Harborside Health Center (HHC)
www.harborsidehealthcenter.com
1840 Embarcadero, Oakland CA. 94606 [Get Directions]
Phone: (510) 533-0146
Hours: 11am – 8pm Everyday
While planning my trip up to San Francisco to see Cypress Hill on 4/20 I obviously needed to figure out which dispensaries to hit up. I narrowed the list down to 3, Harborside which is in Oakland and 2 others that were in SF. Since I was flying into Oakland I decided to hit Harborside 1st and boy am I glad I did.
I flew in on 4/19 in anticipation of the holiday. I wanted to “stock up” the day before so I was ready to go bright and early on 4/20. My buddy picked me up from the airport in Oakland and we drove straight to Harborside Health Center. We had a bit of a hard time finding the place but that’s normal for my friend, he struggles a bit behind the wheel.
We arrived at Harborside which is pretty much right on the water about 20 minutes before they opened and to no surprise there was already about 30-40 people in line waiting to get in.
Fortunately they have a HUGE parking lot an we were able to roll right in and grab a spot. My buddy does not have a medical marijuana recommendation so he had to wait in the car which they were cool with.
I hopped out and went and got in line. 1 of the 3 security guards working the parking lot/line noticed I was holding my recommendation and asked if I was a 1st time patient. I said yes and was immediately escorted to the front of the line and within minutes was inside the lobby waiting to be admitted. The lobby was nothing special, just an area of the main building, which is huge by the way, kind of sectioned off. There is a door to the admitting office here as well.
As I was sitting in the lobby one of the girls that works there approached me and asked if she could give me the tour. This place is by far the biggest, most well organized and professional medical marijuana dispensary I have been to so far. The offer all kinds of massage and therapeutic classes and even have a room for grow seminars.
The clone area alone is as big as some entire dispensaries here in SoCal and reminded me of the garden department at Home Depot. This place was stocked!
After my tour I was escorted to the admitting office and verified in minutes. The entire process was pretty quick and painless.
Don’t let the above picture fool you, this place is busy all day every day. While they do have different stations to help customers, each station has the same marijuana, concentrates and edibles available. And as you would imagine, the selection is top notch. Not only do they have a ton of bud to choose from, but they actually send a sample of each strain they sell out to be scientifically tested so they can provide customers the actual thc level. Also the top shelf offerings come in cool glass jars which I really liked.
I’d say in total Harborside Health Center had 25+ strains to choose from with 5 of those being top shelf (True Blueberry x OG Kush, Chemdawg D, Chemdawg 4, Casey Jones and Purple Push) which went for $60/8th. I ordered up an 1/8th of each of the 5 best strains and was told by the lady helping me that I was limited to 4. I got 4 and a bunch of hash and oil (Afgooey Super Melt, Purple Diesel Pixie Stick, Maui Wowee Honey Bud, Blueberry Oil and Purps Oil) and since I spent so much money I was given a free gram of my choice which I used to get some of the 5th top shelf bud. So in the end it worked out. Reviews of everything are on the way fyi.
One big difference about Harborside is they allow 2 visits per day, which at first was not a big deal until I got back to my hotel room and realized they forgot to include my oil. Since they also did not charge me for it I was not mad, just bummed that I had no oil. But since I was allowed a second trip, we decided to go back. And since we were heading back we thought we might as well get some more $ from the atm, which we did. As you can see in the picture, there was no shortage of “smokeables”.
All in all I an can honestly say that on more than one occasion I thought to myself “okay, how can I afford to move up here from OC in order to be close enough to shop here daily”? that’s how good a business they are running. And in case you are wondering, we never even went to the other 2 dispensaries on my list. It just was not necessary.
I paid cash both times I went to Harborside and forgot to ask if they take credit cards. I am hoping they do as that would pretty much make them the perfect collective.
Take note dispensary owners, this is how it’s done. –Chubbs
Grade: A+
Pros: Location, Parking, Security, Friendly/knowledgeable staff, prices, selection, size, 2 visits/day
Cons: Crowded
Weed Map:
View Harborside Health Center in a larger map
Related Reviews
4/20/2009 – Definitely one to remember, if my poor brain cells will let me. 
Afgooey Super Melt (Coming Soon)
Purple Diesel Pixie Stick (Coming Soon)
True Blueberry x OG Kush (Coming Soon)
Random Reviews
sounds like you found the costco of medical herb! that place sounds amazing. i wish i was out on CA more and more each day!
sometimes I get a little druel going when I see pics of beautiful bud… apparently reading about an amazing dispensary does the trick too.
cheers
@hooooon: Me too
Great to hear you enjoyed your visit to Harborside, Chubbs! Thank you for the review!
