What’s Inside the Farmacy, Santa Barbara’s First Recreational Cannabis Store

“The last video store in Santa Barbara is the first cannabis store,” explained Graham Farrar of The Farmacy, the recreational marijuana store he’s opening this week near the corner of Mission and De la Vina streets, in the former movie rental shop. Instead of piles of DVDs and Hollywood paraphernalia crowding a dim space, the Farmacy is bright with sunshine, cleanly minimalist in design, and full of friendly faces ready to help you find the weed you need. 

“Our approach is a cannabis boutique ​— ​you could put jewelry in these cases and you wouldn’t have to change a thing,” said Farrar. “Pick up a box, handle it around ​— ​it’s regular retail now. It’s not the feeling of a pharmacist’s office.” (There’s even an original Chris Potter painting of Farrar’s Carpinteria greenhouse.)

After a greeter verifies you are 21 or older by checking your ID ​— ​which is mandatory for all ages, as they must also ensure shoppers do not go over the one-ounce-per-day state limit ​— ​you are free to wander the store. The open shelves and locked cases are loaded with 350 different cannabis-containing products, from 63 different types of flower ​— ​costing anywhere from $15 to $90 for an eighth of an ounce, or 3.5 grams ​— ​down to one brand of pot treats for your pet. There are edibles, extracts, lotions, tinctures, topicals, drinks, sublinguals, and culinary products, such as infused butter and olive oil. “And there’s lifestyle,” explained general manager Leia Cail. “There’s lube!”