Barbary Coast Collective; Bay Area Collective Highlight

Barbary Coast Collective

952 Mission St., San Francisco

barbarycoastsf.org

Top-Selling Strain: Cracker Jack

Top-Selling Concentrate: Rumpwax Headstash Fresh Resins

Top-Selling Edible: Kushy Punch Gummies

How and when did your collective start up?

Established in 2013, the Barbary Coast Collective was founded by a group of industry pros and San Francisco native sons who saw a need to provide a safe and comfortable place for patients to get clean, top-shelf medicine in the South of Market district.

What’s the story behind the name of your collective?

The Barbary Coast was an infamous neighborhood in San Francisco during the second half of the 19th century. The dispensary lies along the Barbary Coast trail, and our interior design pays homage to that era and history of this great city. Many of the alleys in our neighborhood are named after famous ladies of the era.

What does your collective offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else?

Exclusive, old vine medicine, the safest best practices, and a luxurious patient experience. We’re the sole distributors of Hagalicious strains, sun-grown, top-shelf sativas that invigorate the patient without negative side effects. We provide as much access to non-psychoactive medicine and products as their high-THC counterparts. We also carry the most extensive selection of quality vaporizers and concentrates in San Francisco. We’re excited to open our lounge, which will not only provide a clean, safe and comfortable atmosphere for medicating with the latest technology, but it will also serve as a space for artisans of the cannabis industry to share their knowledge with the patients of the Bay Area.

How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go?

We have seen the industry explode in size and scope since 2013. The proliferation of patients, products and technology has made this an exciting time in the industry. We’d like to see standardized implementation of safety standards, best practices and education, to ensure a safe and effective experience for all patients.

What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a collective? Biggest joys?

The stigma that marijuana unfortunately still carries for some folks. Prop 64 proves that California is ready for the full legalization of marijuana, so it’s up to us in the industry to educate the public about its reality. Biggest joy is just that—legalization, and all the potential challenges and opportunities that come with it.

What is the one thing you want patients to know about your collective?

We have always been and will always be patient first. Be it our vapor lounge or our philanthropy, our mission is to improve our patients and our community. We are about the medicine, not the media.

If someone wanted to open a collective and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them?

The medicine must be clean. Providing people with clean, tested medicine and the knowledge to empower themselves is key.