Before passing recreational cannabis regulations, Arizona boasted one of the nation’s largest markets for medical marijuana. As a result, it didn’t take long for dispensary doors to open to adults 21 and up. This fall, the state will celebrate the one-year anniversary for passing recreational regulations, and to commemorate this event, you might head to a Phoenix dispensary yourself.
But which one should you go to? You have dozens of options, but if you are looking for an undeniably cool place to buy pot, look no further than the following recreational dispensaries:
Curaleaf
Curaleaf isn’t a local small canna-business — it is a mega canna-corporation. Curaleaf operates dispensaries in no fewer than 16 states, and the brand cultivates and refines its own brand of products designed for superior health and wellness. Yet, despite the company’s size (or perhaps because of it), each Curaleaf dispensary feels like a neighborhood shop, just slightly more refined. In Phoenix, Curaleaf boasts five locations (seven including the greater metro area), each staffed with friendly faces and filled with some of the most curated cannabis products in the city.
Sunday Goods
Sunday Goods was recently voted the best dispensary in the Valley by Phoenix Magazine, and it is easy to see why. The gorgeous shop in Glendale is the epitome of cool, with a stunning exterior paired with a chic minimalist interior. The company operates on a foundation of strong values, like environmentalism and equality, and every employee of the dispensary and grow op is passionate about perfectly pairing products with consumers. Not only does shopping for cannabis at Sunday Goods feel trendy and hip, but it just feels like the right way to buy bud.
Marigold
While other cannabis companies focus on size or style, Marigold is committed intensely to community. The dispensary positions itself as a hub for learning about weed, talking to weed experts and feeling excitement and enthusiasm about weed in every way. Though the outside might look like any other storefront in a Phoenician strip mall, the interior is impeccably styled to exude warmth and welcome, which is enticing to every level of cannabis consumer.
Local Joint
One of the most interesting dispensaries in the Valley, Local Joint looks like a community center, an art gallery and a pot shop rolled into one amazing and fun location. This shop is non-profit, meaning all of its revenue goes not into owners’ pockets but rather into various charitable programs to benefit the surrounding community. Though the visuals of the shop draw from retro skater culture, the team behind Local Joint is undeniably modern in their compassion and care in working with customers.
The Flower Shop
The Flower Shop’s goal is to curate the largest selection of cannabis flower in all of Arizona — and it is not exactly falling short. With a significant selection of bud at its three Phoenix-area stores, this dispensary still maintains a premium quality level and an accessible price point, ensuring that all customers can find something worth going home with. The stores themselves are decorated flawlessly in an eclectic, mid century style, which makes a visit to the Flower Shop feel fun and fashionable as well as functional.
Giving Tree
Another wondrously benevolent dispensary, the Giving Tree focuses on community volunteerism, using its resources to support other local small businesses and charitable causes. You are likely to find other local brands on this pot shop’s shelves, further establishing the Giving Tree as an enthusiastic member of the Phoenix cannabis community. The store is fun and funky, with a straightforward system for showcasing its best goods, and with all sorts of specials and discount programs, this dispensary remains a neighborhood favorite.
The Mint
Not uncommon in Phoenix, the Mint is a transplant from the Midwest, where it first put down roots in Michigan and where it expects to expand into Missouri. In Arizona, the Mint is a powerhouse for pot; its stores tend to be enormous, with massive menus that cater to every kind of cannabis connoisseur. What makes the Mint especially hip are the staff, who are not only some of the most knowledgeable budtenders in the city and who lend their shops undeniably cool professionalism.
