Trippin‘: A Tour of Historic San Francisco Sensi Sites

Gateway to the Orient. Manifest Destiny incarnate. San Francisco sits at the end of the American experiment, thrust into a global unknown. Which is why it’s no surprise that the town’s history is rich in iconoclasts, free-thinkers and the ever-present herb. Below, CULTURE presents a few waypoints from San Francisco’s fragrant cannabis history.

827 Grant Ave.

In June of 1835, William A. Richardson erects the first white man’s structure in a town then-called Yerba Buena. (The Spanish had discovered the Bay Area—and the 30,000 native Americans living in it—on Sept. 30, 1769.) Richardson’s tent is made of hemp.

Mark Twain Square

On Sept. 18, 1865 America’s greatest author Mark Twain reportedly took a walk under the influence of hashish through what is now this Financial District landmark at Clay and Sansome streets.

5 Third St.

The Hearst Building at this location is the original, 1880 home of The Examiner, flagship newspaper of William Randolph Hearst’s yellow journalism empire, which he used to gin up fervor for pot prohibition with headlines like “Hasheesh Goads Users to Bloodlust.”

631 O’Farrell St.

Formerly the site of the Alexander Hamilton Hotel, where American legend Louis Armstrong wrote his manager in January 1954, insisting “ . . . gage [cannabis] ain’t nothin‘ but medicine.”

3119 Fillmore St.

The location of the Six Gallery, where Alan Ginsberg first read the iconic Beat Generation poem “Howl,” on Oct. 7, 1955 to a small crowd that would remember the experience forever. The weedy “Howl” went on to become heralded as one of the greatest works of American literature, and led to an obscenity trial for publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

261 Columbus Ave.

The North Beach District’s landmark City Lights Bookstore, where Alan Ginsberg’s Howl was published, as well as many other members of the Beat Culture, for whom “grass” or “tea” was a staple.

255 Columbus Ave.

The Vesuvio Cafe, a main haunt of the Beats, across the street from Jack Kerouac Alley.

625 Third St.

The former offices of Rolling Stone. Published since 1967 by Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone launched the career of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and pioneered counter-cultural reporting and hard-hitting political coverage that persists until today.

318 Parnassus Ave.

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s crashpad when he lived in San Francisco with wife and new son, Juan—and where he sometimes hosted a pack of Hells Angels. Thompson wrote, “I have always loved marijuana. It has been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years. And I still think of it as a basic staple of life, along with beer and ice and grapefruits—and millions of Americans agree with me.”

1805 Geary St.

The Fillmore Auditorium

The site of the most historic rock ‘n’ roll shows of all time, including Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Pink Floyd and Cream. Closed in 1968, re-opened in the ’80s and is a leading music venue to this day.

710 Ashbury St.

The Grateful Dead house. Police busted the band for cannabis at the location, as reported in the original issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Haight-Ashbury

The epicenter of the ’67 Summer of Love and hippie movement of the late ’60s, with its emphasis on free love, drugs and music. Today, a bustling tourist hub full of tie-dyed nostalgia, head shops, fashion boutiques, gutter punks and a Ben & Jerry’s.

194 Church St.

The original site of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club—the first medical cannabis dispensary in the U.S. Marijuana prevents AIDS wasting, and the club—opened in 1992 at the height of the AIDS epidemic—worked to serve AIDS patients, and was later raided by police.

3745 17th St.

The Castro Castle, home of Proposition 215 founder Dennis Peron and a bed & breakfast. Peron is converting the house into a medical cannabis museum featuring memorabilia from the 40-year-struggle to free the herb.