Thirty minutes before opening, the 4/20 goodie bags had been prepped. The taco truck was ready to go outside. Inviting reggae music had been turned on, filing the quaintly sized Perfect Union dispensary before the line of cannabis enthusiasts eager to come in. All that was left to do was open the door.
At 8:58 a.m., store manager John Norris’s vibes were high. He stood at the entrance with a focused yet buzzing energy about him.
“It’s cannabis Christmas today,” Norris said. “People are coming in, expecting to get a great deal and get a little extra on top of it.”
Every April 20, stoners across the world get a day to celebrate the marijuana flower. The unofficial holiday is believed to have arisen in 1971 at San Rafael High School, where a group of students nicknamed “The Waldos” began using the term “420” as slang for marijuana.
In the Bay Area, informal celebrations generally include smoking weed outside with friends or music events centered around the culture. San Francisco is also known for a more formal gathering at Golden Gate Park’s “Hippie Hill,” but this year’s event was canceled due to budget cutbacks.
For dispensaries like Perfect Union, April 20 is their busiest day of the year. Norris and his staff, budtenders Drew Jenkins and Gabe Marin, have all been working at Perfect Union since it opened in 2021. They’ve been through other 4/20s and know what to expect – a steady flow of people all day.
Once Norris opened the door to a crowd of dedicated cannabis users, the group got to work. Norris said that while Perfect Union is in an industrial part of town at 1760 Industrial Way, the dispensary gets a lot of business through word of mouth.
“We get a good percentage of people saying that they were walking their dog or riding their bikes and found out about us,” he said. “Word of mouth spreads really fast around here.”
Throughout the morning, Norris and his crew stood behind the register, occasionally moving about the store to help customers decide between cannabis edibles and what kind of feeling they’re looking for, or to give guidance on what marijuana clone plants to buy.
As a way to celebrate the holiday, Perfect Union’s deal of the day was 42% off 58 brands it carries at the shop. The store sells all kinds of cannabis products, including marijuana flower, plants, cannabis concentrate vape cartridges casually known as dab pens, and edible gummies, to name a few.
Customer Shawna Bush was a part of the shop’s early rush, and was surprised by the turnout.
“Lots of stoners got up early today; that’s pretty impressive,” she said.
Bush is also happy that the holiday is more accepted now, especially since recreational weed has been legal for sale in Napa since 2022.
For Bush, smoking weed is a family affair. Her husband Alex Bush and their son Jackson Bush also came to check out Perfect Union’s deals on the special day.
“My dad always said that a family that smokes together, stays together,” Jackson said while checking out the well-stocked wall of products.
Shawna Bush proclaimed Perfect Union to be one of the best ‘clubs’ in town. It’s her family’s regular spot because of the friendly staff.
Her son Jackson could attest to that. Outside of the shop, he and Norris, the manager, go skateboarding at Kennedy Park.
Although Norris has long been involved in weed culture and attending cannabis events, Perfect Union is his first experience in the cannabis industry. A major reason why he loves his job is getting to interact with customers like the Bush family.
“I come here and I get the personal experience with the guests, with my guys,” Norris said. “There’s nothing better than a guest saying what you recommended for me to work.”
Prior to Perfect Union, Norris worked for a decade at a Fairfield processing plant for snap peas. He described that job as too output-oriented, and said he is now much more fulfilled working in cannabis.
His co-worker agreed. Jenkins used to work at a Dairy Queen, and although 4/20 is the most hectic day at the dispensary, he is able to keep his cool.
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