The best of Vancouver’s dispensaries

By: Dev Petrovic, Staff Writer

If you’ve been blazing to keep sane during these isolating times, or even if you just enjoy a calming CBD tea every now and then, I’ve got you covered. I visited a variety of dispensaries around Metro Vancouver recently — just to review them. The following stores have been reviewed and shortlisted for all you lovely readers. No one asked for this, but you’re welcome.

1. The Village Bloomery

Located in the Kitsilano area, this store is Black and woman-owned and LGBTQIA2S+ friendly. Entering Village Bloomery, you can expect to be greeted by the store’s warm staff and community-like ambience. The walls are covered in contemporary decor: plants on the walls, feminist-cannabis books — like Feminist Weed Farmer: Growing Mindful Medicine in Your Own Back Yard by Madrone Stewart — and locally made clay bongs on the shelves. During my visit, I noticed that all the staff members wore pronoun pins and that there was a tray of free pronoun pins located at the entrance — a very comforting detail. The store is small, yet very COVID-conscious. There is also a huge selection of products to choose from, despite the store’s size being comparable to a den. 

Rating: 15/10 — This is my go-to dispensary, and it also gets bonus points because an employee complimented my haircut.  

2. Muse

With locations in Downtown Vancouver, North Vancouver, and on Granville Street, this family-run BC business is a great dispensary to try out. The Granville Street location is a large space with a wide selection of products displayed behind glass.  In terms of service, the staff are always friendly and available to help out right away. The store has local contemporary artwork on the walls and has a rustic feel to it with wooden beams framing the entire store, dark academia lighting, and modern furniture and decor. Truly, it feels like a weed gallery. 

Rating: 9/10 — A solid option, but a bit on the pricier side. I’ve spent too much money here.

3. KushKlub

On Commercial Drive, KushKlub has whatever you’re looking for. This is not one of those fancy dispensaries with an intricate theme or eloquent interior design. It may be very minimalistic but it has an impressive range of products, all of which are crowded into a single display case. So, unless you know what you’re looking for, this store can feel a little overwhelming. I visited this store with a friend who was looking for a relatively specific product and the staff member there was of great assistance and listened to exactly what she needed. The store also has recycling and offers deposit returns for used vape appliances and cartridges — a service not always found at dispensaries. 

Rating: 7/10 — The display case is not so easy on the eyes, but they gave me free tea samples, so that makes up for it. 

4. The Stalk Market

This independent dispensary, located on West Broadway, is Indigenous-owned and operated on unceded territory. Currently, store visits are by appointment only. Their motto is “no government weed on stolen land,” so you won’t find your typical government-regulated cannabis here; just local stuff. The Stalk Market is covered in decolonizing artwork and murals, making it the most badass dispensary you will come across in Vancouver. Since they do not sell government cannabis here, there is a smaller selection than you would find at any other dispensary. They primarily only sell buds, edibles, and accessories. However, I guarantee you will not be disappointed by the product quality. 

Rating: 9/10 — They sell very high-quality kush and have a badass motto.