Iconic cannabis brands aren’t just selling eighths and edibles anymore—they’re building places people travel to. From Las Vegas superstores to streetwear-inspired flagships, destination-style retail has become one of the strongest trends shaping how shoppers discover and experience cannabis.
One of the clearest examples is Planet 13 in Las Vegas, often described as the world’s largest dispensary and a tourist attraction in its own right. The 112,000-square-foot complex combines retail, entertainment, interactive LED flooring, digital art, and now a Dazed! on-site consumption lounge designed with the same spectacle as the Strip itself. For many visitors, Planet 13 isn’t a quick stop—it’s a must-see attraction slotted between dinner, a show, and the casino.
Cookies has taken a different route to destination status, blending cannabis with fashion, music, and street culture. The brand’s “superstore” concept in Santa Ana and high-profile locations from California to Chicago are designed as immersive environments: bold color palettes, futuristic fixtures, curated playlists, and tech-driven storytelling that turn a simple shopping trip into a branded experience. Consumers show up not just to buy flower, but to wear the merch, snap photos, and feel part of a global community.
MedMen helped kick off this entire design race years ago with its “Apple Store of weed” approach: bright lighting, clean lines, open product tables, and a tech-forward layout that invited browsing instead of whispering at a counter. That template proved cannabis retail could look aspirational and familiar to mainstream shoppers, and many newer brands have since layered on their own aesthetics, from minimalist wellness spas to neon-soaked nightlife vibes.
Today’s destination dispensaries share a few common traits. First, they’re built for browsing, with wide aisles, clear signage, and digital menus that help shoppers compare products at their own pace. Second, they dial up immersive storytelling: origin stories on the walls, terpene education zones, touchscreens explaining effects, and product displays organized by mood or activity rather than just strain type.
Third, they create reasons to linger. Some host on-site lounges where regulations allow; others lean into art installations, selfie-ready design moments, or rotating pop-ups. Industry coverage has highlighted retailers using outside-the-box strategies like markets, themed events, and community programming to turn their stores into social hubs rather than transactional stops. That energy feels closer to a festival or streetwear drop than a traditional pharmacy visit.
Celebrity-backed concepts are pushing the destination trend even further. Analysts note that high-profile, star-connected retail spaces use architecture, music, and storytelling to elevate a visit into something fans will travel across town—or across state lines—to experience. When consumers can only get certain strains, collaborations, or merch at a specific flagship, the store itself becomes part of the brand’s myth.
For shoppers, this shift has clear benefits: more engaging environments, better wayfinding, helpful staff training, and the sense that a dispensary trip can be a highlight of a weekend, not just an errand. For brands, destination-style retail builds loyalty, drives word-of-mouth, and gives them stage space to differentiate in an increasingly crowded market.
In other words, the most iconic cannabis names aren’t just chasing higher basket sizes—they’re competing to own travelers’ camera rolls and memories. As legalization expands and tourism rebounds, expect even more “must-visit” marijuana stores to land on consumers’ trip itineraries right alongside restaurants, museums, and nightlife.