Inside 12 of the Country’s Most Stylish Cannabis Dispensaries

When we consider perfect pairings, such classic combinations as chocolate and peanut butter, black and white, and Snoopy and Woodstock come to mind. However, there’s something to be said about those wildly unforeseen unions that both celebrate and embrace the unexpected. We’re talking about cannabis and design, an unpredictable fusion that’s sweeping across the country, one progressive state at a time.

From a striking black-and-white dispensary in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to a colorful spot in South Portland, Maine, that redefines funky interiors, these stylish boutiques offer more than supremely green grass. Gone are the days of undignified stoner culture that had Cher Horowitz huffing “As if!” Rolling a joint and timing an edible have, as of late, become coveted skills that even the most sophisticated sets will happily endorse. Take a peek inside 12 of the most elegant dispensaries that will make you want to kick back and light up.

Farnsworth Fine Cannabis
Farnsworth Fine Cannabis
William Waldron

Farnsworth Fine Cannabis

Dynamic duo Adam Lippes and Alexander Farnsworth enlisted London-based architect Simon Aldridge to design their 2,000-square-foot Berkshires outpost. Equal parts masculine and feminine, the classic yet modern space pays homage to Rome’s iconic Colosseo Quadrato. The Italian-inspired architecture is especially evident in the 78 arched oak wood vitrines. “As I visited dispensaries across the country, it became apparent that cannabis retail had become purely a commodity business, very transactional, and we wanted to create a space and brand that put design first,” Farnsworth notes.

Housed in a circa 1950s building, Farnsworth Fine Cannabis is as much a celebration of design as it is its herby products. “While Alexander spearheaded this leap into the cannabis space, after exploring dispensaries with him, I wanted to take what I’ve learned in the luxury retail and interiors world and apply it to cannabis retail,” Lippes adds.

Salvera MD
Salvera MD
James Oesch

Salvera MD

The founders of Bowie, Maryland’s Salvera MD called on the experts at High Road Design Studio to bring their motto, “Be of Good Health,” to life, and the firm did not disappoint. Set in a former bank, Salvera MD’s 3,000-square-foot space almost resembles a high-fashion jewelry maison, but where there should be gleaming gems, there are jewel-toned canisters of cannabis flower. Rich woods, plush textures, and intricate tiles lend themselves to the grand and stately feel while deep, saturated blues and greens boldly punctuate the space.

Synchronicity Holistic
Synchronicity Holistic
Ryan Rosene

Synchronicity Holistic

Owned and run by women, Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Synchronicity Holistic is not what you’d expect from a California dispensary. Guests are greeted by a dramatic Carrara marble black-and-white checked floor and super-glossy white lacquered reception desk, both of which set the scene for the feminine yet bold design, which design firm High Road Design Studio based on old-school department store makeup counters.

Synchronicity Holistic’s two private consultation areas, one of which is a bit larger to accommodate groups, are reminiscent of Old Hollywood with custom built-in shelving, electric fireplaces surrounded by black penny tiles, muted brass accents, and crystal chandeliers.

Elevate

HARRY WINSTON 200 POST ST, SAN FRANCISICO

Elevate
Richard Cadan

Elevate

Luxurious and thoughtful, Elevate’s Woodland Hills shop is the epitome of California ease. High Road Design Studio kept the palette demure and contemporary courtesy of stacked white quartz and matte black walls. In true High Road Design Studio form, the designers introduced a demure moment of color by way of boldly veined Amazonite marble desks, which Elevate’s founders consider a “pure expression of the brand.” Plus, it’s the same stone featured prominently in Tiffany & Co.’s flagship New York store, which is no coincidence.

Royal Highness Dispensary
Royal Highness Dispensary
Courtesy of the Company

Royal Highness Dispensary

Co-owned by a pair of sisters and an interior designer, Royal Highness Dispensary’s design is expertly informed by the Palm Desert boutique’s surrounding backdrop: the Santa Rosa Mountains.

The trio behind the dispensary kept all of the lines—from the counters to the lighting—curved to keep the space feeling soft and fluid. Co-founder and designer Megan Stone says, “A blonde hardwood floor in a custom angled herringbone pattern with mitered edges offers a warm and approachable material application in a sophisticated installation.”

