Chill out and spin records from Electric Lettuce's vinyl collectionSmoking cannabis in public still isn’t allowed in Oregon so you’ll need to pick up some other supplies on your way home from the dispensary. What should you listen to? What should you eat? Plan ahead so your trip to the dispensary sets you up for the ideal smoke sesh.
Electric Lettuce
The Classic Dispensary
Soundtrack: Cream’s Disraeli Gears
Locations: North, NE and SW Portland, Beaverton, Oregon City, Happy Valley
Electric Lettuce is one of the few dispensary chains in town that embraces a refined, contemporary version of the retro head shop aesthetic, including comfy places to just chill and spin records from the house collection. With six locations (and several more coming soon) carrying a rotating selection of consistently high-quality flower, concentrates and edibles, many of those products come from their own farm, Prūf Cultivar. The flagship Lloyd District location on NE Weidler is located just north of the Rose Quarter and just south of the Wonder Ballroom. This proximity to venues has brought in several touring musician customers, including Har Mar Superstar, Kim Deal and Ray J.
Many members of EL’s staff are musicians themselves so the dispensary shows a lot of love to the local music community, including being a supporter of XRAY.fm and proud sponsor of the annual Nuggets Night, which raises money for local music-related nonprofits.
Strain Pairing: Grown by Prūf Cultivar, Tangie Biscotti is a stony, uplifting sativa hybrid that’s perfect for anything social, like that show you’re about to catch at the Wonder.
Munchies Nearby: Pine State Biscuits is mighty delicious Southern food and the spot on NE Schuyler always seems to be less crowded than the other two locations. Get a slice of chess pie—don’t ask what it is, just do it. It shares a space with Sizzle Pie so if you can’t go a single day without pizza, or you’re looking for a vegan option (the vegan slices are delicious), do that instead.
Music Nearby: Everyday Music has a large selection of records at super affordable prices. Besides, there’s nothing like the eye candy of record store ephemera and crate digging to fill a few aimless hours.
Green Hop
The Hip-Hop Dispensary
Soundtrack: Anderson .Paak’s Oxnard
Location: NE Portland
Green Hop’s entire experience pays homage to a music genre that has notoriously celebrated cannabis consumption. There’s a crate of curated classic rap albums in the lobby, and it’s the only place in Oregon that sells everyone’s favorite hip-hop themed junk food, Rap Snacks. I often feel like I probably need Lil Yachty hot fries in my life, and I’m sure you do too.
Started by native NE Portland residents Karanja Crews and Nicole Kennedy, Green Hop’s location on NE 16th and Killingsworth in the Vernon neighborhood is a symbolic re-entry of the black community into a historically black neighborhood where many long-term residents have been tragically priced out in recent years due to gentrification. Green Hop celebrated its opening in summer 2018, followed by a neighborhood block party that included performances by Dead Prez alongside local favorites Blossom, Mic Capes, Rasheed Jamal and more than a dozen others—watch below.
Strain Pairing: Soul Assassin OG is an indica-dominant hybrid bred by Soul Assassins Crew, a collective affiliated with L.A.-based rap legends Cypress Hill. It produces a sleepy and euphoric high and tastes ever so slightly of citrus.
Munchies Nearby: Alberta Market, home of Jack’s Chicken, is a few blocks away on Alberta Street and serves up the locals’ favorite wings, which are surprisingly good considering that they come from behind a convenience store counter. If meat isn’t your thing, vegan bar Bye and Bye is one block down.
Music Nearby: A boutique record store and label, Musique Plastique carries an eclectic collection of new and used records and cassettes. Owned by longtime Portland collectors, if you’re quirky enough to have a tape player, def stock up here.
Brothers Cannabis
The O.G. Dispensary
Soundtrack: Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle
Locations: SE Portland
When Peou Sea and Nyno Thol opened Brothers Cannabis Club in 2010, they were one of the only dispensaries serving medical patients in Portland. Now with two minority-owned, inner SE locations (the original on Division and a second outpost on Morrison) and recreational sales booming, they proudly claim the title of Portland’s oldest dispensary.
Over the years, they’ve had several famous patrons visit their stores, including Redman, Talib Kweli and rapper turned cannabis entrepreneur Snoop Dogg. Brothers offers a quality selection of affordable flower, concentrates and edibles in a no-frills environment with attentive customer service—what more could you ask for in a dispensary?
Strain Pairing: Brothers has been around since before recreational use was legalized and that kind of history deserves to be paired with a classic strain: Sativa-dominant Jack Herer offers a creative, clear-headed high.
Munchies Nearby: Fish sauce wings from Pok Pok are always a good idea, and maybe pick up a slice of pie to go from Lauretta Jean’s since you’re in the neighborhood (and you’ll probably regret it later if you don’t).
Music Nearby: Hit up the listening station at Clinton Street Record & Stereo and take home some new music from the extensive selection of hard-to-find funk, disco, jazz, house and electronic records.
