two points for your consideration, HHC (and both DeAngelo's): first, as a 3-yr. long customer of HHC, i KNOW the overall quality of product HAS indeed diminished/degraded. and, for $60, i am 'rewarded' for allegedly 'top shelf', which (as one of your former workers on camera TRUTHFULLY and ACCURATELY assessed as also being) is "FAR lower in quality lately". and HIS reward? left or got fired! second, andrew deduces (well, stream of babble is more like it; after all, management is STONED while 'conducting business', so, truly, WHAT does he actually KNOW?), states THE reason for the lowered revenue amt. was "customer service"...NOT that HHC's 'medicine' is WAAAAAAAY OVERPRICED!!! so, instead of doing what ANY first year business student WOULD know -- and that is, LOWER THE PRICE of the product to increase sales -- HE 'solves' this problem by playing some baseball to 'boost team morale'. uh-huh... HOW on earth HAVE you guys stayed in business this long, given the overall childish and embarrassingly naive comments made and LACK of successful business practices SO evident by such specious assessments? I agree with the comment shown on yelp on Weed Wars: "NO ONE should charge more than $50 for marijuana". I wholeheartedly agree! YOUR 'operational costs' DO NOT JUSTIFY SUCH OUTRAGEOUS PRICES!!! additionally, it is even MORE egregious when considering the HUGE amt. of revenue profit HHC generates annually -- and looks like a sure winner of the Inept Award and false premise contention misnomer -- when, by state law, you ARE supposed to be a 'non-profit'. hardly a non-profit with avg. annual revenues of an startling $2.5 million a year! and, andrew...about "customer service" being 'upgraded'... you STATE that IS your primary motivating factor...but, WHAT do you ACTUALLY 'do' or say -- on camera? that your employees ARE TO BE LESS HONEST AND TRUTHFUL with your customers (eg: NOT agreeing with them when they astutely say -- and the experienced budsters KNOW themselves -- and continue to mislead and misrepresent). i know of NO other DEmoralizing attitude to ENFORCE against employees, than to FORCE those employees to be LESS than totally honest. YOUR PRODUCT QUALITY OVERALL HAS GREATLY DIMINISHED -- and yet, STILL be charged 'top shelf' prices SO steep, no one else has the temerity to charge as much as you guys do. so....in order for a person with ANY sense of decency and honor (like that hapless employee who's name i've forgotten; but NOT his winning smile and helpful demeanor whenever he was my budster over the years) feel PUSHED into either lying outright, or, leave/be terminated. and you think by playing some softball...THIS is going to 'boost employee morale'? what have you been smoking...oh, wait!...THAT'S the problem right there. 1) with the realization that we ARE in tough economic times; AND, realizing to STAY in compliance with state law [being a NON-profit]; and the REALITY most ppl. nowadays -- especially 'patients' with TRUE health issues -- CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY OUTRAGEOUSLY BLOATED PRICES...LOWER THEM!!! "Top Shelf" SHOULD max out at $50. PERIOD! 2) work with your 'vendors' to start getting BACK the top shelf quality of product you USED to have. 3) IF you truly are trying to depict being "professional" -- ACT LIKE IT !!! there is NO business I know of that would so openly allow their employees to be under the influence of drugs -- and WITH not only the blessing of management; but the encouragement of management. the IRS will end up being the LEAST of HHC's problems. the people who KNOW they're being bilked -- either by poor product quality, and/or, outrageous overpriced product -- will 'vote with their wallet' and take their business elsewhere. THAT'S how to run a 'business', stoner dudes! (gawd, your depictions shown on Weed Wars is a total embarrassment to both the movement and the cause!). read more

I stopped in a week ago, first and foremost to receive warm hugs from staff/friends (HR compliant hugs, of course). Secondly, to see the new look and feel of the sales floor (all skate!). Lastly to buy some greenery. The line outside was a bit lengthy but I was unconcerned because of Paul's warm and friendly greeting as he meticulously looked over me and my documents (kind of like TSA but less nosiness n being grabby, so, actually nothing like TSA). Ken was standing vigilant at the front entrance and gave me a firm but friendly handshake before giving the green light for me to enter the dispensary. I was greeted by two lovely ladies at the front desk, Jasmine and Saysha (maybe I misspelled your name, sorry). Boom! Hugs, more, hugs. I got in line, but didn't mind the wait because I was enjoying talking to other patients. Enter Evan. A tall cup of Gatorade with a friendly vibe. He asked if I had seen the menu. I hadn't but knew what I wanted, a preroll (or so I thought). I also explained my real mission was collecting hugs. Without skipping a beat Evan offered a hug, I gladly accepted his generous offering. I did not know him previously, but I already like the cut of his jib. It was then that I noticed, there was an abundance of familiar faces working on the bar that day, which is rare nowadays having been frequenting this location for nearly 8 years or more. Both Michael S. and Ian B. came out from behind the bar for a warm embrace. Boom, more hugs, more eye contact, boom, boom, bang. Finally I was on deck "Who will call me up?" I