Last verified: March 2026

What Is the Oakland Cannabis Trail?

Visit Oakland, the city's official tourism and convention bureau, created the Oakland Cannabis Trail as a self-guided tour of the city's cannabis ecosystem. This is not a third-party tour company or a stoner gimmick. It is an official program from the same organization that promotes Oakland's restaurants, arts venues, and cultural landmarks — a public acknowledgment that cannabis is a legitimate part of Oakland's identity, economy, and history.

Oakland is one of very few American cities whose official tourism bureau actively promotes cannabis. The trail covers dispensaries, consumption lounges, cannabis landmarks, equity businesses, and cultural sites connected to the movement that made legal cannabis possible.

The Standard Trail

The main Oakland Cannabis Trail is self-guided and can be completed on foot (concentrated in the downtown and Broadway corridor), by bike, or by rideshare. There is no fixed route or ticketed entry — you build your own path from the featured stops. Key categories include:

Dispensaries

• Harborside (1840 Embarcadero) — Where California's first legal adult-use gram was sold on January 1, 2018. Steve DeAngelo, 300,000 patients, Weed Wars, the $36M IRS battle, and still open. The most historically significant dispensary in America.
• Cookies Oakland (1776 Broadway) — The East Bay flagship of Berner's global brand, in the former Oaksterdam University building. Where Girl Scout Cookies genetics meet retail.
• Eco Cannabis — Equity-operated. Half the staff are formerly incarcerated. Half the inventory comes from equity companies. This is what the equity program looks like when it works.
• Oakanna — Equity dispensary serving the community that fought for the program.

Consumption Lounges

• NUG Oakland — Oakland's first licensed consumption lounge. Purchase and consume on-site.
• Root'd in the 510 — Equity-operated lounge. Community-rooted.
• Urbana — Events, live music, and cannabis since AB 1775 unlocked food and performances.
• Happy Lounge — Named Best of East Bay 2023.

Cannabis Landmarks

• Oaksterdam University (1600 Broadway) — America's first cannabis college. Founded by Richard Lee in 2007. 100,000+ alumni from 116 countries. Raided by four federal agencies on April 2, 2012. Still operating.
• Cookies Oakland / Former OU Building (1776 Broadway) — Richard Lee's original campus. Now houses Berner's Oakland flagship. Two generations of cannabis history in one building.
• Broadway Corridor — Richard Lee filled empty storefronts along Broadway with cannabis businesses in the late 1990s and 2000s — Big Top, Bulldog Coffeeshop, SR-71 — transforming a declining commercial strip into the heart of Oaksterdam.

The Equity Path

The Equity Path is a variant of the Oakland Cannabis Trail that specifically highlights equity-operated businesses — dispensaries, lounges, delivery services, and brands owned by people from communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition.

Oakland's equity program was the first in America (spring 2017). It requires a 1:1 ratio of equity-to-general licenses and has distributed $6.4 million in no-interest loans and grants. The Equity Path lets visitors support these businesses directly and understand the real-world impact of the program.

Equity Path Highlights

• Blunts + Moore (701 66th Ave) — The world's first equity dispensary. Opened November 2018 by Alphonso "Tucky" Blunt Jr. and Brittany Moore.
• Eco Cannabis — Employs formerly incarcerated individuals. Sources from equity cultivators.
• Root'd in the 510 — Equity consumption lounge.
• The Peakz Co. — Founded by Jessie Grundy, who turned down acquisition offers to keep the business equity-owned.
• Padre Mu — Equity delivery service that provides free cannabis to terminally ill and low-income patients.

Planning Your Route

The Downtown Loop (2–3 hours)

Start at Oaksterdam University (1600 Broadway) to understand the history. Walk to Cookies Oakland (1776 Broadway) in the former OU building. Continue down Broadway to the Harborside area near Jack London Square. End at a consumption lounge to actually enjoy what you bought. This loop is entirely walkable and covers the core of Oakland's cannabis history.

The Full Day (5–6 hours)

Add Blunts + Moore in East Oakland (rideshare recommended), Eco Cannabis, and a stop at Magnolia's Marijuana Farmer's Market if one is scheduled during your visit. End the day at Happy Lounge or Urbana for an evening event.

Getting There

• BART: 19th Street Oakland or 12th Street / City Center stations put you in the Broadway corridor
• AC Transit: Multiple bus lines run down Broadway
• From SF: BART takes 12 minutes from Embarcadero to 19th Street Oakland
• Rideshare: Uber/Lyft widely available throughout Oakland

Practical Tips

Events Along the Trail

• Emerald Cup — California's premier cannabis competition, 20th anniversary at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (August 2024). Thousands of attendees, vendor booths, speaker panels, and competitions. Check theemeraldcup.com for dates.
• Magnolia's Marijuana Farmer's Markets — Regular markets featuring craft vendors and equity brands.
• CBCB 4/20 Carnival — Berkeley's community-focused annual celebration. Partnership with Black Panther Alumni Legacy Network.
• Oakland Cannabis Creative — Puff Pass & Paint and other creative cannabis experiences.
• Hood Incubator Legal Clinics — Free legal advice for equity applicants and cannabis entrepreneurs.

Accommodations

Oakland accommodations range from $56 to $250+/night. Downtown Oakland and Jack London Square put you closest to the trail. CannabisRoutes.com lists Oakland-specific cannabis-friendly lodging. Always confirm a property's cannabis policy before booking.

Cross the Bridge

The Oakland Cannabis Trail pairs well with San Francisco's cannabis scene across the bay. BART connects them in 12 minutes. SF has more consumption lounges (10+), different genetics, and a different cultural vibe. See our sister site SanFranciscoCannabis.org for the SF side.