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Photos by Amy Alves

Shop Review: Humboldt’s Premium

It’s all about the feels here, with a clean and classy place to get your goodies.

Going with the Flow

When the construction industry saw a significant dip after the real estate crash over a decade ago, professional contractor James Alvesand and his wife, Amy, looked toward the Cannabis biz for their next venture. Starting with a collective, they then bought a farm, Humboldt AF Cannabis, and opened a couple delivery services, Humboldt’s Magic Bus and Chico Magic Bus. But like most enterprises in this unpredictable industry, they had to close the doors and re-evaluate. They transitioned into the retail world, cranking out the build and opening their cool Eureka location in 2020, followed by this shop in 2023, where they’ve found a permanent home.

Decor for Sure

A Cannabis retail shop should have a vibe, so they took inspiration from one of their favorite network shows, “Bar Rescue” on Paramount, to create an intuitive look from a customer perspective. The result is what you see now: slat boards with vibrant colors and floating lights from the ceiling. It’s all about the feels here, with a clean and classy place to get your goodies. Outside you’ll bask in a courtyard lounge where townspeople are encouraged to hang with friends. With the covered gazebos and fireplaces accentuated by a built-in rock waterfall, it’s a great place to commune before a walk at the local Arcata Marsh.

Around Town 

For those who grew up here, you’ll remember this used to be the V&N Burger Bar. Instead of getting your grub, now you get a dub. This crew is also involved in helping the local youth by donating to different parks and recreation programs, including the FFA, which helps kids further their education in farming and agriculture.

Staff Picks 

Flower
Willow Creekside Afghani –Travis
Willow Creekside Wedding Cake –Katie

Joints
Fig Farm Holy Moly –Dustin
Widowmaker Black Cherry Gelato –Ashleigh
Baby Jetter Blue Berry Kush –Melissa

Carts
Papa’s Herb Strawberry Cheesecake –Julia
Halara Diamond Sauce Purple Punch –Colin

Dabs
Almora Farm Live Resin Badder Ice Cream Cake –Colton
Nasha Green Unpressed Hash Modified Sunset –Jarrett
Humboldt’s Premium Diamonds –Sour Afghani

Edibles
Heavy Hitters Cherry Lights Out –Leslie
St. Ides Drink Georgia Peach –Gregg
Space Gem Sweet –Brittan
Surplus Shots Tropical Trip –Justin

About Mike Ricker

The first time Ricker smoked weed was at a Santana concert at the age of 12. He then followed in his footsteps as an award-winning radio personality who became notorious for offering a stage for bong toking listeners in 9 different markets over 20 years. In 2016, the Cannabis industry came calling and the rest is history.

This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue of California Leaf.

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