A Visitor’s Guide

to San Francisco Cannabis Culture

A central symbol for hippie culture, cannabis shined during the Summer of Love.

The legendary 1967 “Summer of Love” drew an estimated 100,000 (mostly) young people from around the world to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. United in thought and in song by the instant classic, “Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair”, cannabis represented peace, mind-expansion, and trust in natural earth remedies amongst hippies. During that summer, the Sharon Meadows area of Golden Gate Park was dubbed “Hippie Hill” after it became a popular meeting spot for cultural exchanges around art, literature, music, psychedelics, and the anti-war movement. To this day, every year on April 20th, crowds gather on the lush lawn of Hippie Hill for a celebration of the high holiday. If you’re looking for a cannabis-themed souvenir, be sure to stop in one of the neighborhood’s many head shops or dress the part with color pops of tie-dyed apparel at Love on Haight.

Compassionate cannabis is embedded in the city’s LGBTQ+ community and culture.

The Castro neighborhood was home to cannabis pioneer and industry icon Dennis Peron, also known as “The Father of Medical Cannabis”. During the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, cannabis emerged as a frontline relief medicine and helped reduce suffering by stimulating appetite and diminishing nausea for many patients. The intersection of Noe and Market Streets is one of the most historically significant cannabis corners in the city. When you land here, prepare to walk in the footsteps of fierce, compassionate cannabis advocates. Medical cannabis matriarch Brownie Mary and Peron first began strategizing how to get cannabis to those in need while sitting at Café Flore in 1974. While visiting this corner of the Castro, be sure to stop in the equity-owned Flore Store, where a thoughtfully-curated selection of cannabis products reflects the care and craftsmanship of legacy-growing regions in the state’s Emerald Triangle. The Flore Store is the community’s steward and protector of cannabis history, as visualized by a cannabis mural that honors the leaders of compassionate cannabis. This mural is designated as the first monument on The Cannabis Trail of California.

San Francisco’s cannabis businesses reflect restorative justice for community members harmed by the War on Drugs.

Today, many of the city’s cannabis shops and lounges are owned and operated by people disproportionately targeted for arrest and incarceration during the failed War on Drugs. With an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, San Francisco’s Cannabis Equity Program is regarded as a leading model for restorative justice in the industry, prioritizing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ ownership in the city’s burgeoning cannabis scene. 

As the first shop to open under the equity program, Berner’s on Haight is also the first Black-owned cannabis shop in the city. Located in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, they honor this history by carrying a selection of equity-owned, local brands.

Today, San Francisco is home to some of the world’s most innovative cannabis experiences.

San Francisco is a playground for the senses, where cannabis is poised to be your companion for experience enhancement. Stunning cannabis shops and innovative lounges are dotted throughout the city’s 49 square miles. Much like the variety of cannabis cultivars (commonly referred to as strains), every neighborhood has its recognizable flavor and vibe. Go ahead and enjoy cannabis paired with world-class arts and food experiences that you can only find in San Francisco.