphere that is not as cozy as some other dispensaries in the Santa Rosa area.
Pros: Offers a robust loyalty program alongside
a nice range of deals that lets thrifty
stoners hunt on a budget.
Cons: Feels like the dispensary equivalent of
an Apple store with its formal interior.
The Gas Station
The Gas Station is a bright spot on a bleak block. You won’t know this dispensary
is here unless you look for it. However, what it traded in location, it makes up
for in charm. A fun interior that mimics a gas station as a gimmick, where the
only thing that isn’t fake is the quality of the products.
It’s intriguing to see a dispensary lean so far into aesthetics in a way that would
make it stand out in a place like Las Vegas, where everything needs an eye-catching
hook. Sadly its spot between two warehouses in an industrial area doesn’t give
it many eyes to catch.
Pros: Tons of deals and a range of products from cheap to spendy, including
pipes and fun paraphernalia within an engaging and colorful environment that
can feel a bit more private than other dispensaries.
Cons: A bit harder to hunt out in the wild, but when you find it stands out. Cash
only at this watering hole.
Jane Dispensary
Jane Dispensary employs a good sales tactic for spotlighting cannabis applications. It offers 20%-off deals for edibles, concentrates, wellness, drinks and flower, depending on the weekday. It also offers deals for Veterans and seniors on Saturdays, and for industry and students on Sundays. Voted the No. 1 Dispensary in Sonoma County in the Press Democrat Reader’s poll, its employees play both vendor and pharmacist roles, taking feedback from customers and helping them pair up with the product that suits their needs.
Pros: Huge variety with a consistent cycle of deals on pretty much everything
smokable across multiple locations.
Cons: Overwhelming selection, very niche products and the occasional shoddy joint – at least it was probably on sale.
Mercy Wellness
As a local staple in the dispensary world, Mercy Wellness could best be described as a leisure pharmacy. Their product is always well presented and professional, represented and sold by friendly faces who take your weed needs and questions seriously. With two retail locations, one of which being the first weed lounge in the North Bay, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about cannabis and socialize along the way.
Pros: High quality offerings, and a website directory
that helps new and experienced users alike find just what
they are looking for across multiple locations.
Cons: Pricey. You better utilize those deals well.
