Lina LecaroFor cannaisseurs, 4:20 p.m. can be a daily celebration – a moment to take a break, exhale (and inhale!) while letting go of the stresses of the day. Beyond the clock and onto the calendar, April 20 has become a party hearty “holiday” akin to Cinco de Mayo/St. Patty’s Day, and it’s just as fun to celebrate, whether you’re a regular toker or a once-a-year partaker. For all the ups and downs the industry has faced, weed brands continue to create and innovate. 4/20 is always a good time to explore what’s new and what’s still hot, especially here in California.
Here are our 2023 Picks, divided into four 4-20 appropriate sections – 1) shops and experiences, 2) the bud itself, 3) accouterments and 4) lifestyle items – all of which promise to keep cannabis culture growing in more ways than one.
(Urbn Leaf)
1. What’s in Store
The Sunset Strip is known for eye-popping billboards, great live music and comedy venues, and high-end shopping, but it was missing a pot shop until Urbn Leaf came to town. With a significant cannabis history thanks to Cheech and Chong’s legendary Roxy shows down the street, the dispensary feels long overdue in this area, and already like part of the landscape, too. Opened in January, the store touts its own substantial parking lot, late-night hours and a shopping experience unlike any other in L.A. Where most dispensaries use display-only product on shelves and keep stock in the back (budtenders bring customers their purchases), Urbn puts everything – and we mean everything – out on the shelves. There are shopping baskets at the door and guests enjoy a hands-on one-stop-shopping experience.
(Lina Lecaro)
Behind its 12-foot-tall glass doors, a welcoming vibe and ample stock awaits, including Urbn Leaf’s own namesake brand. The bright, clean 2,500-square-foot space has LED screens showing the growing processes and educational clips, and everything is organized in an inviting way that makes you want to grab it all. The chain headquartered in San Diego, offers its first L.A. store in partnership with Sol Yamini, the man behind Pink Dot (delivery services will be offered soon). From its physical location, which is decidedly lively and lit up at night, to its unique presentation inside, it’s a quicker/slicker alternative to other cannabis destinations in Weho and the city at large (Also check out the shop’s collab with Fred Segal up the street, which features a signature tote and 20% off in the dispensary and 10% off in the clothing store). urbnleaf.com
Speaking of streets that have needed some stoney goods… Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz has its share of sushi and coffee spots, but when it came to weed, one had to go toward Hollywood (Greenhouse) or head into Silver Lake (Mota) or Atwater (Green Wolf). Locals who get high need not venture any longer. The Set is here. Taking its name from its vicinity to movie-making, the decor references the film world with tiny Oscar statues and film art displayed about. It touts fair pricing, a multitude of strains and everything from flower and dabs to edibles and vapes, plus weekly BOGO deals and 25% off for first-time customers. weedmaps.com/dispensaries/the-set-hollywood
If you’re looking for something beyond a shopping experience for 4/20, check out Green Street and High Rise’s 420 Experience. Taking place at Two Bit Circus’ elevated arcade emporium in Downtown, it features food, art, games, live comedians and canna-friendly brands such as Beard Bros, Weed Feed, Respect my Region, Skunk magazine, Cannapolitan, Dabwoods and more, in a festival atmosphere. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 420experience.com
More Cali experiential excursions come via Green Tours, which offers a day of visiting cannabis “hotspots” in Los Angeles, from dispensaries to grow facilities, glass makers to edibles bakers. Chartered buses take you all around town providing historical context amidst a party-like atmosphere on this 420 Tour, with pop-ins to MMD North Hollywood, AMG (American Made Glass) Warehouse (followed by an obligatory smoke sesh) and munchies from Fab Hot Dogs. greentours.com
(Phases)
2. You Can Buy Yourself Flower(s)
OK, let’s get to the good, green, sticky pungent point of this darn holiday – the flower, baby. We’re digging Phases for a multitude of reasons. The mood-based brand is marketed by strain and desired level of focus and effect for mind and body. High Frequency (Sativa) promises an energizing and empowering high while Retrograde (Indica) aims for intense relaxation and renewal, while flavors like Super Berry Crush bring a stimulating headrush that’s helpful for procrastination and creative blockages. All the strains are based on overall well-being pursuits and can help target seasonal slumps, fatigue, and the aches and pains of life. 4/20 Deal: If you buy an eighth, you get an eighth + two 1g pre-rolls at retailers in select L.A. locations. There will also be personalized grinder gifts with purchase at some locations. instagram.com/phaseseffects
(Humo)
Another brand that’s pure fuego, Humo, touts that it’s “by la raza, pa’ la raza.” Humo means “smoke” in Spanish and the brand is on a mission “to eliminate the stigma surrounding cannabis in the Latino community by celebrating its rich cultural history with the plant and normalizing its daily use.” Muy Bueno. As a Mexican-American, female-led California company, Humo makes craft cannabis sustainably grown in Smart Greenhouses powered by its parent company, POSIBL. More info at getHUMO.com
