Your guide to 420-friendly travel in Los Angeles

There are few destinations that offer such a variety of experiences as Los Angeles, California. It’s a little overwhelming with all the things to do or see in LA in general in a week, but now consuming legal cannabis is an activity to add to your vacation schedule – for weed connoisseurs and novices alike who are curious about cannabis .

And of course, LA will offer legal cannabis and cannabis-friendly attractions as only LA can, because it can.

Find pharmacies in Los Angeles and more in the Weedmaps app

Travel and cannabis in LA

Since recreational cannabis was legalized in California in 2016, local cannabis entrepreneurs plan to become something of an “Amsterdam of the West”, offering visitors from around the world the opportunity to access cannabis in legal, often very high quality, retail environments.

In 2022, LA expects more than 46 million international tourists. The top five global markets for Los Angeles include visitors from Mexico, China, Canada, Australia and the UK (in that order).

Traveling consumers often struggle to find cannabis-friendly hotel accommodations, even in legal locations like Los Angeles. However, this may change as cannabis tourism becomes more accepted. Check out short-term rental sites like Indica and BudandBreakfast, which will help you find “420-friendly” places to stay in legal states to get your LA trip off on the right foot.

420-Friendly Destinations in LA

Here are some 420 friendly destinations and activities to try in Los Angeles.

Weed Bus LA Tours

At Weed Bus LA, visitors can book cannabis-friendly bus tours and activities that take place at various facilities in Hollywood and downtown LA. Rollin Budz, the owner of Weed Bus LA, said her favorite activity is Stoner Paint Night, held at a DTLA studio. The evening includes a two-hour guided painting session, a $20 cannabis voucher, and art supplies. Participants may bring their own cannabis or adult beverages if they wish.

Planning ahead for the fall months in LA, Budz said Stoner Paint Night will feature psychedelic pumpkin paintings for September and October. Two upcoming classes — Blunts & Burritos and Blunts & Sushi — will also be added to the list once Budz can find a professional Blunt Roller to help run the classes.

Painting aside, Weed Bus LA has three weed tours to choose from:

• Grow & Lounge Tour: The bus takes guests to two local indoor grow facilities, where they can walk through, watch cannabis plants grow, ask questions of a master grower, and receive a $20 bag of produce. The tour can be scheduled in multiple languages, however guests with special requests should call ahead to book. Private tours can accommodate special occasions such as birthdays and bachelorette parties.
• Hollyweed & Wine Tour: Guests take a guided walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the stars of weed icons Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and local LA rappers Cypress Hill. Winding its way through West Hollywood to Beverly Hills, the bus includes a stop at a local winery with complimentary tasting and weed and wine pairings.
• Pharmacy tour: Also known as the “Friday” tour, this 3-hour guided tour takes guests on a journey to historic South LA and film locations from the 1995 stoner comedy Friday, including the characters Mrs. Parker and Craig’s house, the are funny backdrops for Instagram. Guests also visit Nipsey Hustle Square, a mural commemorating Kobe Bryant, and Crypto.com (formerly known as Staples Center) in the heart of DTLA. A $20 cannabis voucher and a penny pre-roll are included.

For visitors who want to have their own private session or try new methods of consumption, Weed Bus LA – like many tour operators in other legal destinations – rents top-notch cannabis gear, including gravity bongs and dab rigs.

Pharmacies owned or frequented by celebrities

Celebrity culture thrives in Los Angeles, so it’s no surprise that several local pharmacies are owned by well-known stars of stage and film. Some dispensaries are rock stars themselves, offering famous OG cannabis strains and frequented by famous cannabis enthusiasts.

dr green thumb

It doesn’t get any more OG than legendary rapper and LA native B-Real, whom drugstore chain Dr. Greenthumbs heard. Conveniently located near Los Angeles International Airport, this retail store can be the first stop on any cannabis tourist’s journey to the city.

eight dr Greenthumbs stores are located throughout Southern California, with a location in San Francisco.

Visit Dr. Greenthumb DTLA

Cookies

Head north on trendy Melrose Avenue to LA’s first cannabis chain store, Cookies. Founded by rapper and cannabis entrepreneur Berner, Cookies has grown into an internationally recognized cannabis brand with storefronts in Israel, Europe and several US states.

Berner recently became the first cannabis industry executive to be featured on the cover of the print edition of Forbes Magazine. The brand’s light blue flagship buildings are unmissable, and visitors to Cookies will find old proprietary strains like Lemonchello, Cereal Milk, and Medellin, among others.

Visit Cookies Melrose

Sherbinski’s and Wonderbrett for celebrity sightings

In the Fairfax District, home of sneakerhead shops and all things hypebeast, Sherbinski’s reputation is built on award-winning Gelato strain genetics. The brand has a long list of celebrity clients including artists Wiz Khalifa, John Mayer and Ty Dolla Sign, among others.

Also in the Fairfax district, cannabis retailer Wonderbrett has built its reputation for developing top genetics, including its OG Kush strain. Loyal customers like rappers Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzibit and Dr. Dre have been customers for 20 years, according to the company’s website.

Visit Sherbinski’s

Visit Wonderbrett

Cannabis consumption lounges in West Hollywood

The City of West Hollywood, tucked between DTLA and Beverly Hills, is expected to open more than a dozen consumption lounges over the next two years. Local cannabis tourism organization Emerald Village executive director Scott Schmidt said they are working with local government to set standards and guidelines for cannabis tourism that could become a model for other cities to follow.

Because public consumption of cannabis is prohibited in California except in approved facilities and spaces, Schmidt said visitors should take advantage of the safest social consumption option as well as unique entertainment and activities offered by the lounges.

The artist tree

Want to wake up and bake during your LA long weekend? The Artist Tree Dispensary is located in West Hollywood and its Studio Lounge is open daily at 6am. In the lounge, guests can purchase the cannabis product of their choice to enjoy on-site, as well as rent equipment to help with dabs or bong hits.

For the ultimate baked brunch, a full menu of traditional American cuisine is also available at the nearby Kitchen24 restaurant. On Sunday mornings, the Studio Lounge offers a Drag Brunch & Bubbly sponsored by non-alcoholic THC-infused brand Rickett.

Visit the artist tree

The forest

The next high-end dispensary and lounge to open is The Woods, co-owned by actor and cannabis advocate Woody Harrelson.

“We’re very excited about this,” said Schmidt of Emerald Village. “They have a waterfall. You have a koi pond. The garden area already existed (before the remodel) so they put in six or eight cabanas where people can smoke in the cabanas and the rest of the gardens have non-combustible produce where you can have a drink or something. You’ve never seen anything like it.

Visit the forest