The Tacoma, Washington, cannabis community has a rich history of both products and community. Commencement Bay has made its name by bringing together some of the very best products in Tacoma and the surrounding area — and there are certainly plenty to choose from!
As the Washington cannabis community has evolved, so have consumers’ needs. From the legal market’s humble beginnings to the market diversity we see today, there are widespread product choices that may seem a bit overwhelming. Not to worry! With a little knowledge of Washington’s rich cannabis history and the products that have come out of it, you can navigate Tacoma’s cannabis scene.
The New Age of Weed in Tacoma
Washington has a long-standing cannabis culture that is intertwined with Tacoma’s local lifestyle, art and music. It was one of the earliest states to legalize medical marijuana, doing so in 1998. The state continued its pioneering ways in 2012 when it became one of the first two states to legalize recreational cannabis for adults alongside Colorado. But Tacoma’s weed community thrived well before legalization.
Brought together by medical marijuana patients, advocates, and local iconic figures, a passionate subculture formed and eventually led to the public policy change that created Washington’s legal market.
Today, memories of a Prohibition-era past are fading. Many of Tacoma’s adults have known the legal industry for a significant portion of their lives. And, while the community that convinced Washington’s elected officials to legalize the plant is still strong and growing, it’s also changing as the new generation joins its ranks. At the core of Tacoma weed remains authenticity, a commitment to education and a desire to grow and evolve.
Also influencing the community are the regulations that come along with a legal industry. The cost of products may have changed, but so have product quality, transparency and safety standards. Today, customers can be sure of exactly what’s in the product they’re buying, from the precise cannabinoid and terpene profiles to ensuring their product is free of contaminants.
Washington’s Cannabis Brands In The Community
It’s not just premium products that Washington’s best local brands are all about. They’re rooted in the culture that came before the industry and remain very much a part of the community.
Cultivators and breeders play an important role in communicating the details of each strain to the public. Through budtender training and consumer education, brands like Fairwinds and Leafwerx help Tacoma consumers learn more about their products and how to choose the best ones for their goals.
Perhaps the most important part of Tacoma’s cannabis community is the sense of solidarity and mutual aid. Brands like Dewey are dedicated to sustainability and thrifting clothing for their branded merch. Others donate to Tacoma-based causes, like Soulshine, which directs a portion of all sales to support animal welfare.
The Art and Science of Crafting The Best Flavors in Washington
Developing unique strains with memorable flavors and aromas requires careful selective breeding over generations and meticulous cultivation processes that enable plants to grow at their healthiest.
Washington’s cultivators continue to evolve, mature and thrive in a decade-long recreational cannabis market. Attention to detail, an eye for quality and a respect for the craft have led to developing some top-tier premium products and strains. Brands like Gold Leaf Gardens, Lifted Cannabis, and Fifty-Fold come to mind when thinking of quality weed in Washington state.
This means sourcing the best genetics and growing those plants in optimal conditions. Cultivators influence the grow environments to fine-tune plant yields, cannabinoid content and especially terpene profiles. Breeders select the healthiest plants or the most flavorful or aromatic to produce a new generation emphasizing those features. And the process is repeated until something extraordinary is developed.
While genetics, biology and data analytics are a critical part of these processes, developing the best flavors and scents in flower and extract is as much art as science. Each producer brings their own twist on the process and contributes something unique to the mosaic that is the Tacoma cannabis scene.
Shop the Best Cannabis Products in Washington
Whether you’re looking for dry flower or live resin, sativa or indica, a cannabis store like Commencement Bay Cannabis has something in stock. Here’s a sneak peek at some of our favorite products, or visit our dispensary menu for a full list of the products we carry.
- Mama J’s Gelato Cake: Consumers who prefer pre-rolls will love the Gelato Cake offering from Mama J’s. This pre-roll two-pack comes with one gram of flower rolled nicely in evenly burning joints. Gelato Cake is known for its deeply relaxing and even sedating effects, so it’s a great choice for those looking to unwind.
- Forbidden Farms Sunset Sherbet: Tacoma-based Forbidden Farms offers premium quality flower, and we’re big fans of its Sunset Sherbet. This strain is known for providing a relaxing and euphoric experience with lots of laughs. So, if you’re looking for an uplifting strain and top flower, look no further than Forbidden Farms Sunset Sherbet.
- Blue Roots Supermax OG: Blue Roots is dedicated to producing clean, highly pure distillate for its vape cartridges, and the Supermax OG cartridge showcases this wonderfully. By adding back in the best cannabis-derived terpenes, Blue Roots keeps the flavors of its cartridges close to the source plant. Check them out for some of the smoothest and most flavorful vape carts on the market.
- Forbidden Farms Kush Mints Delectable Dabs: Delectable Dabs are an extract product from Forbidden Farms celebrated for supporting quick and easy sessions. We especially love the Kush Mints variety, which combines the flavors and effects of this classic strain with dabbing.
- Leafwerx Blackberry Trainwreck: Last but not least, the Leafwerx Blackberry Trainwreck is a disposable vaporizer that consumers can grab and go. Combining the genetics of Blackberry Kush and Trainwreck, this strain offers a dank, fruity flavor and results in a boost to creativity and a stress-busting chill session.
These are just a few of the more than 1,000 products on our menu, all of which are from proudly Washington-based businesses — including some right here in Tacoma!
How To Get The Most out of These Cannabis Products
When you bring your weed home from any of our Tacoma dispensaries, you want to ensure you get the most out of every sesh. That takes a few tips and tricks, each designed to preserve the flavor, potency and longevity of the products you brought home.
- Strategies for terpene loss: When you combust flower, like in a bowl or a joint, many temperature-sensitive terpenes disappear. This reduces the strain’s flavor, but you can help prevent some of this terpene loss. For example, consider using a hemp wick to slowly combust your flower, keeping the overall temperature lower and preserving more terpenes. You can also opt for dry herb vaporizers with temperature settings that you can fine-tune to minimize terpene loss.
- Try a different product type: Boost your experience even further by choosing products like live concentrates, which are produced from freshly harvested or fresh frozen plants — which means higher terpene levels. Live resin dabs are a great place to start.
- Store your products properly: Once you bring home your products from Commencement Bay Cannabis, be sure to keep them away from light and heat. Seal the packages so oxygen can’t get in and degrade their potency. If you buy a vape cart, store it upright with all the caps on.
Explore Tacoma’s vibrant weed scene with Commencement Bay Cannabis, committed to bringing you the highest quality weed. With a wide selection of exceptional products from leading brands in Washington, we offer you Tacoma’s favorite brands with deals and the best prices that won’t break the bank.
We offer several ways to order, including in-person shopping with our helpful and knowledgeable budtenders and an order online option for curbside pickup. So shop in person, browse our stores or order for quick in-store pickup, and you’ll find the best cannabis selection among Tacoma, Washington dispensaries.
