The Tech Temple

The future is now at Vela, which looks part Tesla dealer and part that room on the spaceship where they grow food. As far as retail, the SoDo shop runs the usual gamut of flowers, edibles, and topicals. The real treat comes with seeing the product cultivated, processed, and packaged at an adjacent space aptly titled Lab. 

The Grab ’n’ Go

Headed home on the viaduct and forgot to pick up something for dessert? A quick detour north of Pike Place Market leads to Herban Legends. Its wide parking lot and nearby on- and off-ramps make for a convenient downtown pit stop. Purchases should be enjoyed after your commute, of course. 

The Saturday Getaway

Paper and Leaf, Bainbridge Island’s only recreational pot shop, can help turn a day trip across Elliott Bay into, well, a day trip. A shuttle picks up guests who call ahead from the ferry, then drops them off anywhere on the island after they’ve bought some bud.

The Lap of Luxury

There’s a living room joint, then there’s a cigar filled with $3,500 of premium green. You can find the latter at Diego Pellicer, the Versailles of Seattle pot shops. In a city full of both stoner candy stores and ultramodern retailers, the SoDo location boasts some real ostentatiousness—from the gilded interior to the top-shelf offerings.

The Card Caterer 

Most banks can’t be in the marijuana business due to federal restrictions, so pot shops deal in cash. Some, like Herbs House in Ballard, also use a cashless ATM system, making it possible to swipe your debit card (with a $2.50 service charge) and move on with your day. 

The Local Merchant

Lux Pot Shop—formerly Stash—strives to be part of the communities it sells to. The Ballard and Lake City locations, all wood and windows, invite curious walk-ins instead of discretion. Lux’s lineup of public events, like the Daybreak Popup Market, don’t aim to sell marijuana, but rather introduce people to marijuana-adjacent vendors and artists. 

The Ganja Gear

From the outside, Trichome might be confused for a hip sneaker shop rather than a place to stock up on paraphernalia. The International District boutique has everything but the weed itself: sleek glass pieces, high-tech vapes, handcrafted accessories and clothing from emerging brands in an industry building a new identity. 

The Organic Minded

Official organic designation doesn’t yet extend to marijuana. Clean Green–certified brands guarantee an ethically and sustainably sourced product. Ponder, in the Central District, carries a menu filled entirely with Clean Green products—and not just the pricey ones—all in an environment a little more relaxed than its bustling neighbor, Uncle Ike’s. 

Editor's Note: Vela's last day of business was (fittingly) April 20, 2018.