Bainbridge, an island off the coast of Seattle, is one of the main tourist attractions in Washington. It also happens to be an upcoming ganja destination.
More than six million people visit Bainbridge via ferry every year. For those going for the pot, a shuttle picks them up at the ferry and takes them to Paper & Leaf, the only dispensary on the island.
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“It’s a beautiful ride, about 35 minutes by ferry. You get get a beautiful view of Mount Rainier, have a lunch, have a beer, walk downtown, see the shops and the wineries, and now visit Paper & Leaf,” says Brendan Hill, co-founder of the dispensary (and drummer for the Grammy-winning band Blues Traveler). Whether for a staycation or a faraway getaway, the island offers all the perks of vacationing, not to mention the state’s legal cannabis program for adults above the age of 21 from Seattle and all over.
That means, more and more cannabis tourists can visit Bainbridge, get high, and peruse all the island has to offer: museums, state parks, public beaches, kayaking, water sports, an east-facing view of Seattle, and more.
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For newcomers to the island, and to the cannabis plant, Paper & Leaf offers guests the opportunity to ask questions of the trained staff and browse products before they decide what kind of weed products they want.
“We have a very large medical cannabis community and consultants at the shop, who spend as much time with the patients as necessary,” says Hill. “A lot of new summer products just came in, as well.”
With summer in full swing, weed is good for more than just relaxing with a joint by the beach. As Hill explains, a number of cannabis-infused products are useful for warding off insects, protecting your skin from the sun, and soothing it if you get burned.
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While attracting ganja tourists, Paper & Leaf also elevates the image of dispensaries, overall. Especially for out-of-state tourists from prohibition states and who aren’t familiar with the dispensary model, Paper & Leaf looks more like a rustic art gallery than a pot shop.
“We realized that if we did the store in the style of the island—it’s a very arty community—that we could win over the community,” Hill said. And that’s what they did. With more than 70 percent of the Bainbridge island residents having voted for legalization, Paper & Leaf is in good company.
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