Shambhala MCC and Medical Marijuana in San Francisco

The San Francisco Bay Area has a reputation for being a haven of cannabis activism and progressive values. The city is home to the world’s oldest continuously operating Cannabis dispensary, the Berkeley Patients Group, which opened in 1999. And many cities throughout California have established regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries as well as cultivation centers, making them some of the most permissive regions when it comes to MMJ access in America today.

SF: A city with a green history

The City of San Francisco has a history with cannabis that dates back to the Haight-Ashbury “Summer of Love” and the hippy movement. The city famously decriminalized marijuana in 1976, changing the penalty for weed from jail time to a $100 fine. Medical marijuana was officially legalized at a state level in 1996 under Proposition 215. However, it wasn’t until 2003 that San Francisco established the nation’s first municipal medical marijuana ID program. Since then, more than one dozen dispensaries have opened in The City and surrounding areas with many of them serving as some of California’s most popular locations for cannabis consumers to buy their medicine.

Recreational use of marijuana was legalized in California in November of 2016, and many are wondering how this will affect the medical marijuana industry. While it may be too early to tell what kind of effect recreational sales will have on the MMJ market here, some experts believe that legalization will actually result in more people buying weed in San Francisco from medical marijuana dispensaries.

Who can get a prescription for medical marijuana in San Francisco, and what conditions qualify a patient for treatment?

To qualify for medical marijuana in San Francisco, you must have a doctor’s recommendation to use cannabis as medicine. Doctors will typically make recommendations if patients are suffering from cancer, anorexia, AIDS/HIV infection or chronic pain due to injury or illness. The city also allows doctors to recommend MMJ for other conditions at their discretion. However, many patients in The City are also self-medicating with cannabis for conditions such as depression and anxiety without a prescription from their doctor.

In addition to requiring documentation that you have an approved condition, San Francisco requires doctors to provide information on the benefits of MMJ before recommending it for medical treatment. They must also discuss alternative treatments for the condition and any known risks associated with cannabis before making a recommendation.

Shambhala MCC: A classic example of a San Francisco dispensary

Shambhala MCC was a classic example of San Francisco’s many medical marijuana dispensaries. The dispensary’s modern, clean and inviting atmosphere makes patients feel right at home. The team of compassionate patient consultants was always happy to offer assistance on menu selections as well as provide new customers with informational materials about medical marijuana in California.

Launched in 2011, it offered a wide variety of CBD products, exclusive strains such as Harlequin and Jack Herer; Sativas like Thai Stick and Blue Mystic; Indicas like Afghani Gold and Sour Diesel; edibles such as gummies and brownies; and concentrated cannabis like hash oil or shatter.

Shambhala‘s mission statement was that everyone should be able to afford quality medicine that can help relieve their pain without having to worry about the cost.

Shambhala MCC was located just four blocks from BART and was easily accessible by walking, public transportation, and car. Shambhala was also handicap-accessible and pet-friendly.

The parking meters along Mission Street were metered for free after 6 pm, but the Mission Bartlett Garage offered parking validation. They also had bike racks outside of their facility.

The Future of Medical Marijuana in San Francisco

As a leader in the MMJ industry, San Francisco’s dispensary scene will continue to grow at an exponential rate. We can expect more dispensaries and medical marijuana delivery services to pop up throughout The City as well as new opportunities for farmers who cultivate cannabis.