allgovernmentsLIE

Even if I didn't live 2 blocks away, Have a Heart Cafe would still be my go-to spot in the U District because I always have a great experience there. Every single person on staff is friendly and helpful, the medicine is of very high quality, and you can medicate on site (smoking, vaporization, and dabbing). I'm a huge fan of Amsterdam coffeeshops, so I love places where I can take my time, roll a joint, then burn it down. It can also be a great way to meet people or have your friends join you for a smoke (if they're also medical patients).

This sounds lame, but sometimes their TVs are really, really loud. Sometimes there will be 3 different things on, and you hear all of them (plus music playing in the background), and it can be kind of anxiety-inducing. I appreciate the entertainment, but I wish they'd be more mindful of the volume sometimes... and this is coming from a 20-something metalhead ;P Imagine how elder, more sensitive patients must feel.

My major complaint would be their lack of a "menu board" of some kind. I like to see a list of available strains written out, organized by type and price/ potency (ideally specifying proportions of indica and sativa as opposed to generalizing some strains as simply "hybrid"), but Have a Heart Cafe just has all their flowers in jars across 3 or 4 separate shelving units with no [immediately evident] rhyme or reason as to how they're organized. Not even color coding. I have to take my time and read the labels on every single jar before I ask to take a look at a couple of strains; it would save everyone time if I could look at a designated menu for indica, check the names for something I know or presume will suit my needs, and proceed from there... that reduces my shopping time from about 5 minutes down to 1 minute.
I specifically reserve one star for menu organization in my reviews, so unfortunately I can't give Have a Heart a perfect score :/ Hopefully that will change very soon, because I love this spot and want to be able to give it 5 stars.

PROS:
* Great selection of everything; flowers, concentrates, edibles, topicals-- you name it and they have it in 5 or more varieties
* Friendly, knowledgable staff
* [Usually] chill atmosphere where you can medicate on-site
* Daily specials and promotions

CONS:
* No menu or organization
* Sometimes excessive noise pollution

Not the most beautiful bud on the block, but the flavor is intense! This is actually a very common occurrance at Igzactly 420. Rich, gooey trichromes can be seen upon microscope inspection.

When I first starting using this flavor, it was incredibly heavy and was great for my insomnia, but it become more and more uplifting the more I used it. This sometimes happens with me when I use kushes (specifically OG and OG crosses), so if I were to label it, I would say it's an indica-dominant hybrid (maybe 75%). Otherwise, I think it's a great flavor and I would recommend it to any patient who is interested.

This has got to be the single most flavorful indica I have ever tried! The taste is like fresh oranges with a touch of mintiness, which is absolutely unheard of for an indica (which more often than not have a light sweetness or a sour kushy taste to them)! If that's not good enough, the effect is very relaxing and more on the heavy side. The flower itself is absolutely gorgeous, and you don't even need a microscope to see the frosty trichromes all over it. The buds sort of smell like oranges too :)

They ran out of this stuff VERY quick. I went back the next day for more and they were already out! Highly recommend it!

The one thing I don't like about Shambhala is that their menu only says indica and sativa with no mention of hybrids, so I can't say for sure that this is a pure indica. If I had to guess, I would say it's probably a pure indica, though it does have a touch of the "smilies" in it (not so much uplifting, but a mood elevator).

I'm always looking for the best quality cannabis, and having already been everywhere, I was thrilled to hear about a new dispensary that opened and had to go check it out ASAP.

Before I talk about the buds, I have to say that this place has a serious marketing problem: They boast the fact that they're the first dispensary in the Financial District (more like SOMA, but still), yet their website is in flash with graffiti-style fonts everywhere, and not to mention the ridiculous name of the place. Business people have smartphones (probably iPhones), and flash doesn't work on iPhone. Even if they could see your site from their phone, they probably wouldn't feel comforted by all the hip-hop graffiti typeface. I'm just saying that they're missing some opportunities as the only club in the Financial District. But I digress.

I went around 6pm, so parking was very easy. Registration took maybe 3 minutes. The place is actually smaller than I was expecting, but it's really nice. The atmosphere is [in my opinion] cooler than Medithrive, but not as cool as SPARC. The menu is very well organized on TV screens (but it could be a little more organized), and there are several small glass jars in the counter for you to browse, kind of like SPARC does.

Everyone in the dispensary was incredibly warm, friendly, and passionate! They know their stuff, and they're excited to help you find the right medicine for you! The gentleman who helped me suggested a flavor called Tora Bora for my insomnia, which is actually the least expensive indica they carry at $33 an eigth. It looked excellent, so I had to ask why it's so cheap. His response was they just have great deals like that all the time. I'll give that response a B+. The prices cap out at $50 an eigth (with tax not included).
He bagged it in a Capri Sun pouch thingy and wrote "Tora Bora" in the very same lettering from the website. I understand now.

So I wanted to use the Volcano over by the huge aquarium, but it was in use, so I used some other vaporizer called a Zephyr Ion. The vaporizer was ehhhh-- effective, but it's no Volcano. The weed itself was PHENOMENAL!! I couldn't believe the explosion of flavor!!! Pakistani crossed with LA Confidential sure does make one incredible taste!

I'll definitely be back. Tonight.

PROS:
* Open 10am to 10pm!
* GREAT quality buds
* Cool vaping lounge with a huge aquarium
* Very friendly staff
* Organized menu on TV Screens
* 15% off next purchase with Yelp review (I don't mind telling you that)

CONS:
* Not all their vaporizers are Volcano :/
* Like SPARC, tax is not included, and you don't find that out until you purchase.

I got some incredible Pure Kush from The Divinity Tree a few months ago, so I jumped on this crop from Grass Roots right when I saw it. Aesthetically, it's a little leafy and stringy, but the color is that gorgeous fluorescent seafoam color and you can see the crystals on it from across the room. The taste is sweet: mainly lemon-lime (sweet and sour) with a hint of mint.

Good effect, but nothing sensational. Honestly, I overwhelmingly prefer the one I got from The Divinity Tree.

Pretty much every dispensary carries this strain, and Grass Roots' is probably my favorite. Though it's not very purple in color, it has lots of sugary trichromes all over the body and that light, sweet purple taste ("Skittles) that many have come to love.

I can't say it's the single heaviest, sleepiest GDP of any dispensary, but my favorite crop as far as the quality.

This has been one of my favorite flavors from The Divinity Tree (though I've loved everything I've had from there). The buds look insane, like a cartoon rendering of a badass nug. Very dark tones, though not very purple, and thick red hairs everywhere. Under the microscope, there were lots of gooey-looking trichromes all over the place.

Tastes very strong, as in potent, with a subtle fruity taste. Very heavy sedative effect that knocks out my insomnia with ease, as well as reduce my general anxiety. I've purchased this flavor maybe 3 times already because it's strong and effective. I recommend it!

The first thing to note is how incredibly dense the nuggets are; my eighth was mainly one nug that didn't even look that big, but it was still over 3.5 grams when I checked it on my scale at home. A lot of indicas I get are dense with a level of squishiness or resilience, but these are just plain DENSE (but they don't break off crunchy and powdery). Excellent consistency.

The buds have beautiful purple hues throughout, not just in spots. The taste was hard for me to classify for the longest time because it really just tastes like straight-up trichromes-- like it has a sort of kushy taste, but lighter, and very strong effect. The smoke is very rich and sometimes hard to hold in. Despite the prevalent kushy taste of trichromes, there's a subtle taste of purple (like Skittles) that reminds me very much of Ken's Granddaddy Purp.

Of course, what makes me give a strain 5 stars is not just how it looks, smells, and tastes, but how it FEELS. This is one heavy indica with intense sedative qualities that are ideal for anxiety, calming tense muscles, and just relaxing in general.

An excellent flavor! It's kind of hard to explain, but the overall feeling is very calm and gentle while being intensely relaxing at the same time.

