Kinfolk Dispensary is one of the original four of Washington DC’s seven medical marijuana dispensaries. Located in Chinatown in the center of DC’s downtown, Kinfolk has been serving medical marijuana patients since 2014, and is always stocked with our favorite cannabis products.
About Kinfolk Dispensary
Entrepreneur Corey Barnette acquired a DC pioneer medical marijuana dispensary, Metropolitan Wellness Center, not long after he founded one of Washington’s original licensed cultivators, District Growers, in 2012. After reopening as Kinfolk Dispensary, Barnette’s new venture stocked its shelves with DC offerings and got busy serving patients from the District and beyond.
When I was last at Kinfolk, the staff let me wander around and pester them with questions, though trust me, even if they were annoyed you’d never know, given how patient they were. I owe them my gratitude — not just for helping me with this review, but for being some of my favorite budtenders for the last few years.
What’s your favorite thing about working in DC’s cannabis industry?
[We] love that it’s a close-knit community in DC with the same goal in mind — [to] participate in the healing of our nations. DC’s cannabis industry is exciting and vibrant with talented entrepreneurs. When we are able to serve adults recreationally, the world will see what DC has to offer.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Kinfolk?
The people we serve are some of the kindest and most genuine folks around and make working at Kinfolk wonderful. Additionally, our team. Everyone is easy-going and prioritizes care of self and each other! Our team is talented and getting better every day. Once regulations are fully revised (expected in May) we’ll have the ability to implement our lounge concept.
What’s your favorite strain to have come through while working here, and who grew it?
Banana Mac by District Growers.
What’re ya smokin’ on right now?
Banana Mac, Gelato, NYC Diesel, and Humble Pie.
Are there any strains/products you’ve seen pass through the medical marijuana market here in D.C. that you wish would come back?
Voodoo OG and Romulan! Also: Master Kush, Light Of Jah, Pineapple Express, and Double Tangie Banana.
What makes Kinfolk different from other DC dispensaries?
Service, service, service; we have many different offerings and rewards. Kinfolk stands for so much, but especially for the idea of community, culture, and a wellness-oriented lifestyle. Our connection and rapport with the public and the service we provide is very important to us. Kinfolk is a family of cannabis lovers dedicated to bringing the best experiences to our customers. From our premium service, to in-store events and our upcoming lounge, we seek to give you an impressive experience. We love taking suggestions and feedback, and we are also a store of information. Feel free to ask us anything, and we can give you solid information.
Shopping at Kinfolk Dispensary
Kinfolk Dispensary is DC’s sole Ward 6 dispensary, located in the center of Chinatown off of Massachusetts Avenue. It’s an equidistant walk from both the Gallery Place and Judiciary Square metro stations. If you’re driving, Kinfolk’s website has information on nearby parking; just scroll down on the homepage. There’s a big sign on the first floor of the brown brick building, so you won’t miss it when you arrive.
Like most of DC’s medical dispensaries, Kinfolk has a pleasant little lobby where you might have to wait a minute or two before being invited back to the service area. Kinfolk has all available products on display for you to look at — and even take a conservative whiff of — before you make your selection. Kinfolk’s budtenders give you a personal consultation, and discuss your goals for your personal cannabis regimen, and ring you up there on the spot. If you forgot to bring cash, there’s an on-site ATM with zero fees — trust me, you won’t find a feeless ATM at any other DC dispensary. Tremendous!
You can also place an order online. Even if you plan on shopping in person, I still highly recommend that you check out the website beforehand to view the Hot Deals that might be running (for instance, there was a deal for 32% off ALL flower last Friday/Saturday!!). And if it’s your first visit, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with Kinfolk’s member rewards, which are pretty damn extensive.
It's hard to find better hours of operation than Kinfolk's: they’re open 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon - 8 p.m. Saturday, and noon - 6 p.m. Sunday.
What’s on the Menu at Kinfolk Dispensary?
Kinfolk’s menu emphasizes great products from local cultivator District Growers, with DC-favorite strains like the sativa-leaning hybrid Mumbo Sauce and indica-dominant hybrid Night Terror OG. Like the staff said, you really gotta give the Banana Mac and NYC Diesel a whirl as well. They also carry other staples, like the Gelato Cake from District Cannabis that I grabbed on my last visit. Kinfolk also gets in on exciting new drops like the new batch of I-495 from Columbia Care yours truly has been stuffing into OCB cones for the last few days. AltSol fans won’t be disappointed either; you can find many of their flagship strains here.
For concentrate connoisseurs, Kinfolk usually has a pretty good selection of both the Liberty/Strane and AltSol/Bunji Bros rosins we’ve been enjoying in our scrappy little medical market in the District. On a recent visit I found a tasty half-gram of AltSol’s Lemon Skunk rosin by Bunji Bros that I hadn't seen at other dispensaries, and which I will sorely miss as my go-to jar for morning dabs once I’ve scraped the last of it into my banger.
The edibles selection at Kinfolk is unique with items I’ve not seen elsewhere, like their oat bars. The same can be said for their topicals selection. I’m also a fan of their 300mg bottles of unflavored THC tincture, which goes nicely in evening tea or even on my tongue in the afternoon.
I do wish they had a larger offering of prerolls. In my experience as both a medical marijuana patient and a former budtender, the middle-aged to older crowd and brand-new patients uninitiated in the world of marijuana often find prerolls convenient. The same could be said about Kinfolk’s small selection of cartridges — some patients find carts discreet, and perhaps less “scary” than smoking flower.
If you’re looking for gear, Kinfolk has an awesome selection of accessories, from pipes to bongs, papers, grinders and lighters. Their pipe selection is particularly cool; I spotted steam rollers in the shape of crushed soda/beer cans with the bowls stabbed out in the center indentation like we used to make when we were greasy little teenagers. (I’m going back to buy one; this is me staking my claim, and if you buy the last one I’ll hunt you across the beltway!)
The Last Nug
Kinfolk Dispensary is conveniently located in the center of DC, is open seven days a week with awesome hours, has a killer menu and their staff is simply the coolest! I especially like that Kinfolk is proud of the products coming out of District Growers and that they feature them front-and-center on their menu. Whether you are a DC patient, or a visiting medical marijuana patient with a valid certification in your home state, stop by Kinfolk Dispensary in Washington, DC’s Chinatown neighborhood!