A Stoner City Guide to Chicago, Portland + San Francisco

Different Leaf: the Podcast

Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; and Portland, OR: Three tourist hotspots known for their cannabis culture. With so many themed dispensaries, cool experiences, and fantastic food in each state, where should canna-curious travelers start when picking what to smoke, see and do in these big cities?
In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Different Leaf magazine's cannabis travel writers about the coolest pot shops, lounges, sights, and hidden gems in The Bay, The Windy City, and Portlandia.
First, writer Hannah Vyosky tells us about Chicago's must-see dispensaries, like Ivy Hall with its Great Gatsby vibe. She covers where visitors can consume weed without getting in trouble and offers up some lesser-known stoner experiences like picnics with the Dorothy and Toto statues in Oz Park, indulging your munchies at the global McDonald’s, and exploring the city's famed Roman bathhouses.
Then, writer Meena Thiruvengadum takes us on a tour of the essential stoner spots in the thriving hippie city of Portland, Oregon. She discusses the most worthwhile dispensaries like the Electric Lettuce, what to expect on the Portlandia bus tour, how to find the best beaches and hikes around the city, and where to get amazing wake-and-bake food like Gravy's french toast the size of your head.
Finally, writer Carly Fisher delves into the best stops on the dispensary crawl through San Francisco's Castro District, where the legalization movement first began. She names some favorite consumption lounges, like the Barbary Coast draped in plush dark reds in a nod to the old Victorian era of San Fran. And she highlights the Bay's best outdoor experiences like the Oakland Cannabis Trail to the east and the Redwood forests to the north.
Read our city guide by Hannah, Meena, and Carly starting on page 36 in the summer 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or at thousands of in-person retailers. Find your local seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand
Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish
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