Cheech And Chong Bring Dispensary To Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong helped bring cannabis culture into America’s living rooms and movie theaters.

Now they’re putting their names above a local dispensary, partnering with a local apothecary to bring their first cannabis business to wine country.

Marin and Chong chose Forestville for their first California Dispensoria, joining locally owned In The Tree Apothecary to bring their cannabis retail brand to 10655 River Road.

The shop features Northern California cannabis, herbal remedies, and products from growers, herbalists, and makers across the Russian River Valley and greater Sonoma County, according to a press release.

Cannabis and its smoking were part of the comedians' films.

Chong was arrested as part of a U.S. Justice Department Operation called Pipe Dreams aimed at the online distribution of drug paraphernalia like bongs and marijuana pipes.

Chong said at the time that he pleaded guilty to protect his son, whose company was targeted. He served nine months in prison.

“To see how far cannabis has come in my lifetime and now have our name above the door of a dispensary here is a pretty incredible full-circle moment. And having my daughter Jasmine help bring it to life makes it even more personal," Marin said in the company’s Oct. 8 announcement.

The Forestville location brings their brand to California after Dispensoria shops opened in Massachusetts, Maine, Oklahoma, and Montana.

“California is home. This is where so much of our story happened, so opening our first Dispensoria here feels pretty special,” Marin said.

The space includes an outdoor garden and design details that draw on the duo’s history in comedy, film, music, and cannabis advocacy.

The company’s retail model pairs independent operators’ local ownership and knowledge with Cheech and Chong’s branding, resources, and infrastructure.

That includes Cheech and Chong products alongside other cannabis brands, herbal formulations, tinctures, salves, and wellness goods.

Jasmine Marin, the company’s creative director, said she wanted the shop to reflect that history while giving the brand room to grow.

“There’s a lot of history behind this brand, but my goal was never to create a time capsule,” she said. “I wanted to take all of that personality, nostalgia and humor and translate it into a space that feels fresh, elevated and unexpected.”

For the co-founders of In Tree Apothecary, the opening follows years of work navigating the paperwork.

“Cheech and Tommy fought the laws. We’ve spent the last several years fighting the paperwork,” In the Tree Apothecary co-founder Brian Ohm said.

Both of those fights were about the same thing — the right of ordinary people to work with this plant openly, he said in the announcement. "Getting to open this shop together, with our name next to theirs, means a great deal to us," he said. "Our job now is simpler and harder: take care of this community every day after the party ends.”

The company’s Oct. 8 announcement scheduled a grand opening for Oct. 24, with Marin and Chong appearing for a meet-and-greet from 2 to 4 p.m.

“We spent a lot of years fighting for the idea that cannabis shouldn’t be treated like a crime,” Chong said.

“Now we get to open a dispensary in California with our name on the door. That’s progress, man. It took a while, but we made it.”

Related: Cheech & Chong Visting Santa Cruz Dispensary For Meet & Greet