Best Cannabis Events in San Diego

California opened the door to legalization in the U.S. way back in 1996, when Proposition 215 passed and legalized medical cannabis. Exactly 20 years later, recreational use became legal with the passage of Proposition 64, finally allowing an industry that was forced to grow in the shadows to come out into the light. With 18 U.S. states now allowing recreational weed and another 18 allowing medical cannabis, there are more opportunities than ever to find like minded communities and celebrate the unlimited uses of the humble cannabis plant. In San Diego, which has an undeniably cannabis-friendly vibe, you’ll find fellow enthusiasts and industry experts aplenty at weed-related events hosted by local dispensaries.

Whether you’re new to cannabis or a seasoned partaker, cannabis events are more than just a chance to score deals on your favorite brands and products. The best San Diego cannabis events feature enticing extras like live music, food trucks, contests and giveaways, and beyond that, educational opportunities and brand outreach from knowledgeable vendors. If you have questions about certain flower strains or edibles, or you’re looking to switch to concentrates but you don’t know where to start, you’ll get the best answers straight from the source—plus tacos, tunes, and raffle prizes if you’re lucky.

Thanks to our location in sunny San Diego, Hikei offers themed cannabis events all year long in our expansive indoor/outdoor space, giving you plenty of chances to check out our wide selection of cannabis products, trusted vendors, friendly staff, and legions of loyal customers who helped nominate us for The Reader’s “Best Of” list for 2021. Here’s a look at the events we offer every year:

420 Event

The legend of 420 (cannabis culture) is hazy at best, but it’s widely accepted that the first official mention of the official cannabis holiday was in the May 1991 issue of High Times Magazine. Whether or not the tradition started with a group of high school stoners (one of whom became a roadie for the Grateful Dead) as the unofficial story goes, 420 is now recognized and celebrated by weed enthusiasts around the world, from San Francisco to New Zealand to Amsterdam, and San Diego is no exception.

It’s no surprise that every dispensary in San Diego celebrates 420 with day-long deals and events, but no one does it like Hikei. This year, in addition to offering special discounts on our entire inventory of cannabis products, our “It’s 4:20 Somewhere” event set a celebratory mood with music from DJ Who and delicious tacos from Gringas. We also featured vendor booths from popular brands like Canndescent, Grizzly Peak, Kiva, and Cream of the Crop, plus edible samples and merchandise specials. If you’re new to the cannabis scene, there’s no better day to dip your toes in than April 20, but if you missed it, don’t worry—we have plenty of other events this year as well.

Check out this years 420 Event at Hikei here

710 Event

The 710 cannabis holiday is nowhere near as widespread or beloved as 420, but at least the name has a simple explanation: flipped around, it spells OIL, as in cannabis or hash oil. The term gained popularity after it was mentioned in a July 2013 article in LA Weekly, and as dabbing has become a more popular and widespread way to consume cannabis, more dispensaries are recognizing the holiday and offering deals on oils and concentrates every July 10.

Of course, at Hikei we don’t stop at deals. This year for 710, we threw a 420-level bash with food, a live DJ, raffles, giveaways, and games. We also had plenty of vendors on site to answer all your questions about concentrates, like how oil compares to flower or edibles, which devices or equipment are best for your dabbing needs, what benefits you can expect from concentrates compared to other cannabis products, and everything else you’ve always wanted to know about cannabis oils.

Dia de los Hikei

Dia de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is a spirited Mexican holiday celebrating ancestors the day after Halloween. But the day has another special meaning for us—Dia de los Hikei—which marks the anniversary of our business launch in San Diego. For such a momentous occasion, we threw our biggest event yet in 2020, with 91X on site providing the tunes, two different food trucks, vendor booths with product samples and merchandise, and of course amazing product discounts on our wide selection of cannabis products.

But the best part of the event was our costume contest, which encouraged attendees to dress up in their Halloween finest. Costumes ranged from scary to funny to smoking hot, and participants were invited to pose on the red carpet for our Instagram page. Though it was hard to narrow down all the choices to the three best for the contest, we eventually picked our winners and presented them with Hikei gift cards.

Summer Events

San Diego’s entire vibe is summer—the beach, the sunsets, the flip-flops all year long—but that doesn’t mean we can’t highlight the best season of the year with a series of summer cannabis events. Like our other celebrations, our Summer Sessions events offer food, live music, vendor booths on site and plenty of product specials. We also have games, raffles, and tons of giveaways, so if you’re a local who’s been wanting to try something new on the cannabis spectrum, or a visiting tourist eager to check out the best San Diego has to offer, here’s a great chance.

Our July 24 Summer Session might have passed, but don’t worry—there are also events on Saturday, August 14 and Saturday, September 4, from 4:20 pm to 9 pm. To continue the theme of “social Saturdays” even when there isn’t an event scheduled, we’re offering a free preroll with any order over $25 on every Saturday throughout the summer.

Industry Events

While we pride ourselves on the variety of events we offer to our customers throughout the year, Hikei also hosts and participates in several industry events every year to stay current with the latest cannabis products and trends. Recently we attended a STIIIZY product event in LA, which not only provided a wealth of information about STIIIZY brand products, but also food, drinks, games, and a live performance by rapper YG. We also had a chance to network with other dispensaries, sharing tips and tricks of the industry to make the cannabis shopping experience even better.

We also hold regular budtender training events to keep our staff of experts up to date with the latest regulations along with products and trends. Brand representatives come on site to discuss their newest offerings and educate our team on a range of other related topics, and afterward we pass on all that new information and insight to our customers, helping them choose the right products for their needs and preferences.

Why Hikei is your top destination for cannabis events in San Diego

At Hikei, our goal isn’t simply to get more customers in the door with special deals during cannabis events. We also aim to have the most loyal and well-informed customers in San Diego, which is why we provide fun, educational opportunities at our cannabis events throughout the year. Whether you join us for 420 next year or our Dia de los Hikei anniversary party later this year, there’s something for everyone, from newbies to old pros.

Cannabis events in the time of Covid

While Hikei’s airy indoor/outdoor space is great for socially-distanced mingling and our staff continues to wear masks and sanitize surfaces regularly for our customers’ safety, we understand if you’re wary of heading out to any sort of event, including cannabis events. Fortunately, you don’t have to travel to our centrally-located store on Home Ave. in San Diego to take advantage of our discounts and deals because Hikei offers delivery services everywhere in San Diego County. That’s right—EVERYWHERE within county bounds, giving everyone from San Ysidro to Oceanside to Julian access to our huge selection of high-quality cannabis products. For more information about cannabis delivery or help choosing the best cannabis product for your needs and budget, call us at 619-517-8605.