Farmacy began in 2016 with the mission to make legal cannabis in California kind of a community thing. To take advantage of the fact that, by law, any products the store sold had to be made in California, which falls right in line with the "buy local" ethos of the green movement. So, when the dispensary touts "from farm to Farmacy," it's basically true.
Farmacy started with products like edibles, flower, and concentrates and have continued to build with beverages, capsules, cartridges, pre-rolls and extracts for vaping, tinctures, CBD topicals and sleep aids. And all online orders of at least $75 are available for same-day delivery daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
But Farmacy Santa Ana also prides itself as a purveyor of expert cannabis education and guidance, with the Farmacy Journal offering info on various cannabis-related subjects, including recreational and medical use and legal issues. The Friends of the Farm rewards app allows customers to enjoy exclusive benefits and discounts.
"Our holistic experience is inspired by the pursuit of a life well-lived, supporting happy lives and personal satisfaction through a natural and local approach," says the company's website. "We want to move beyond stigma, beyond stereotype, to deliver enriching and natural experiences ... where even someone who's brand new to recreational cannabis feels at home."
Catalyst Cannabis is decidedly old school in it's approach to selling legal marijuana, because the founder used to sell it illegally.
Since he started his first legal brick-and-mortar location in Long Beach in 2020, outspoken activist CEO Eliot Lewis has become quite the entrepreneur who now operates 29 locations in California and a business ethos of "weed for the people."
"We do it well because we come from the legacy market," says the company website. "We remember the days when your bud came in a Ziploc, and we stuck around this long because we love what we do."
Built on the ideas of authenticity, accessibility, quality product for consumers and fair treatment for workers, Catalyst says it strives "to ensure the products stocked on our shelves are safe. We speak out against everything that's wrong with legal cannabis and we speak loudly."
Now called Collective, the former Blüm Santa Ana dispensary offers a variety of products in a colorful, spacious and modern retail spot overlooking the 55 Freeway.
Inside, products from flower, vapes, pre-rolls, tinctures, topicals, extracts and the always popular edibles are available for recreational as well as medical use. The store's budtenders are also available to answer questions and help customers find what they need, while online shopping allows for quick pick-ups or same-day local delivery.
Tamara T. of Fullerton said on Yelp, "I was getting a gift for a friend and the budtenders were helpful in crafting a gift based on what I told them about the person."
Janet D. of Anaheim said, "Ash did an great job at educating me on what product I might like best since this is a new experience for me."