Event: 420 Grow Cruise

This year for 4-20 I attended Guy Holmes’ Grow Cruise. I know Guy through Grow Magazine, and in the interest of full disclosure I should mention that I traded some writing I did for them for my ticket. 

It was a cannabis friendly event which drew some cannabis friendly folks to pier 40 in San Francisco. Standard ticket price was $560 apiece, so not exactly what I’d consider a cheap date activity, but the goodie bag included a Ghost MV1 vaporizer which retails for around $295 which helped to offset the price. More on the Ghost MV1 & Grow Cruise goodie bag in future posts. The ride was about 4 hours long around San Fransisco Bay and seemed to me to go by quickly and pleasantly.

Cannabis events tend to have their own vibe, and that hasn’t been completely quashed by the new corporate cannabis movement yet. While waiting for boarding patrons were serenaded by a talented gentleman named Bear with a ukulele. Dress ranged from cocktail ready, to business casual, to the ever popular casual casual, to even a tie dyed outfit or two. 

After a slight delay (which according to some rumors involved someone learning that a bass drum should not be used as a floatation device) we boarded and were greeted with drink tickets and boxes containing our new vaporizers. 

The yacht was spacious enough to accommodate everyone with enough room for personal space. There was a dining seated section, a second floor with music, dabs and dancing, and an outdoor smoking and viewing area (where I personally spent much of the trip).

Chef Matthew Dolan put out a fine spread of tasty treats for those with the munchies, with select items imbued with the spirit of cannabis (or at least some CBD). I particularly enjoyed the kabobs, brownies, and the meat and cheese selections. Personally I thought the menu a touch pretentious in places, but I have the palate of a peasant, and at the price I’m sure many would have been sorely disappointed had it not been. Chef Dolan has a Michelin star from the renowned French tire company, and proved himself not only deserving of culinary praise, but charming in person, and a delight to share a few moments of light conversation with.

I had the pleasure of being seated with the Kind Guys for the meal, and labeled jars of a variety of cannabis varieties made not only attractive table decorations but came in handy for rolling joints to take to the smoking section at the back. I rolled up a cupid’s arrow (tulip variation) joint and we split it while enjoying the view. 

I’d forgotten how much I enjoy riding on the water. We had great views of the Bay and Golden Gate bridges, Alcatraz, and the city of San Fransisco as it came alive with light at dusk. Watching the sun set by the bridge, feeling the gentle rocking motion of the ocean, smelling the crisp sea breeze (along with enjoying the pretty good buzz I had going on) made for one of those perfect moments to remember and treasure.

Upstairs the Jamie McLean Band played a good selection of great music. While I found that being in the same room was a few decibels too loud for my comfort, from the smoking section they sounded much better, and I thought they were an appropriate choice. 

I didn’t know many of the folks in attendance, but besides the Kind Guys and folks from Grow Magazine some of the other notables I ran into included Jinxproof, Wallace Patterson of Ghost Vapes, CBD breeder Adam Jacques, & AC Moon of Harvest Moon Munchie Co. and afterwards Julie Chiariello of Skunk Magazine. Just a random aside, but now somewhere out there is a photo of me on a Game of Thrones style throne from the after-party, I’ll share it if I get ahold of it.

Previous articles