The Top 20 Secret Stoner Spots of San Francisco: A Fun Travel Guide for Marijuana Enthusiasts!

Franco

Introduction

It was known as Pirate’s Cove on local maps, but we called it our Secret Stoner Spot. Perched high above the surf at Avila Beach, some ten miles south of San Luis Obispo, my freshman buddies and I would gather a twelve pack, warm jackets, and at least three Swisher Sweet blunts to enjoy together: one for when we got there, one at sundown, and one when moonlight was our only illumination. Against that steep cliff, we would share our dreamed futures, attempt to articulate our limited understanding of philosophy and astronomy, reveal secrets and vulnerabilities, and build a bond that has lasted, in some cases, more than 25 years. In fact, some of the most memorable moments in my life were those precise slices in time where I was sharing a special place with my siblings, or my friends, or even discovering new places on my own, all while smoking herbal enhancements, yes, marijuana. This travel series is dedicated to these special smoking moments and finally going beyond the debate of marijuana morality to focus on the fun and enjoyment of travel and weed.

Exploration and marijuana are perfect partners, breeding a reverence for nature and people, sparking intrigue in history and culture, and enhancing tastes for new food finds and local delicacies. Marijuana has a unique ability to comprehensively improve your mood, induce relaxation, increase receptiveness to new concepts, and enhance all of your senses, especially sight, sound, and taste, all attributes that will greatly improve your travels to new lands and allow you to focus your itinerary on those activities that will optimize your happiness and pleasure centers. This travel series is intended to help guide you through this process, all from the perspective of an experienced marijuana smoker and world traveler.

No, I am not your typical stoner. I earn a decent salary in a white-collar job, work 50+ hours a week, and am in my mid-40’s. I have a family that I love, and I care about the environment, the future, and doing the right thing. I vote, am ambitious and not apathetic. And after a long week, I love to find a secret stoner spot, pull out my pipe, and reflect on life with friends or in solitude. Now that I think of it, maybe I AM the typical stoner of the new millennium.

Times are changing for the better in America and around the globe. While Amsterdam is no longer the only destination of choice for travelling stoners, new cities are embracing evolving views of marijuana and finally differentiating weed from other harder, and more dangerous drugs, to attract new visitors and jump start their tourism industries. Countries such as Jamaica and Uruguay, and states such as Colorado and Washington, have outright legalized marijuana to essentially any adult, while a second tier of tolerant countries such as Canada and increasingly throughout the U.S., now regard marijuana as on par with over-the-counter remedies or prescription drugs. As laws and tolerance progress, our ability to travel the world and experience its wonders with the added enhancement of marijuana is increasing at a great pace, and without the fear of expulsion or, even worse, incarceration. As laws against weed smoking relax, we feel it is important to assist marijuana smokers in their travels by seeking, smoking at, and suggesting the best secret stoner spots, and to ensure comfortable, safe, fun, and surprising marijuana-centered adventures around the globe.

Capturing the San Francisco Smoking Experience

Sure, San Francisco has cable cars, crab, and crusty sourdough bread, but what you may not know is that this world-class city is also one of the best for marijuana enthusiasts to visit, and these pages will serve as your guide. After exhaustive research, literally thousands of miles walking, intensive searching, dozens of interviews, and seasonal visits for over three years, we have compiled twenty of our absolute favorite, secret, and intriguing smoking spots in San Francisco, and are sharing them only with you and our Secret Stoner Spot community.

Let’s face it, many marijuana smokers often avoid travel because, until recently, the risks of getting caught, especially after 9/11, often outweighed the benefits of leaving home, so many kept their exploration dreams limited to the Travel Channel or billboards touting exotic lands. The good news is, little by little, this is changing. New laws in select locations have relaxed, minimized, or even legalized marijuana smoking, so the choices for travelling with or finding marijuana on a vacation are increasing significantly.