Don’t forget that we also offer a variety of free holistic health services to all of our patients, including: Chiropractic, Yoga, Acupuncture, and more. We also encourage all of our patients to be active in the medical marijuana movement by supplementing them with one free gram of medicine per week to do so. On top of all of that, we have a carepackage program for people on disability or with financial hardship.
Oh yeah… We also accept credit cards!
Hope to have you back sometime soon, Chubbs!
8o)
-HHC
@Harborside Health Center: I make up to NorCal 2 or 3 times a year. Will be heading back up in a couple months for a bachelor party. You can bet I’ll be coming by for some more meds.
Looks like a great place, the best I’ve seen reviewed so far
Actually, I think they have closer to 50 strains to choose from. All the way across the board from $20 an 1/8 to $60 an 1/8. And they also have the ABSOLUTE STRONGEST THC Concentrate in the entire Medical Cannabis Dispensary Market. It’s called E.T.D. (Ether THC Distillate). It is made through a vacuum distillation process and it tested at 98% THC. Chubbs, If you didn’t pick any up last time you were there it may even be worth a trip back up here just to get some of this stuff. I kid you not.
@HHC Fan: Trust me, that’s the first thing I asked for. The girl that was helping me (I forget her name but she was a cool, sexy redhead) actually ran all over the shop seeing if there was any available anywhere. No luck.
I will definitely be getting some my next time up.
98% THC is holy grail levels!!
That’s like Everclear for stoners!
hey i was wondering if this is open to everyone or do u hav to have one of those medical cards and such?
@coop25: I wish.
All dispensaries in the state of California require you to be a qualified medical marijuana patient with a correct and current medical marijuana recommendation.
I only go to Harbor Side..They are killer!!
I took my first trip to Harborside today….can I just say I will never spend major money at another dispensary as long as they are around. It is a waste of time and money..the selection is bananas. The only thing they lack is a lounge. Damn I’d never wanna leave though..so maybe a sans lounge is smart.
@KUSHQT: I agree 100%
They definitely know how to run a great dispensary.
the pain in the ass is that if your not from the US and come there (as with all other dispensary’s) you can’t buy
so who’s joining me with a good card there when i come to the US? =D hehehhe
@ Jeff: Not only do you have to be from the US, you have to be from the state of California.
No California ID = No MMJ.
how much are the clones at harborside?
@cody: Not sure, did not see a clone price list while I was there.
@cody – Just went there today. Clones=12/cut
Lol, its funny i found this website cause i went to HHC for the first time last week and pick up an 1/8 of there Blue Dreams and an 1/8 of there top selve Sour Chem. Let me tell you i got home and smoked 2 bowls of the Blues Dreams and started watching the Lakers game and woke up at 2a.m. wondering what happened
Im going back tomorrow to get some clones and im definetly gonna have to get some of that E.T.D. ill let you know what i think if im able too move!!!
Check out our new video, and learn more about Harborside Health Center, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SclmOWG1ZA
Are all the strains available as clones and do they sell those Glass jars? or are they f
urchase
@bababooey: The line in the clone section was LOOOOONG so I did not even bother looking at the strains that were available.
As for the jars, not sure if they are for sale. Every top shelf 1/8th comes in one though.
@bababooey: No, we do not carry clones of every strain of flower we have at the bar. We do have a wide selection however. Unfortunately, we do not post our clone menu on forums, etc. anymore as they change regularly – sometimes several times a day. We will eventually have a daily updated menu coming soon to our website though: http://www.harborsidehealthcenter.com
Keep checking back regularly for updates on this.
As for the jars… No, we do not sell them empty, but they do come with each purchase of top shelf medicine!
Harborside has an extensive collection of seeds for the budding cannabis grower! Here are our latest beans available by breeder…
THE CALI CONNECTION (12-14 pack for $100 plus tax):
- OGiese
- Tahoe OG Kush
- Larry OG Kush
- SFV OG Kush BX2
- Chem Valley Kush
- Julius Ceasar
- Raskal’s OG
- Purple OG
- Mixed Packs (15 pack for $100 plus tax)
TGA (10 pack for $80 plus tax):
- Dairy Queen
- Pandora’s Box
- The Void
- The Third Dimension
- Agent Orange
- Jilly Bean
- Qleaner
- Space Bomb
- Deep Purple
- Vortex
- Space Queen
- Jack The Ripper
- Querkle
DJ SHORT (10 pack for $100 plus tax):
- F-13
- Flo
- True Blueberry
- Blueberry
- Vanilluna
- Cocoa Kush
BOG (11 pack for $75 plus tax):
- Bogbubble
- Blue Moon Rocks
- Bogglegum
- Sour Bubble
- Life Saver
- Sweet Cindy
- Grape Punch
GRINDHOUSE (10 pack for $75 plus tax):
- Hill Temple Skunk IBL
- Blue Sonja
GOLDEN STATE SEED COMPANY (6 pack for $65 plus tax):
- LA Woman
- LA Confidential
- Lemon Skunk
- Kush Berry
- Chocolope
- UK Cheese
CALIFORNIA BEAN BANK (14 pack for $60 plus tax):
- Cannalope Haze
- Mendo Kush
- Caramel Kush
- Peak 19
- Kali Brains
- Sage & Sour
- Sage & OG Kush
4-WAY FUEL (10 pack for $20 plus tax):
- Sour Diesel x GDP x Trainwreck x POG
Hope to see you around!
