During the pivotal 1970s, my parents baked over 10,000 dynamite marijuana brownies per month and distributed them through virtually every community in San Francisco—from prominent literati, politicians and socialites to the gay community and burgeoning punk scene; even the cops lined up to score. Using original psychedelic art, mind-blowing ganja and an antique oven, one family turned on everybody’s favorite city—and got away with it all.

I was born in 1977, right at the apex. My mom packed the stroller with brownies and off we went to sell. Now, thirty years later, I retrace my mother’s steps through a very different San Francisco. I unearth the scene—the icons, the growers, the customers—and capture their memories through hundreds of hours of interviews. Together we recreate an era ruled by whimsy, personal freedom and the munchies. Sticky Fingers Brownies explores a vibrant and ultimately self-destructive culture at the extreme edge of America.

Read an excerpt from Sticky Fingers Brownies!