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Scene Report: Cannabis in Portland

Scene Report: Cannabis in Portland

Portland

Recreational pot sales in Oregon started at the stroke of midnight on October 1, 2015, though most dispensaries waited until morning to open. The owner of Canna-Daddy’s Wellness Center on Southeast Division in Portland, who’d been dealing under the table since the 80s, watched customers flood his store in broad daylight. From leafy Hillsboro to the melting pot of Foster-Powell, budtenders couldn’t keep Portland’s most popular strains on the shelves.

That was more than four years ago. Since the initial burst of enthusiasm, the cannabis scene in Portland has hardly slowed down, and cannabis is now as much a keystone of the city as coffee, beer, strippers, or used books. We’ve got the lowdown on the best shops, best strains, unique ways to smoke, and laws you need to know.

Portland’s Finest Dispensaries

For the casual smoker, we recommend either of Bridge City Collective’s two locations—one in the north, one in the central eastside. They’re the cannabis equivalent of a well-stocked corner store, if your neighborhood mart helped fund scientific studies while growing all its own produce.

Speaking of science, there’s no dispensary that mixes the lab with the garden quite like Farma. Co-founded by Jeremy Plumb, whom the Portland State University Vanguard once called “the Bill Nye of pot science,” Farma is all about empowering medical and recreational smokers by demystifying the many strains of weed. If you don’t know your Blue Dream from your Purple Punch, Farma is the place for you.

Think a dispensary has to be a dingy, concrete den with bars on the windows? Jayne and Serra are here to shatter your expectations. Serra, especially their Downtown location, is the Instagrammable spot, with its gold highlights and Gwyneth Paltrow seal of approval.

Jayne’s sophistication is earthier: after a few minutes in their village apothecary, you’ll feel like whatever bud you leave with was hand-picked by hobbits off the arm of that island lady from Moana. They work to emphasize women and minority growers and cannabis artisans.

Related article: How Queer is Weed Activism? 

For LGBTQ tokers, The People’s Dispensary is a dedicated safe space. It’s an Oakland-based, queer-founded chain that provides cannabis products to people whom the industry has historically underserved. They stock the shelves with products from queer-owned cannabusinesses whenever possible.

We’ve hardly scratched the surface of the scene here: there are more than 300 dispensaries in the Portland metro area alone. Use our recommendations as starting points to go out and discover your new favorite store. If you’re limited in mobility or time—or if you’re stuck inside due to, let’s say, some kind of pandemic or something—there are a wealth of delivery services available, like Hello Diem, Briteside, and I Heart Jane.

Portland’s Favorite Strains

In the bad old days, like everyone else, Portlanders smoked whatever they could get. Legalization finally gave the Rose City access to a selection wide enough to match its expansive tastes.

Sativa-heavy strains are popular here for the focus and creativity they provide: earthy landraces like Durban Poison and spicy cultivars like Jack Herer are a Portlander’s go-to for jam sessions, afternoons in the studio, or communing in the woods.

Sour Diesel, named for its smell and energy boost, is another favorite strain for artists. For those looking to find a lighter high, Blue Dream is huge all across the Northwest.

Indica strains like Orange Juice and Granddaddy Purple are also local favorites for unwinding. Not that Portlanders are too hip for broad favorites, either: OG Kush sells well to those with major stress to relieve, and Pineapple Express to lovers of focused relaxation.

Smoking Spaces

We’ll get into this more in the next section, but for now: consuming any kind of cannabis in public, even edibles, is a felony in Oregon. Unfortunately for visitors, the Indoor Clean Air Act means you also can’t smoke in your hotel room.

The good news is that there are ways to work around the law. The easiest solution is to crash with friends and light up in their private spaces. But what if you don’t know anybody in town?

One option is to check out a cannabis lounge, like Flight Lounge on 72nd, or Northwest Cannabis Club on Powell. These are members-and-guests-only clubs that are technically private spaces, making it legal to smoke on the premises. Some establishments serve walk-ins, while others require a recommendation from a member.

Another option, for LGBTQ folks or comfortable allies, is to hit up a bathhouse. Portland has two gay bathhouses left, and one of them, Hawks, has shared and private spaces where you can smoke.

You can also get a unique experience on a cannabis bus tour. Companies like High 5 Tours provide buses with smoking lounges separated from the driver, so nobody’s breaking any laws. Cannabis buses visit dispensaries, wineries, food carts, local attractions, or anywhere else you’d like to go.

Finally, if you’re an especially active smoker, events can be a great way to mix and mingle while consuming the pot you picked up during your day. Jayne, the dispensary we highlighted above, offers cannabis yoga classes in a private space. Tokeativity, a movement that started in Portland and spread across the world, hosts monthly meetups for women to gather and take the stigma out of cannabis. For the socially conscious, there’s the Arcane Revelry dinner and performance series which raises money for causes like Oregon DACA and the ACLU.

Read the full issue: April 15, 2020 :: 420 and Cannabis

The Law: What You Need to Know

Cannabis is legal in the State of Oregon, but it’s still illegal at the federal level. This restricts what you’re permitted to do with the cannabis you buy.

You must be at least 21 to buy cannabis. You’re not allowed to smoke in any public space—this includes most hotel rooms, though privately-owned B&Bs often have looser rules. Operating any vehicle under the influence is still out, as is bringing any cannabis across state lines. You are only permitted to have up to one ounce of cannabis on your person at any time.

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