It’s 5 pm in San Francisco, and the light is perfect. A midday rain storm has passed, with the clouds parting to reveal an unseasonably warm day. Outside of San Pancho Cannabis Club by OFL in the city’s historic Mission District, an excited crowd is gathered for a unique brand launch about to take place. Instead of the typical in-store demo or lounge fete, the founders of Vaya and its partners are taking a neighborhood-centric approach.
“(I’m) doing a little tour guiding in my own family’s neck of the woods,” explained musician Salvador Santana, the co-founder of Vaya Cannabis. “We’re just grateful to be here. (To) talk about cannabis, talk about the history of the Mission, and the history of the art that is here.”
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The self-proclaimed Cali boy and Grammy winner is speaking in front of a large mural depicting his father, rock legend Carlos Santana. The painting, titled “Para la Misión” (To the Mission), was completed in 2014 by Mel Waters. Carlos Santana came up in the Mission, a section of San Francisco known for its Hispanic cultural heritage and rich art scene. The 16-foot wide spectacle is flanked with Aztec motifs, emanating “a Chicano vibe, which is the heart and soul of the Mission,” Santana shared.
Next to Santana is legendary artist Ricardo Richey, better known as Apexer, the owner of San Pancho Cannabis Club. As fate would have it, the dispensary is located on the same block as Para la Misión and just across from an Apexer street sign tag left from the early 1990s. It’s rare that the tag lasted as long as it has, in a way marking territory for the pot shop he’d one day own.
“Being an equity partner in this shop, it was really important to bring that culture, those stories, into the shop and into different programs that we have planned out,” Apexer said, pointing to the walking tour as an example.
Santana found himself in the cannabis space post-COVID. Business partner Vincenzo Carrano suggested they create a brand that honored Santana’s Mexican roots while blending “ancient wisdom with modern medicine.” The pair connected with Sonoma Hills Farm to bring Vaya to the world. The sungrown flower comes in pre-roll singles and multi-packs as well as eighths, with San Pancho set to be one of the first retailers to carry the product.
It was only fitting that the brand launch would highlight the neighborhood that was so influential in the path to both companies’ inceptions.
“We’re coming back up…”
Fast-forward to that sunny San Francisco evening. Santana and Apexer are chatting with several guests ahead of the walking tour. The Sonoma Hills Farm team is in attendance, handing joints to an excited crowd. For the farm’s founder, Mike Harden, the event is not just a chance to showcase a new brand but a way to shine a positive light on a city that’s befallen dark times post-COVID.
“A lot of our hospitality businesses are struggling,” Harden explained. “The restaurants have been down. So the mayor has been out trying to revitalize (and) get people out in the streets. So we thought it’d be super cool to do a little interconnectivity.”
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After a primer on the neighborhood’s creative legacy, beginning with Para la Misión and Apexer’s own work, the crowd sets off, trailed by a cloud of smoke. They eventually make their way to Clarion Alley, an artistic epicenter of the Mission.
Murals coat the path, and not one speck of wood or brick is left untouched. Some works speak to the current sociopolitical climate, holding space for the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. Other pieces are more abstract, challenging spectators to contemplate their own interpretations and engage in a dialogue with one another. Many commemorate the legacy of the Mission itself, telling the story of a neighborhood and city that continues to rise above struggle and despair.
“If you read something in an article, and you don’t actually walk the streets, you don’t know,” Apexer said, encouraging people to see and feel the spirit of the Mission for themselves. “Every major city has its ups and downs. So we just went in with a low, and we’re coming back up.”
After a bit of reflection in Clarion Alley, the group ended their walk at Tacolicious Bar Mosto. Mexican-style smashburgers, veggie tacos, and boozy Pink Jesus ice cream floats, courtesy of Sonoma Hills Farm, flowed through the packed restaurant. It was the perfect end to an evening in the heart of the Mission, filled with lively discussion and exuberance the city so desperately needs.
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The Vaya launch was truly everything cannabis should be about: community, legacy, and paying respect to those who came before. By choosing to celebrate and honor the history around them that begat where they are today, Santana, Apexer, and their colleagues are a shining example of legal weed done right. Other brands may want to pay attention, as the authenticity and love felt that evening in San Francisco was a true breath of fresh air.