thought. Boom, Dustin! One of the hardest working, most dedicated people in the building! Knowledge, on point! Smile, on point! This guy is good. No, great! I even noticed the people that didn't notice me because they were so engaged with and focused on their patient/customer, Thomas was lazer focused, well played. Alisha serving it up like a pro, TASAC! Jamarr getting it done, a warm friendly, fatherly vibe and one hell of a sweater. Boom, over counter embrace with Tripp, making the connection. Adrienne, serving up hugs, boom! Sofia, the rookie. I do not know her, but I could see the determination in her eyes as she helped new customers navigate this new world of legal ganja.... In all, I collected about 12 hugs and bought 1 gram of some gan-jay per Dustin and DeLeon's recommendation. DeLeon, solid guy, feeling the hair and irie vibes. It was a good visit, I enjoyed my herb. Win, win, win. Tell Paul the Nappapp will be back online. I love you, Harborside family. On an even more serious note... The vibes, hugs and familiar faces are why I still come back. To be honest, I can get cannabis elsewhere, often for much less money, but there is added value to the experience when people are kind, well-informed, patient and sincere. With every single yahoo in the world coming in it is not easy for staff. They are dealing with, on average (in my opinion) a less informed customer base versus when it was only medical use. Those patients were progressively better informed about cannabis and their individual health. I know what it is like dealing with the general public, what type of patience is necessary, so I commend the Harborside staff for dealing so well with all these changes and influx of cannabis-curious folks. That is front and back of house, as I know it is an orchestrated team effort. Well played, staff. Make it rain nug notes? Is that still a thing? Keep up the good work! Love you long time! read more

I went to harborside for the first time this summer, and paid 96.00 for an 8th, and a gram of hash. It was not even close to worth it. The customer service was lacking, because every employee was stuck and stoned off of edibles. VERY unprofessional. I have gone back a few more times but it has not gotten any better. It's a shame that this was highly promoted by the legalization community, and then concluded with a lack of support for the same community who brought in a good deal of viewers. It's a shame that the same person who ONLY supports medical marijuana deals to thousands of people annually who are using it for nothing more than the "recreational purposes," using the medical term as a way to get high. Many people need medical marijuana, like my sister who suffers from MS, but so long as it remains "medical only" the patients (who really need it) must stand in long lines like in an Apple store to get their medicine waiting on someone who broke their pinky years earlier who doesn't know the difference between indica or sativa. There's a medicinal application for alcohol, even tobacco... but the majority of people who use these items are using it to relax or cut loose. If it needs to remain for medical purposes, it should be sold at a pharmacy like all other medicines. Though, so long as profit margins stay high, and the small guys getting beat out by commercial sized operations, there will always be the opponents to legalization. I would much rather see it sold legally with a tax to help the nation's economic problems and given to patients for a fraction of the cost (if not completely for free, considering it's a renewable resource). I wonder then if the dealers would think it should be for patients only if they couldn't profit as much, or if they'd join the legalization movement to continue their business? If they're willing to give to all patients for free, then I'd have a bit more faith. Sadly, people sell out, flip flop and unfairly treat those who have supported them for years. Also, this does nothing but divide the movement again, setting us back more and more as people abuse semantics, legal loopholes and patients (and users) in need. It would be awesome if the medical community could be real, because they're not doctors, they're not pharmacists, they're semi-prohibitionists of an exclusive club where people pay outrageous amounts for something that winds up in the black market just the same and gets shipped to places like Oklahoma. Also, I can guarantee Steve didn't start using for medicinal purposes, simply... it wasn't around at the time. Get real Mr. D'Angelo. This quote comes directly from HHC's site: "At 16 years old he dropped out of school to join the Yippies, and was the key organizer of the annual July 4th marijuana Smoke-Ins in front of the White House." This doesn't really sound like support for medical marijuana as much as "recreational use." I will no longer be in support of Harborside, will recommend other facilities and will not give a single ounce of help until Steve changes his hypocritical opinion regarding legalization. I stand alongside many smokers and countless organizations who will now see the truth for what Harborside stands for. It's not wellness, because they wouldn't charge so much. It isn't against recreational usage, it's simply business. read more

