Lauren Yoshiko

With a well-established medical industry and a city culture that celebrates artisanal, farm-to-table fare, the City of Roses has proved fertile ground for a vibrant legal cannabis scene. Dispensaries in Portland have personality. There’s thoughtful design, and experiential brands that create unique experiences for visitors – not to mention some of the strictest purity and potency requirements in the country. It makes for a very fun, safe environment for shoppers to explore and enjoy.  There are hundreds of dispensaries in Portland, and, beyond cannabis, there’s a thriving hemp scene as well. You can enjoy a CBD mocktail with snacks at East Fork Cultivars’ Hemp Bar in Southeast, or visit Make and Mary in Northeast for CBD tonics, skincare and general ritual supplies.  Consumption lounges are unfortunately not a thing here, although some spots have managed to fly under the radar and certain hotels quietly feature weed-friendly smoking decks. There’s always an ample selection of nearby natural areas that make for perfect settings to enjoy your newly purchased goodies. (And you might want to hit up these food trucks and donut shops after.)  Here are the local favorites and the must-see stores that make Portland one of the best places to buy legal weed in the US.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Portland

At this point, cannabis is beyond normalized in the Emerald City. (More people smoke weed than nicotine here.) As the second state to go legal in the US, dispensaries in Seattle have been around for years – they’re incorporated into their respective neighborhoods and are as ordinary as any corner coffee shop or flower stand. The legal cannabis scene didn’t start from scratch, though. Long-running medical dispensaries had already laid down roots, and many remain the local favorites in the new recreational era. That medical community also helped establish cultural attractions and events like the city’s annual cannabis festival, Hemp Fest. A side effect of early legalization with more stringent consumption laws, though, also means that Seattle has few experiential destinations outside of licensed dispensaries. There aren’t any smoking lounges to speak of, although there are a handful of cannabis-friendly bed-and-breakfasts (and tree houses) in and around the city. But if you're looking for a top dispensary in Seattle, here are the shops that have stood the test of time; the shops worth the traffic; the best places to go for flower, infusions, vapables, and budtender recommendations around town.  RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Seattle