Disco Jays bring sparkle to your smoking excursions with sexy packaging and THCA diamond-encrusted cannabis pre-rolls. The stogies have a faceted shimmer not unlike a disco ball, but the Studio 54 energy goes beyond the physical joints of this MAKR House brand. The racial and sexual diversity and freedom of the ‘70s disco era is the inspiration for the company, which celebrates queer people of color in its marketing and social media and stocks in Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and women-owned dispensaries in LA. instagram.com/discojays
West Coast purveyors Gelato Canna Co. deserve mention this year for a variety of product (edibles, concentrates, flower and pre-rolls) and playful packaging that beckons from local dispensary shelves; they even have scratch-and-sniff features on some of the goodies. gelatocanna.com
High potency is fine if you can handle it, but what about those who prefer something a little more chill? Paranoia and overthinking on one end, or lethargy and burnout on the other – each can make for a bad trip. For those who want to feel subtle effects without the risks, low dose brands like Bogart are for you. Bogart’s high-CBD, low-THC cigarettes are cool joint alternatives that satisfy oral and hand fixations and relaxation without the space-case high. Founder Jeff Gonick, who helped launch Seth Rogan’s cannabis company Houseplant, says the cigs are made to be “bogarted,” but the box itself (adorned with mid-century retro packaging) is a keeper. enjoybogart.com
Alive & Kicking low-dose smokes come in another stylized box with 14 micro slim CBD pre-rolls. They look and feel like filtered cigarettes but there’s no nicotine or tobacco, just organically grown hemp flower with no additives, sticks, stems or seeds. Bealiveandkicking.com
(Bogart)
3. Suckers & Sippers
Go Easy brand makes low-dose items, too, all with the “easy, breezy, beautiful, stoner girl” and “no-hangover life” in mind. Check out their girlie gummies, pre-rolls and our favorite – the work of art that is its iridescent Cloud 9 pipe – it gets white and puffy as you smoke. goeasy-shop.com
Smoking out with friends is about community and connection, but post-COVID, we all should be more careful. Germaphobes will love Moose Labs’ MouthPeaces. According to the brand, its products decrease bacteria by 5,924%. There’s also a filter that removes unwanted tar and resin for a sharp yet smooth hit. They’re colorful and cute, too. mooselabs.us
(Cruisers)
A price-conscious brand from the Parent Company, Cruisers launched in March with a line of distillate and live resin vapes, gummies, pre-rolls and flower. Coming off of the success of Parent’s Fun Uncle and DELI brands, Cruisers utilizes winning formulas and flavors featuring high-THC distillate such as Blueberry Cookies, Strawberry Gelato and Maui Wowie. The hardcore vaporizer crowd will want to try their Starship Tri-Vape, which allows users to insert three vape cartridges into one vessel and smoke each simultaneously. Warning: the triple hit is more than a cruise, it’s a ride. cruisersofficial.com
If inhaling ain’t your thing, we recommend two tasty cannabis drinks that came across our desk this season: California cannabis beverage CQ offers THC-infused single-use cans in Blackberry Lemon Lime, Tangerine Sunrize, Pear Vanilla Cardamom and Watermelon Cucumber flavors; and Malus’ Granny Smith OG bevie, a low-dose, live resin THC-infused cider infused with sativa-dominant Sour Diesel live resin extract and cannabinoid oil that’s sweet not sour in taste and psychoactive effects. drinkmalus.com and drinkcq.com
(Your Highness)
4. High Style
Is there a better movie to smokeout to than Dazed and Confused (1993)? Cheech and Chong notwithstanding, Richard Linklater’s classic is a nostalgic trip, from the writing to the styling. Your Highness, known for its female-driven maryjane offerings and accessories, is teaming up with the Universal Pictures classic for a new collection of trippy tie-dyes and funky fonts on tees that reference its logos and popular stoner characters. yourhighnessclothing.com/collections/dazed-and-confused
Laganja Estranga (Jon Sams)
Laganja Estranja remains the queen of cannabis-themed drag and RuPaul’s Drag Race fave and activist has a long list of collaborations. This year, she celebrates 4/20 with her pal Trixie Mattell via a collection of makeup with lots of green glam and Spring-y gloss– the Extravaganja line for Trixie Cosmetics, featuring a vibrant shadow palette alongside lip gloss and lipstick, that’ll make you pretty in pot. trixiecosmetics.com
Laganja herself turned us onto Blunted Objects a few years ago (read her 4/20 picks from 2019 here) We’ve long loved their pot leaf-adorned accessories line. From nameplates (“420,” “stoner,” “lit”) to hand chains to earrings, these pieces make a statement. For 2023, the signature high holiday must-have is a sweet micro-pipe necklace hand blown in Hawaii by glass artist Dunhyden. Hanging from a 20-inch chain, the fully functional pendant is something pot lovers will want to rock proudly. bluntedobjects.com
Read more 420 content from our cannabis reporter Jimi Devine HERE.
(Blunted Objects)
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