Steve bloom said it best!!!!- "I'm disappointed in Steve DeAngelo, who stated at the end of the fourth and final episode of Weed Wars: "I don't believe in legalizing cannabis for recreational use." DeAngelo (left) is the star of Weed Wars, which Discovery has been accused of stealing. Even worse in my mind is his (and his brother Andrew's) blatant hypocrisy. Years before they started Harborside Health Center in Oakland, DeAngelo was a marijuana activist/pot dealer in Washington, DC. In fact, he was arrested for possession shortly before he left DC for the West Coast. I wouldn't dredge this up if DeAngelo (or Stevie D as he's know in cannabis circles) wasn't such a turncoat. He's made millions selling pot to medical patients in California. His mantra is "cannabis should be used for purposes of wellness." Nice spin. Now let's get back to reality. Just last year DeAngelo proposed a legalization initiative for California. When Richard Lee beat him to it with Prop 19, DeAngelo pulled back and said he'd wait for 2012. Now it appears that he's not in favor of taxing and regulating marijuana for all uses any longer. To his credit, DeAngelo and his then partner Eric Steenstra founded the hemp clothing line Ecolution in the mid-'90s. Unfortunately, business didn't go well and they soon closed up shop. After his arrest and the subsequent dismissal of the case, DeAngelo made his move, opening the uber-slick "WalMart of pot" in Oakland. He aimed to blow away the competition and to some extent has, raking in $20 million dollars in 2010. I was excited about Weed Wars. Why not a reality TV show that focuses on the inner workings of a major medical-marijuana dispensary? Allegedly, a producer named Kylie Krabbe pitched the idea to Discovery in 2010. She lined up The Farmacy, based in Los Angeles, as the featured dispensary. According to her complaint, Discovery thought the concept was "too edgy" for them and rejected her proposal. Then, lo and behold, Discovery inked a deal with Harborside instead. If that's true, it's really sleazy. During their rounds to promote Weed Wars, Andrew DeAngelo, who has glaucoma, told Bill O'Reilly, "We do not support the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes." I winced when I heard that, but figured it was just his opinion. Then, as the show's brief season came to a close, Steve parroted his brother. That's the same stance taken by Montel Williams, who was booed at the NORML Conference DeAngelo speaks at during Episode 4. It's sad to see someone who hails himself as "an agent of change to bring the truth about the cannabis plant to the rest of the world" take such a giant step backwards. Weed Wars certainly serves an important purpose - to reach beyond the converted, to the heart of mainstream America, with a message of medicinal use. But the series proved to be a DeAngelo family vanity project. Now we know Steve DeAngelo has a closet filled with colorful suits, hats and ties. We also know that he's officially turned his back on the cause he's championed for "almost 40 years." If Steve DeAngelo's old compatriot Jack Herer were still alive he'd call him a lot worse names. I'm just going to call him a hypocrite and leave it at that." hahah you guys are being exposed for the truth don duncan is an idiot read more

I have worked in the cannabis industry in Santa Cruz & surrounding areas for over 1.5 yrs and have been a medical patient for even longer, and this is by far the worst dispensary i have EVER been to. Keep in mind i have been to many dispensaries in the bay area. Harborside Oakland, your customer service is in the toilet, your employees are rude and have a know it all attitude, but can't seem to help educate customers despite this. Not to mention your products are way overpriced. My last and final experience at Harborside was in December, 2017 to get some edibles. After waiting outside in line for about 10 minutes, I was let inside the building and Immediately i was greeted by a receptionist. Before asking me for my information or even saying hello, she promptly told me that it was "adults only" (meaning 21 and up) after the 1st of January, even if you have a medical recommendation. I had always thought Harborside was the place to be for medical patients. Apparently not, as they are so blatantly shoving us aside. The receptionist basically called me a child. I am a 20 year old medical marijuana patient, "adult" enough to go to war for my country and die, but not "adult" enough to go to Harborside and purchase MEDICINE for my MEDICAL NEEDS. I was appalled at the poor choice of words by this Harborside employee. I've been coming to Harborside for 2 years and have sent so many people to their facility in the past. I have never been treated so badly at any dispensary in my life. But, I brushed it off and got in line to purchase, because i was out of medicine and needed edibles. I waited probably 45 minutes-1 hour in line. My budtender was Ian, a bald caucasian man with a large beard. I asked him for a cbd topical of any kind, not knowing what was left in stock due to the place being extremely packed and busy. He snarkily proceeded to tell me that i should've gone to the "consultation" line if i didn't know what i wanted, completely not hearing me or what i was asking. He said i needed to "be more specific than that". I've never had this issue at any dispensary, not once. Budtenders are supposed to be bubbly, accommodating, intelligent individuals. Ian made me feel like I was being talked down to, like I didn't know anything. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I will never be returning to Harborside Oakland, and neither will any of my friends or family. I will also never be recommending them to anyone in the industry ever again. Forget this place. They've changed. They don't give a sh*t about medical patients, they have pushed us aside and gone into it for the sole purpose of money and greed. This isn't what the cannabis community is supposed to be. I am disgusted. Shame on you Harborside. read more

