Iconic Music Store Becomes Dispensary

Amoeba Music, the iconic record store in Los Angeles, is opening up a dispensary.

Amoeba’s Berkeley location already opened a pot shop. At that location alone, Amoeba co-founder Marc Weinstein told Billboard he expects to double annual gross sales thanks to the addition of the on-site dispensary.

The idea of combining the businesses came to Weinstein and his co-founder Dave Prinz all the way back in 2012 as a possible way to make up for slagging record sales, but it wasn’t until the passage of Prop 64 that it really became feasible.

“Music, in some ways, is such an uplifting product for humans,” Weinstein said, “and we thought, weed is just another inspirational product that we can get behind with our hearts and souls.”

As for Amoeba’s current digs, Weinstein and Prinz sold the building to investors in 2015 for $34 million. Once Amoeba moves out, the current plan appears to be to convert the location into a mixed-use high-rise.