54 The Best of Monterey Bay ® 2023-2024 Cannabis more sativa strains. 8022 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing. (831) 350-4420, eastofedencannabisco.com The Hook Outlet Retail shoppers know outlet stores offer the best prices, and The Hook Outlet does just that for cannabis products. Top-shelf strains that might set you back $65 at other stores can be found at The Hook for $45 and under. The shopping experience is fun, too; the store has a retro vibe and is intended to elicit joy and groovy times, much like the products they sell. 11 Hangar Way, Watsonville. (831) 2880244, hookoutlet.com OnePlant OnePlant boasts a wide selection of products, knowledgeable staff, and a convenient location. OnePlant offers brands you’ll find familiar from other dispensaries and lots of treats you won’t see on other local menus. If you’re shopping in-store, ask your budtender about special daily deals—some of which are actually everyday deals. OnePlant also has a delivery service so you can get the goods without leaving home. 10665 Merritt St., Castroville. (831) 453-7180, oneplant.life Santa Cruz Naturals There’s a broad interpretation of holistic at this dispensary, which is guided by principles of doing good for customers (with an emphasis on medicinal benefits), what is good for the environment (they focus on eco-conscious suppliers, represented in their Clean Green certification); and community, by donating to various local nonprofits. The showroom is big (it’s about double the size of SCN’s other location in Aptos) and has hundreds of products on offer; they also deliver. And they’ve been doing it for over a decade. 19 San Juan Road, Royal Oaks. (831) 722-2018, santacruzcannabis.com White Fire This new dispensary located in a former Mexican restaurant was designed to be “as airy as an Apple store” and it conveys that sense of scale: In 1,500 square feet they offer some 1,400 products at price points ranging from 5-cent pre-rolls to multi-gram blunts dusted with kief for more discerning smokers. Signage here is bilingual in Spanish and English, and curbside pickup is available. 2329 San Miguel Canyon Road, Prunedale. (831) 586-0168, whitefireexperience.com Salinas CannaCruz Collective It’s no surprise that the most popular seller here is the item that sets CannaCruz apart: its house-grown flower. And that’s the origin story of this dispensary’s expertise, which was a grower and supplier to other dispensaries before they got into the retail side of the business (they now have a second retail location in Santa Cruz, as well). But flower isn’t all that’s on offer—there’s also a range of edibles, extracts, pre-rolls and whatever else you might be looking for. 1156 Abbott St., Salinas. (831) 202-0172, cannacruz.com East of Eden This is a hip spot with a vibe that sways between art gallery and industrial chic. The budtenders carry iPads to help navigate you toward the right product. The shop stocks more than 50 different strains, so the help can be appreciated. But there’s convenience, too. East of Eden allows shoppers to order online and then pick up, without the hassle of a wait. (There’s also curbside pickup.) Parent company Grupo Flor also does cultivation and product manufacturing, making this a vertically integrated cannabis experience. 514 Work St., Salinas. (831) 237-7420, eastofedencannabisco.com Valley Farms Despite a notable supply of flower (over 150 variations) and a number of other affordable recreational and medical products, Valley Farms’ customer service makes their product easy to navigate. They share half of their 20-plus strains with their Del Rey Oaks-based twin, Del Rey Farms, but here they’ve also got indoor flower, clone plants and merch featuring some of their prominent strains. 1610 Moffett St., Suite A., Salinas. (831) 316-5207, enjoythefarm.com Seaside Buddha Love by Plantacea This spot is known for customer service and the staff’s range of product knowledge on medical hemp-based CBD oils and creams. Their trained cannabis technicians—cannatechs—have worked with thousands of customers. And they can give advice on everything from low-THC gummies for a modest buzz to high-impact infused drinks and treats, as well as classic flower strains. 1717 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. (831) 324-4500, plantacea.org Higher Level Collective Higher Level’s roots as a medical dispensary are visible in its menu of non-psychoactive CBD items, ranging from tinctures to dog treats. And for recreational users, there’s an abundance of affordable concentrate cartridges and higher-potency edibles not found in other local dispensaries. 1440 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. (831) 583-8300, hldispensaries.com Perfect Union True to their name, this dispensary’s main focus is customer collaboration and appreciation—they believe that the experience of marijuana deserves to be shared. In a similar vein, they also have a history of working with the community, coupling with dozens of organizations to donate money and resources. Perfect Union’s stock leans recreational, with plenty of flower and extract and a varied selection of edibles, but they also stock tinctures and topical products. 840 Broadway Ave., Suite B-4, Seaside. (831) 920-4998, perfect-union.com Rare Earth Subtitled “Cannabis for the Connoisseur,” Rare Earth does in fact specialize in connoisseurgrade cannabis—defined as such by a number of factors, including rarity, purity (lack of additives or distillate), quality and flavor of smoke, THC level and more. With a selective assortment of flower, edibles, concentrates and topicals, this dispensary aims to provide specialized knowledge about the highest-grade cannabis California has to offer. 575 Broadway Ave., Seaside. (831) 324-4103, rareearthcannabis.com The Reef The Reef is a celebration of recreational marijuana. They offer a long list of flower, edibles, concentrates, pre-rolls, tinctures and even beverages. The Reef holds regular specials and events. Their events allow customers to ask questions of their vendors. And even the exterior is inviting, with a marine mural by a local Seaside artist. 1900 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. (831) 900-7333, bodyandmind.com/ california/seasidedispensary Urbn Leaf Founded in San Diego as a medical-only dispensary, Urbn Leaf now has seven locations across California and stocks a wide range of both recreational and medical product, from compliance-tested cartridges to concentrates to over 250 variations of flower. A self-labeled “Feel-Good Drug Boutique,” this luxury dispensary employs knowledgeable and friendly consultants to help novices and veterans alike navigate their supply. 680 Broadway Ave., Seaside. (831) 233-3422, urbnleaf.com Delivery Services Nu-Cannabis Seaside-born owner/operator of Nu-Cannabis Jack Montgomery developed a successful delivery service in the San Francisco Bay Area and has brought it back down the coast for his home community to enjoy. Specializing in the latest, most innovative strains from the Bay Area and beyond, this prompt delivery service has an easy-to-navigate online menu and helpful staff answering the phones expertly recommend which products may be right for you. Offerings range from flower to body butters and bath salts to edibles, including salsas. (831) 383-2057, nu-cannabis.com
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