Divisadero’s Obsidian Dispensary Serves the Beating Heart of The City

If SF Space Walk is about discovering the city one neighborhood at a time, Obsidian belongs high on the list. The Divisadero dispensary at 1017 Divisadero St. is an SF Space Walk 2026 sponsor with a story that goes deeper than a good menu or a good corner. The two-year-old equity-owned Obsidian reflects the corridor it calls home: diverse, energetic and full of regulars from every walk of life. Owner Alex Asefaw said Divisadero is “buzzing,” and so is the customer base.

“We’ve got all age groups, all backgrounds, professional, and everything in between,” he said, adding that the mix of food, culture and nightlife on Divisadero mirrors the people who walk into the store.

Asefaw grew up in the Western Addition/Fillmore area, about three blocks from the store. He got arrested for possession, which qualified him to be an equity applicant under the city’s unique program. He said he owns the business 100% outright. Credit goes to help from the City for providing education and guidance through three and a half years of permits, paperwork and risk. The dispensary now occupies a former laundromat that had sat vacant for four years. Asefaw and his mother once washed clothes there.

“It’s home,” he said. “There’s a barbershop next door that I used get my haircut in.“

“I have this conversation all the time where people feel motivated that one of their own is doing something to this degree in the neighborhood. Because it almost seems unreal for a lot of people who may have started out just selling grams or whatever the case,” Asefaw said.

That story also shapes the name. On Obsidian’s official website, the store describes obsidian as a “deep dark and beautiful black hue” and a symbol of “black strength, resilience and beauty.” Alex, who has Eritrean heritage, said the stone represented something “black and beautiful,” as well as a life forged through hardship into something strong and polished on the other side.

Inside, Obsidian aims for a different vibe than the cold, over-secured dispensary model. Alex described it as open-floor, “bodega style,” with room to browse, a relaxed tone and a focus on destigmatizing cannabis retail.

The menu follows the same philosophy: broad selection, broad price range, and a willingness to listen when locals ask for something specific. Official menu and deal pages show flower, pre-rolls, cartridges, edibles, extracts and Wednesday promotions, while Alex says popular picks include Fig Farms and UpNorth pre-rolls, Moon Valley flower, Wyld and Camino gummies, Jetty and Raw Garden vapes, and affordable entry-level options for quick after-work stops.

Because it’s Divisadero, the visit doesn’t have to end at the counter. Alex recommends making a neighborhood loop of it with Bean Bag Cafe by day, Waziema for Ethiopian food and late-night energy, The Independent for live music, Emporium for arcade-bar fun, and Madrone for nightlife.

For SF Space Walk readers, that is the appeal of Obsidian: a modern neighborhood dispensary with real roots, real comfort, and a front-row seat to one of San Francisco’s liveliest corridors.