The Apothecarium, the popular "upscale" medical marijuana dispensary based in the Castro, has just just opened their second SF location in the Marina as of noon Wednesday. Housed in a former Thai restaurant at 2414 Lombard Street near Scott, the Chronicle describes it as having "a modern, yet Victorian vibe" with its crystal chandelier, wood moldings, and tufted leather and velvet furnishings.
The new location which is technically the third for The Apothecarium Group after their dispensary in Las Vegas was designed by Urban Chalet with Vincent Gonzaga as project manager, the same team that designed their recently relocated Castro location. As the Apothecarium notes on Facebook, their Castro spot was recently named the best designed weed dispensary in the country by Architectural Digest.
"We asked our design team to create an environment that would put first-time cannabis patients at ease as soon as they come into the building,” said Apothecarium co-founder Ryan Hudson in a statement to the Chronicle.
The expansion for The Apothecarium was hard won after facing stiff opposition from the neighborhood, as well as Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor Mark Farrell. As SF Yimby reported last year after the dispensary won approval from the Planning Commission, neighbors had rallied to argue that the place shouldn't open because it was within 1000 feet of a group home for at-risk youth, and because it was also near a martial arts studio serving children.
The new location also comes at a critical moment for the local marijuana industry as existing medical dispensaries like this one, Green Cross, SPARC, and Urban Pharm prepare for full legalization of recreational marijuana next year and all of them have already cultivated swanky, modern retail experiences for weed and edibles shopping. And this also comes as the Board of Supervisors potentially prepares to launch a moratorium on new dispensaries citywide.
Apothecarium Marina is now open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, and given its proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge and the dearth of dispensaries in Marin County south of Fairfax, the Chron notes that it just might draw some clientele from up there as well.
Previously: Welcome To Legal Weed Boom Town, Where Even Former Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Is Cashing In