Maitri Medicinals

HARRY WINSTON 200 POST ST, SAN FRANCISICO

Maitri Medicinals
Richard Cadan

Maitri Medicinals

Power couple Corinne Ogrodnik and Joseph Vesely partnered with the creatives at High Road Design Studio to offer a sense of elevated wellness to cannabis lovers in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Building off of the local history, Maitri’s palette is inspired by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and focused on modern sensibility. One of Maitri’s decidedly coolest elements? The ATM booth that’s cloaked in 1,466 colorful ribbons. If it’s not an Instagrammable moment, we aren’t quite sure what is.

Brwnbox
Brwnbox
Courtesy of the Company

Brwnbox (website coming soon)

The brainchild of entrepreneurs Ty Griffith and Almaz Adeigbola, brwnbox’s minimalist aesthetic brings California effortless to Orange, New Jersey. Exposed, distressed brick walls, mismatched dangling Ferguson bulbs, and sleek leather bar stools give brwnbox a sultry yet industrial feel. Designed like an art gallery, the floor space is devoid of furniture to give clients space to peruse the walls, which are dotted with wooden shelves of cannabis and smoke-friendly accessories.

Level Up
Level Up
Richard Cadan

Level Up

Taking on the appearance of a 21st-century apothecary, Scottsdale’s Level Up is the midway point between intimate and energetic. High Road Design Studio wanted to take a more traditional approach when it came to the boutique’s design, so they swathed the walls in high-gloss emerald paint, cleverly placed vintage-inspired apothecary lamps on each display case, and installed hardwood floors. A subtle yet luxe space lets the 50 strains of cannabis flower take center stage.

SWADE Cannabis Dispensary
SWADE Cannabis Dispensary
Aaron Bunse

SWADE Cannabis Dispensary

SWADE Cannabis Dispensary’s third brick-and-mortar, a 7,500-square-foot former warehouse, captures the vibrancy and soul of St. Louis. M I N+ Architecture may have embraced the industrial feel of the space with exposed brick and steel beams, but they massively upped the cool factor when they tapped local street artist Jayvn Solomon to design an enormous custom mural on the building’s exterior.

Solomon’s mesmerizing mural isn’t the only local art on display at SWADE. In fact, most of the decor is the work of St. Louis talent, from the Dave Bour ceiling art to the Jermain Todd reclaimed Douglass fir benches.

Grass Monkey Cannabis Company
Grass Monkey Cannabis Company
Courtesy of The McBride Company

Grass Monkey Cannabis Company

“Urban jungle” was the McBride Company’s inspiration behind this funky dispensary in South Portland, Maine. With not-so-subtle simian references (think a graffiti-covered, wheatpaste King Kong, a bloodshot Mona Lisa wearing a monkey head-shaped hat, and Reefer Madness movie posters) outfitting the walls, Grass Monkey is eclectic design at its finest. Plus, there’s no shortage of bespoke art, courtesy of Mural Art & Consulting’s creative director (and renowned street artist) Valentino Mikalef.

Johnnie Rush, the McBride Company’s head of innovation, suggests, “We treated the space as an immersive art gallery with pop culture-inspired sculptures—including our centerpiece, which is a custom six-foot-tall graffiti-laden banana, and hundreds of hanging wood slats with a gradient from green to yellow like a ripening banana—and numerous original paintings.”

Root'd in the 510
Root'd in the 510
Courtesy of The McBride Company

Root’d in the 510

In Oakland, California, the McBride Company did the cannabis industry proud with its cleverly outfitted, Victorian-inspired Root’d. Split between a serene and monochromatic retail space complete with creamy beige swathing the floors and walls, glass display cases housing colorful flora, and hidden diffused lighting, and a sweeping midcentury-inspired lounge that would make the cast of Mad Men do a double-take; and a live music venue, Root’d in the 510 proves that stoner culture has evolved.

Etain Health
Etain Health
Courtesy of Etain

Etain Health

Family-run and women-founded, Etain Health’s aesthetic is as ethereal as the 5,000-square-foot boutique’s grass is green. Though Etain takes full credit for the product, Irish wellness designer Clodagh is responsible for the outpost’s minimalist creative direction. Complete with a double-height atrium donning a living plant wall, feng shui water accents, and crisp white chandeliers (that comprise hundreds of cannabis leaves), Etain is one of the few places to relax in Manhattan.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest