Store Reviews

Urban Pharm: Where the Fun Times Roll

January 24, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Urban Pharm – San Francisco, CA

Entering Urban Pharm feels like hopping into a steampunk time machine; edgy design can be seen in wall detail metalwork, hearkening to a fantastical era. This time portal re-envisioned Urban Pharm into a recreational cannabis store, as well as one of the longest-running San Francisco torch clubs. I browsed high-quality product, then took a moment to check out a bong and test some oil on an e-nail. “We want this to be a safe place for you to purchase and consume your cannabis,” says manager and marketing specialist Andrew Garcia. It’s a well-stocked inner-city cannabis club with a welcoming vibe. One could be in-and-out or stay a while. They host events like Comedy Night Thursdays and Ladies Night Fridays — the latter of which offers dollar dabs for all!

The People

Walking into their lounge in the morning, I overheard fresh ideas brewing. Urban Pharm is a therapeutic hub for artists, startup employees, construction workers and law figures, to name a few. Consultants are attentive. They only recommend products they would consume themselves or recommend to a loved one.“We try to keep the vibe in here like ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name, but if we don’t, we’ll make you feel like we do,”declares Garcia. He invited me to visit Thursday’s comedy night, where I watched the pressure of a mellow crowd cook some entertainers, while others were stand-up professionals. The activity encouraged people to get to know one another and customers at the counter to stay a little longer.

The Product

Urban Pharm carries strains appealing to connoisseurs, but people who prefer reliable, popular growers like Northern Emeralds and FloraCal can find their go-to brands here as well. Their house grower, North Country Farms, grew Wedding Cake, a strain testing in at an extremely high 38 percent THC! It sold out within a couple days. The club is focused on terpenes and offers an outstanding concentrate selection. There is something for everyone at Urban Pharm, from encouraging self-care to caring for beloved pets.

“We try to keep the vibe in here like ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name, but if we don’t, we’ll make you feel like we do.” – Andrew Garcia, Urban Pharm manager and marketing specialist

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Urban Pharm: Where the Fun Times Roll
Source: Dope Magazine

White Mountain Health Center: Healing High Up on the Mountain

January 23, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

White Mountain Health Center – Sun City, AZ

White Mountain Health Center is an award-winning destination dispensary nestled between Phoenix and Sun City at the base of the beautiful White Tank Mountains and home to Amy & Al’s edibles and Sweet Science concentrates. Decorated with cannabis art and apothecary artifacts, this one-stop shop features a comfortable waiting area, spacious product floor, express window and a medicinal merch desk brimming with accessories, glass pipes and more. In addition, WMHC also offers delivery services and hosts their kitchen and lab on site, meaning their edibles and concentrates are always fresh!

The People

Inspired by the devotion of cannabis activist and owner Butch Williams, this self-described “mom and pop shop of the industry” works closely with its patients and the community. Coupled with years of research provided by medical director Dr. Sue Sisley,WMHC’s collective knowledge and kindness can be seen at every level of the business. “We are family-oriented, patient-driven — we love our employees and we stay true to our values,” declares wholesale manager Amy Buchholz. “We take pride in the quality of our medicine and what we do, as well as taking care of — and educating — our patients.” I certainly found this to be the case as my upbeat budtender Nisha gave me a tour of their impressive selection.

The Product

WMHC’s tiered flower system offers an average of 35-40 strains at any given time, 15 of which are provided by their personal grow, featuring a few of my favorites like Pre-98 Bubba, Chemdog 4 and Grand Daddy Purp, aka The Cream. Their expanding edibles program delivers sweet and savory morsels including honey, capsules, confections and more, all of which are accurately dosed, potent and made with quality ingredients, ranging from 30mg THC candies to a 400mg THC brownie. In addition to their selection of tinctures and topicals, they also deliver an excellent offering of concentrates from their brand line that includes cartridges, shatter, RSO, live resin diamonds and their new oil syringes. I also discovered an array of industry favorites like Baked Bros, Uncle Herbs, High Grade, Green Halo, Kiva and Timeless. I found everything I was looking for and more, making WMHC a top-shelf dispensary that is well worth the journey.

“We are family-oriented, patient-driven — we love our employees and we stay true to our values.” Amy Buchholz, WMHC wholesale manager

The post White Mountain Health Center: Healing High Up on the Mountain appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

White Mountain Health Center: Healing High Up on the Mountain
Source: Dope Magazine

Wolf Pac Cannabis: The Best Buds on Federal Boulevard

January 21, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Wolf Pac Cannabis – Denver, CO

A small dispensary on South Federal, Wolf Pac Cannabis is quite easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there. Having recently celebrated its one year anniversary, it’s already one of Denver’s best-kept secrets. Although the building itself doesn’t particularly stand out, the layout inside is nice and cozy, and the flower is so good that you’ll never be able to drive past the building without wanting to go inside. I like the fact that it isn’t too crowded and has ample nearby parking, as it’s a little outside the city. It’s also in the best part of town if you’ve got the munchies and are craving some dim sum or a big warm bowl of pho.

The People

The employees at Wolf Pac were warm and friendly, even though I showed up right before closing on a Sunday night. Having never visited before, they were quite enthusiastic to show me the selection, as well as their best-selling products. They cultivate most of their flower, but have also been sourcing some more exotic and unique West Coast strains. If you’re as lucky as I was, you might get to meet Yogi, the store French Bulldog — Yogi, if you’re reading this, I love you.

The Product

Upon seeing their flower for the first time, I instantly understood why so many of my friends drive out of their way to buy herb from Wolf Pac. Even though their product selection as a whole is excellent, it’s evident that flower is the star of the Wolf Pac show. For this caliber of cannabis, their prices are ridiculous! Depending on the strain, you can get an ounce of flower for less than $100 out the door. A couple of strains from the ‘Exotic’ shelf that stood out to me included Biscotti, Gelato, Sunset Sherbet, Forbidden Fruit and Chem de la Chem. I also noticed a few of my favorite brands out of the corner of my eye, including Binske (live resin, pâte de fruit and chocolate bars), Coda (chocolate bars, bath bombs, essential oil roll-ons), Green Dot and Xiaolin Cannagars.

“For this caliber of cannabis, their prices are ridiculous! Depending on the strain, you can get an ounce of flower for less than $100 out the door.”

The post Wolf Pac Cannabis: The Best Buds on Federal Boulevard appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Wolf Pac Cannabis: The Best Buds on Federal Boulevard
Source: Dope Magazine

Tetra Cannabis: Elevated Cannabis Experience Just Around the Corner

January 18, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Tetra Cannabis – Portland, OR

Tetra Cannabis is an 18-month-old dispensary located on 40th and Belmont in SE Portland, a mere block from Peacock Lane, the official “Christmas Street” of Portland. Hopefully, some of you found your way to Tetra last month before you walked the blocks of lights for a little boost of the season’s electrifying effects! Both the owner and the company hired to create the store’s interior design wanted to elevate the cannabis experience; the result is a colorful, crisp, modern atmosphere that doesn’t feel cold or elitist. It’s an environment where you instantly feel comfortable while you peruse, learn and purchase.

The People

Brought to life by an entrepreneur with multiple Portland-based businesses, Tetra was conceived from a professional point of view. The owner hired on Kyler, now the general manager, as a cannabis consultant, who helped in the final layout and design of the store. Kyler says he and the budtenders love Tetra’s close-knit neighborhood feel and the connections they’ve made with their regular customers. Half the staff hails from prohibitionist Idaho, yet could answer any cannabis trivia question tossed their way, which gave me some sort of perverse satisfaction…

The Product

A recommendation from the budtenders at Tetra include Journeyman’s Couch Potatoes, chocolate-covered, cannabis-infused potato chips. Kyler also likes Happy Cabbage, a solventless extract, and was sure to mention that Tetra sells an in-house, terpene-rich oil for $12 and only $9 on Saturdays. Flower is proudly exhibited under sparkling glass counters, echoing an entomological display. Way cool! And if you’re from out of town with no gear in sight, no worries — a wooden box of $3 pipes is at the register for your convenience!