People, if you have never been to Harborside, quit writing reviews. Watching "Weed Wars" does not give you the right to post a review of a place you've never been to. It totally undermines the review process that makes Yelp so useful! While I'm on the subject of the "Weed Wars" show, It's about getting the message out on a national level. Medical Cannabis will never be truly accepted until those against it can see the real and amazing benefits it provides. Harborside is participating in this show at a great risk and I applaud them for having the guts to do what's right. Now for the review. Consistency is what makes a business worthy of a 5 star rating. While Harborside may not be custom tailored to a specific individuals personal taste, they have done the absolute best at creating a consistently outstanding experience for the masses. They understand that they must serve people from vastly different financial backgrounds and provide medicine to suit everyone's needs. When I look at the averages, they also provide the most consistent level of professional customer service of any bay area medical cannabis provider. Trust me, I think I've probably visited at least 80 percent of the dispensaries in the bay area over the years! I would also like to address the issue of cost. Put simply, you get what you pay for. Your donation covers far more than just the medicine you just left with. If 60 dollars for a top shelf 8th seems a bit steep, please consider that you are also paying for peace of mind. It is beyond important to know that your medicine is clean, pure and does not contain contaminants that may adversely effect your health. I'd pay even more to be assured that I'm not ingesting bug poo, mold or heavy metals from chemical fertilizers. Luckily, I don't have to pay more. The fact that a portion of my donation covers lab testing is beyond important. Please understand that your donation also covers the upkeep on their beautiful facility and allows Harborside to attract and retain the very best staff the industry has to offer. In conclusion, please look beyond yourself and grasp the bigger picture. I used to be a self serving jackass who didn't give a flippin fart about anything beyond my own personal needs. I suspect there are old yelp reviews of mine that reflect that mentality. I've paid off a ton of karma over the last couple of years and finally realize that it's always about the greater good. Harborside embraces this and it's been a pleasure to be their customer. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something far, far greater than myself. This is a movement that can treat and heal the sick, heal the economy and bring people together to help heal society. Bravo Steve! read more

Instead of plugging other dispensaries a little disrespectful, every cannabis dispensary has it's own niche, or what it does best for the price, taxes, free gifts w every purchase, rewards, mil/vet discounts, Etc.) They do offer the highest amount of mil/vet discount daily with no minimum like some Other places or certain items are excluded. Rennet people you are looking at the model dispensary, don't forget amazing facility, organization, staff, variety, central location for most and security, ease of access atm/CC, Ada accessible). This was my 2nd visit after renewing 11 months a ago. I made a purchase which I was dissatisfied and I had the most amazing customer service experience between honesty and real compassion. You just have to consider everything. For instance the pheart: they don't test very single batch of the strains, if they have in the past even a year ago from a different vendor they still have the specs of the only one they tested. Ask them and they will tell u it's "complicated." The point and I apologize for bring names but got to make sure you compare apples and apples. Harborside closest comp is bpg, which I think is the most expensive in oak/Berk. No mil/vet discount tax not included and too many all star $60 strains) One last establishment Pcc on telegraph, misconception: They are expensive and boutique like, but they include tax, being fair they sell 35,45 and 55's like any other place then add the tax and it's a better value. I respect and ago at all/ as many as I can to get perspective and how different the business are setup. Also consider the scale and involvement in the community. Harborside also invent products, that's impressive. Anyways I hope no one is offended and this is helpful somewhat. I never buy flowers from dispensaries, I buy from licensed patient growers at wholesale. So I don't have sorry about spending 40-60 an 8th, more like 16-22 an 8th top shelf, no lies. You just have to not go to one place all the time, with today's we as patients need to be more intelligent in our financial decisions. I purchased a cape device and concentrate and am very satisfied, I had 4 different level employees help me w my issue. All with patience, apologies and smiles. It's the details in life that make it so interesting! Much love to the movement, JSPEC read more