The 2009 NORML Conference will be held Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, September 26 at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco, CA. Please mark your calendar now and plan to join us.
Partial listing of panel topics for this year’s conference include:
* The Zeitgeist of Legalization: Why and How Did This Happen?
* Pot Politics 2009 and beyond
* Has Support For Legalization Reached The Tipping Point?
* What Impact Would Legalization/Regulation Have On Use Rates
* Cannabis’ Law Reforms Missing Link: Law Enforcement
* Putting The Mexican Cartels Out Of Business
* Marijuana Legalization as a Local, State and Federal Revenue Stream
* Pot, Parenting and Legalization
* Cannabis and Athleticism
Medical Cannabis-only day
Thursday, September 24
* Panels and lectures on the health effects of medical cannabis;
* examinations and discussions led by expert lawyers focusing on emerging medical cannabis distribution models;
* taxation;
* zoning and business license issues and criminal defense representation.
If you have questions, contact NORML by phone at 888-67-NORML or e-mail conference@norml.org.
Come join Harborside Health Center and NORML for another completely outrageous over the top SF style party – sponsored and produced by Harborside Health Center!!!
The party will be held at the Terra Gallery in San Francisco on Saturday, September 26th, featuring:
* Free, Open Hash Bar (*Must have a medical cannabis recommendation.)
* Exotic Garden of Cannabis Themed Delights
* Extraordinary Performances by Outlandish Bay Area Artists
* Elegant Banquet of Local & Organic Delectables
* Vibrant & Vivid Visual Art
* Surprise Packed Gift Bag
* Commemorative Lanyard
* Commemorative Poster, Signed By Artist
* Medication Lounge
* Other special treats TBA
Tickets are $100 and will be sold at Harborside Health Center. Please stop on by and pick up yours soon as we expect this event to sell out fast!
Be There — Or You Will In Fact Be A Square!
Harborside Looks Awsome I will make the drive there as soon as I can, I just saw seeds are sold too
LA Confidential is my favorite strain but I never heard of GOLDEN STATE SEED COMPANY is it differnt from normal LA Confidential from DNA Genetics I have had The DNA LA in Amsterdam and Cali is this a typo or a different version? Thanks Alot for the help Love this Site!
GOLDEN STATE SEED COMPANY (6 pack for $65 plus tax):
- LA Woman
- LA Confidential
- Lemon Skunk
- Kush Berry
- Chocolope
- UK Cheese
Bottom line…just a bunch of stoners getting weed legally.
Their ills are no doubt real, but I would like to see at least one ‘normal’ person who wasn’t a stoner in high school
obtaining weed.
My father started at 62 why are you on a website meant for stoners and medical users alike and bashing? Jusy appreciate who you are and enjoy the sites that interest you not the ones that preturb. I rarely chime in but I feel you needed to hear that someone actually smokes that wasnt a stoner in high school.
Hello I’m coming up to Oakland from so cal and I heard you need some type of Oakland buyers card to go to any of the dispensaries. Do you only need your doctors recommendation and an i.d. or do you need to get a card?
Does anyone know what type (if any) of Harborside’s clones or seeds will consistently produce a high CBD and low THC herb? I’m a chronic pain patient living in Orange County. I can barely even find CBD tested products in Southern California… let alone find clones/seeds that are high CBD.
I wrote the budmaster at Harborside and was more than a little surprised to have him tell me that even with testing… they’ve found that strains with high CBD aren’t consistently high in CBD. (What’s up with that? I thought CBD was just part of plant genetics.)
I don’t respond well to standard pain killer… but high CBD herb is the magic bullet for me. I’m trying to find a way of getting plants/seeds for a variety that will fit the bill.
Does anyone know if this even exists… and if so what strains I should ask for?
Am I to seriously believe that no one knows about consistency of CBD in strains?
That kind of blows the concept of “medical” marijuana out of the water.
Wow… since no one here seems to have a clue what the story is regarding CBD content of meds… can anyone refer me to a dispensary that does have a knowledgeable budmaster.
Someone has to know the answer to this.
First time visit to Harborside health center yesterday. YES its as great as everyone says. Great staff, very helpful introduction. Safe, secure and warm feeling inside. Outside is secure and clean as well.
The product is excellent and if anything overwhelming because they have so much to choose from.