What Cannabis Dispensary Is The Oldest?
By Jeff Eckenrode
Cannabis legalization and legal dispensaries are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States
But did you know that cannabis also has a long history of use as a fiber, a food, and a medicine dating as far back as 5,000 years ago?
In fact, cannabis has been completely legal in many countries for most of human history!
So what is a dispensary? When did the first one open? And how old is the oldest dispensary, anyway?
What is a cannabis dispensary?
The terms “cannabis dispensary” or "marijuana dispensary" are synonymous. Both are widely used to describe private companies or organizations that sell cannabis.
The term "cannabis dispensary" is becoming more politically correct because some people prefer to use the word "cannabis" instead of the Spanish slang word "marijuana".
When did the first cannabis dispensary open?
The first dispensary San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club was founded in 1992 by Proposition 215 coauthors "Brownie Mary" Rathbun, Dennis Peron and Dale Gieringer.
Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Care Act, created cooperatives between cannabis growers and patients. It allowed anyone with a doctor’s recommendation and a state-issued ID to legally purchase cannabis.
The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club was the very first public medical cannabis dispensary in the United States.
LGBTQ+ rights and AIDS activists are largely credited for The San Francisco Cannabis Buys Club’s founding and the overall success of the cannabis legalization movement in the 1990s.
What’s the oldest dispensary still operating today?
Today, The Berkeley Patients Group is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating dispensary in the United States.
It was founded shortly after the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club in 1992 which makes it 32 years old!
Want to learn more about Cannabis?
Then you’re in luck! Check out some of our related posts on THC as well as other cannabinoids!
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