One such city with progressive marijuana laws is San Francisco. While possession of marijuana is still technically illegal, enforcement and police focus on curbing public use in San Francisco has dwindled to almost nothing. A recent ordinance was passed (#297-06) which directed the police and district attorney to consider marijuana prosecutions its lowest priority. While marijuana busts in California numbered more than 50,000 in 2010, the arrest and prosecution of anyone with less than an ounce of marijuana has dropped considerably. In fact, just before California’s Governor Schwarzenegger left office in 2011, he signed into law a statewide relaxation of marijuana possession enforcement of small amounts to nothing more than what amounts to a traffic ticket. Misdemeanors for possession of marijuana in California plummeted to under 8,000 by 2011. The purpose of the effort was to limit the amount of money the state was spending on unnecessary prosecutions, and the result has been a public coming out of marijuana smokers from San Diego to Eureka. On top of that, enforcement in San Francisco is the most liberal in the state.

Just walk through SF’s downtown, Haight Ashbury, or Mission Districts, keep your nostrils open, and you are bound to smell marijuana smoke in any of these neighborhoods. Smoking marijuana in San Francisco is akin to smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk, but cannabis is considered much less harmful and natural, so its acceptance in public is notably tolerant, if not outright welcome in some parts. Alternatively, there are others who would prefer you took your smoking elsewhere. With this guide, we will help you discern the differences and point you to the areas where smoking weed is basically acceptable, or even welcome.

The Secret Stoner Spots Selection Process

Acceptance and tolerance for smoking weed is only one aspect of what it takes for placement on the Secret Stoner Spot top-twenty list. More importantly, Secret Stoner Spots are selected for their natural beauty, viewing points, proximity to landmarks, food, and attractions, as well as "wow factor" in showcasing the city and how that location enhances the marijuana smoking experience.

While we have smoked at dozens of locations around San Francisco, these twenty particular spots embody most, if not all, of the characteristics we consider essential to creating that special pot smoking experience. Following is a complete list of attributes we considered for each of our top 20 spots:

Weed Smoking Attributes:

Privacy and seclusion

Seating comfort

Wind protection

Neighborhood acceptance

Access to smoke shops and dispensaries

Access to other marijuana enthusiasts

Other Considerations:

Access to popular attractions, landmarks, and activities

Photography and panorama opportunities

Proximity to food, refreshments, provisions, and hospitality

Nature areas, wildlife, and green zone sensitivity

Historic significance, notable connections, and stoner secrets

How To Use This Guide

When we set out to create this guide, we wanted to ensure we wrote it from the marijuana lover’s perspective. It needed to be comprehensive, descriptive, and directional, as other travel guides are, but it also needed to take into account special considerations specific to smoking marijuana in public: privacy, comfortable seating locations, best wind protection, neighborhood acceptance, underlying weed culture, and more.

Each secret stoner spot in this guide is segmented into three simple approaches to achieving maximum stoner discovery: getting there, smoking there, and hanging out there. We will make sure you get to the right location by tapping into new Smartphone searching and map capabilities, finding parking or taking public transportation, and identifying surrounding districts that may pique your interest. Next, we will immerse you into the spot’s special smoking experience, best places to sit and ponder, best views of San Francisco landmarks, and the best approaches to truly maximize your stoner experience. Then, before or after your smoking ‘sesh, we have also included all of the pertinent information on the other aspects, beyond marijuana smoking, that make this spot special. We will tell you where to shop, find activities, and other historical details that make these spots uniquely San Francisco. Of course, we have rounded out the usability of the guide by providing dozens of full color photographs and custom maps geared toward simplifying and maximizing your smoking tour.

Next, to satisfy your eventual munchie urges, we have included a special section dedicated to San Francisco’s best gourmet food spots. In fact, we even pared it down to our Top 10 Best Munchie Spots in San Francisco, including proximity to secret stoner spots and a hint at what varied gourmet offerings await you in this world-renowned foodie town. As a marijuana enthusiast, you are going to love all of the choices in