Photo: Have a Heart/Facebook
While Have a Heart has multiple locations in Seattle and even more in other states, the Belltown spot wins out in convenience — especially for people just visiting the city. It’s a short distance away from both the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, and it has an incredibly large selection. The staff is cognizant of how its location may attract first-timers who may not know the ins and outs of visiting a recreational dispensary for the first time and can help you navigate the menu. With solid prices, it’s also not a bad place to be a regular.
Locations: 115 Blanchard St (Belltown location), 12833 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, and 300 NW 85th St
Three words: deals, deals, deals. The three Uncle Ike’s shops in Seattle have the best prices in town. When you just want to get in and get out without leaving your wallet as a deposit, Uncle Ike’s is the place to be. It does have a bit of a reputation thanks to owner Ian Eisenberg, however. Eisenberg made a name for himself by blocking out competitors and confronting protestors on the street. That shouldn’t impact the opinion of deal seekers, though.
Locations: 2310 E Union St, 501 15th Ave E, and 9822 15th Ave SW
Photo: Diego Pellicer Washington/Facebook
If you’ve visited some shops in Denver or know a thing or two about high-class dispensaries, there’s a good chance you recognize the name Diego Pellicer. The luxury dispensary has an outpost in Denver as well, and both made our list of the best recreational dispensaries in the US. And by luxury, we mean luxury. Inside looks like ancient Greek meets 21st-century dispensary with a little bit of Vegas flair. The attention to detail extends to the staff and the products as well, with high-quality and affordable cannabis. If you’re still having trouble in this day and age with convincing someone in your group that cannabis has moved beyond its seedy past, this is where to go.
Location: 2215 4th Ave S
If Have a Heart wins out in foot traffic convenience, Kush21 wins out in just-got-to-Seattle-where’s-the-weed convenience. It’s a short distance from the airport and hits all the right notes when it comes to quick-purchase price points. The staff is friendly, and it’s a place where you’re just as welcome to chat as get in and get out.
Location: 17730 Ambaum Blvd South D
Photo: Dockside Cannabis Museum/Facebook
Say you’ve got some time to dawdle away and want to learn a little more about marijuana. If that’s the case, linger for a bit at Dockside, where there’s an exhibit of cannabis artifacts that aren’t exactly ancient, but they’re definitely not from this century. Reputable people are on staff who make the media rounds as experts explaining the ins and outs of flower, concentrates, and edibles. The prices can be a little higher here than others on this list, but you’ve got to factor in the service and selection somehow.
Location: 1728 4th Ave S
The modernist shop to Diego Pellicer’s Greek revivalism. A visit to Lux Pot Shop is a bit like walking into a future where nothing is dirty and everything is bright, well-lit, and organized just so. It used to be called Stash but ditched the name in 2017 and now has two locations in the city with the decidedly more upscale name of Lux. Both stores have anything you could ask for — including cannabis teas and apple drinks — and a staff that can help even the most indecisive person decide.
Locations: 4912 17th Ave NW and 10333 Lake City Way NE
Photo: Pot Stop/Facebook
Come to Pot Stop for the selection, stay for the people. The shop covers the basics and then some, and the budtenders will help you nail down exactly what you’re looking for, even if you’re not really sure what you’re looking for. Having opened in 2011, it’s the oldest marijuana shop in Seattle, and that trust it’s built with customers — whether they’re the type the buy only the cheapest deals or the type that goes for the finer stuff — says a lot about the experience you’ll have when you visit.
Location: 4465 Fremont Ave N 