“Half the staff hails from prohibitionist Idaho, yet could answer any cannabis trivia question tossed their way, which gave me some sort of perverse satisfaction…”

The post Tetra Cannabis: Elevated Cannabis Experience Just Around the Corner appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Tetra Cannabis: Elevated Cannabis Experience Just Around the Corner
Source: Dope Magazine

Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy

January 9, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Project Cannabis – Los Angeles, CA

Project Cannabis first opened its doors under the name “The Plug LA” within the last year and is still overcoming its standing as the new kid on the cannabis block. Despite its relative newcomer status, it is quickly sprouting a well-deserved reputation for consistent, top-notch quality product and a pleasing customer experience. Executive vice president of operations Cameron Wald is rightfully proud of the success the business has enjoyed “growing in a compliant market,” all the while competing with the illicit competition of bad actors in the industry.

COO Cameron Smith credits the loyal following the dispensary has fostered in part to the Los Angeles aesthetic imbued in every corner of the store. “We want it to be [as] authentic to the Cali ethos as the birthplace of the cannabis movement,” he says. In this vein, the store will pay homage to LA’s rock ‘n’ roll history by featuring the vinyl records of local bands while also highlighting the work of emerging visual artists and spoken word poets.

The Product

Boasting a 36,000-square-foot cultivation facility that produces around 600 pounds of flower a month, the boon of vertical integration is passed on to Project Cannabis’ customers, who enjoy competitive prices on high-grade flower. The shop currently curates its home-grown product under three labels at three different price points: “The Plug” is the best choice for those on a budget and offers a rotation of strains; “The Classix” pays tribute to the ‘90s in packaging designed to look like a mixtape and highlights California staples such as Sour Diesel, Blue Dream and Chem Dawg 4; “Triple 7” is the ultra-premium label recommended for connoisseurs, with a “Sunday Driver” strain that tests at 26 percent THC. They also offer an enticing $99 ounce deal in a variety of strains. Whatever your budget or tolerance, Project Cannabis is holding.

“We want the store to be as authentic to the Cali ethos as the birthplace of the cannabis movement.” – Cameron Smith, Project Cannabis COO

The post Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy
Source: Dope Magazine

Cultivate: Nurturing Cannabis, Culture and Community

January 6, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Cultivate – Las Vegas, NV

Cultivate separates itself as a cut above the rest by prioritizing exceptional customer service over all else. Wisely and patiently orienting each customer by enlisting budtenders who truly listen, this collective of new professionals are always on their toes, eager and ready to answer all questions that may arise from any one of the 55,000 cars that pass their location on a daily basis, and there are informational cannabis books on-hand for answers to even the most obscure queries. Ushered in by one of Las Vegas’ most welcoming reception areas, patients are treated like old friends from check-in to check-out.

The Place

Aiming to represent the high-level service one would expect from a visit to Sin City, both visually and verbally, Cultivate provides a forest-locked log cabin aesthetic as pleasing to the eye as an actual trip to the woods. Laden with glossy, antique oak-colored wood and moss green adornments both inside and in front of display cases, the entire experience feels organic and natural from start to finish. Located at the edge of Chinatown on Spring Mountain road, Cultivate offers calming scenery, top-shelf nugs and delectable munchies within walking distance.

The Product

Catering to a balanced ratio of local patients and tourists alike, Cultivate carries an array of products covering residential items as well as more exotic offerings. Ranging from a hefty concentrate selection to a top-shelf variety of flower, such as shop manager favorite Nature’s Chemistry and fan favorite Polaris, customers won’t feel anything other than accommodated by this cannabis haven’s plethora of options. Whether you’re searching for something sweet to eat or to smoke, Cultivate will be ready and armed with exactly what you’re craving.

“Located at the edge of Chinatown on Spring Mountain road, Cultivate offers calming scenery, top-shelf nugs and delectable munchies within walking distance.”

The post Cultivate: Nurturing Cannabis, Culture and Community appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Cultivate: Nurturing Cannabis, Culture and Community
Source: Dope Magazine