The Grateful Dead have been a quintessential part of the counterculture since the band’s inception six decades ago. Known for their psychedelic jams, rainbow dancing bears and skull motifs, and a legion of dedicated fans, the Dead is anything but mainstream. It’s also no secret that many Deadheads partake in a wide variety of psychoactive substances, including weed. And for the first time ever, Dead concertgoers will be able to enjoy cannabis legally.
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This weekend, Dead & Co. is taking over Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for a three-day extravaganza. The concert series will commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Grateful Dead, which formed in the Bay Area. While thousands of people likely imbibed at the band’s local shows in the past, these shows will offer regulated cannabis sales and consumption in a section of the park known as Grass Lands.
Presented by dispensary chain Embarc, the sprawling Grass Lands area will offer a wide range of top-shelf cannabis products and the ideal setting for puffing. According to a press release, the Dead & Co. Grass Lands will also feature a community drum circle led by drumSTRONG, and exhibitions by Haight Street Art Center, Moon Alice, and Jerome Baker Designs.
It’s a full-circle moment recognized by organizers and fans alike.
“The integration of legal sales and consumption represents the culmination of decades of cultural evolution that music fans helped inspire,” said Steve Welkom, chief operating officer of concert producers Another Planet Entertainment, in the release. “The counterculture movement in San Francisco paved the way for moments like this to be possible.”
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Participating brands include Humboldt Family Farms, Papa’s Herb, Humboldt Seed Company, Space Gem, Sol Spirit Farms, Sonoma Hills Farms, Emerald Sky, The Legacy Market by Equity Trade Network, and more. Bay Area dispensary Solful will also be present and has partnered with Garcia Hand Picked on a line of limited-edition pre-rolls in honor of the occasion. The brand was founded by Trixie Garcia, daughter of the late Jerry Garcia, former frontman of the Grateful Dead.
“Sixty years ago, some of the world’s best cannabis farmers moved into the hills and hid their cultivation in fear of persecution,” added Lauren Carpenter, co-founder of Embarc, in the release. “Today, many are coming back down to Golden Gate Park to openly celebrate cannabis, community, and music in the very place where so much of this cultural movement began.”
Dead-adjacent acts Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson, and Trey Anastasio Band will also make appearances on stage. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime show set to make history back where it all began.