I am sincerely impressed by this flavor! It's interesting to me how heavy an indica this is, considering it's the Northern Lights in its genetics. My understanding is that Northern Lights is usually a hybrid and not typically on the heavy indica side, but I really can't argue with the results! I've also never had BCNL, so it might be entirely different from the NL I'm used to.

The farmer didn't have a name for the strain, so the Canny Bus owner named it "Sweet Donna" after Laura Prepon's character from "That 70's Show." I think the name "Lights Out" is perfect for this flower, and I suggested it, but it only stuck for 2 days as the name of "Sweet Donna" was more popular. I don't care if it were named "Dirty Bunghole," this is one of the best varieties I've ever had for insomnia, if not THE best!

The nugs are dense and hairy, and give off a zesty scent, almost like oranges. The taste is very light, with a mild sweetness and a hint of rosemary. The effect is EXACTLY what I want in my medicine! I've been sleeping 2 to 4 hours earlier all week! I picked up another half ounce, because it's too strong to even build too much of a tolerance for. I love it. Sweet Donna is my new best friend, and I'd recomend getting your hands on it now as the farmer didn't clone it :/

I got this eighth for free to make up for the Ron Burgundy that I was very unsatisfied with.

The nugs are SUPER dense with neon-orange hairs all over. Most everything I buy is dense, but this stuff is crazy. It's the kind of weed where you put a small bead in the grinder and get a huge heap of herb out of it- every time! I could never gauge it! It doesn't smell very strong until you grind it up, then it has a beaitiful "grape" purple-y smell.

I like the taste of this bud, it has light, fruity notes. It's really a hybrid, but the effect is pretty heavy. Doubt that I would go back for this variety, but I do enjoy it. It's one of those flavors for me that got less potent the more you used it, which is not characteristic of the types of buds I usually smoke.

I think I like SPARC's better, but I like Grass Roots' better than SPARC's.

I just picked up an eighth of this flavor using my $25 off reward, so I only paid $33 (after tax) instead of the regular $60 (after tax), which is awesome because I like buds to cap out at $55 an eighth MAX and having to pay tax on top of that is a deal breaker for me. I don't live in LA anymore, and I'm not paying LA prices.

The reason I picked this flavor over Cotton Candy is because of it's smell. Awesome!! It's that stinky, cheesy, musty, dank smell, like Ingrid or UK Cheese. I disagree with the menu description of fluffy consistency, because these nuggets are pretty dense; fluffy nugs are airy and easy to pull apart, but these buds take a little bit of effort to break up.
I don't know that I agree with the flavor description of minty. Not that it's wrong, it's just that the taste is very difficult to categorize as sweet, sour, minty, or spicy; it's really more... "cheesy," I suppose? Maybe StickyGuide should add that as a flavor, haha.

My microscope inspection revealed plenty of gorgeous, matured trichromes that were either perfectly clear or hazy and sugary-looking. Excellent crop!

EXCELLENT for anxiety, and I have no doubt that it will help me sleep incredibly well tonight. This truly is some exemplary medicine, though I personally wouldn't want to pay more than $50 or $55 an eighth for it.

Get cozy, because this is one hell of a long review (too long for Yelp, even).

PART 1 (my unedited initial review):
A friend of mine has been frequenting Medithrive for a while and says she really likes it, so I decided to check it out yesterday for the first time. The signup process wasn't as quick as I was hoping, but it was easy.

The main thing people talk about when they review Medithrive is the atmosphere, and I must say, I really wasn't impressed. Not to say the atmosphere isn't well dressed, but painting the walls burnt orange isn't enough to make me a repeat customer. I'm a hard sell: I don't care about gimmicks (free programs like yoga, 4 gram eighths, etc), all I care about are medicine quality, knowledgeable staff, and an accurate and organized menu. These are the only criteria I base my ratings on, though I try to always list perks that are available from each dispensary in my reviews.

The menu is on a video screen, which is cool, but it was divided into 2 sections instead of 3: "indica/ hybrid" and "sativa/hybrid". *RED FLAG* I still wanna try this place out and get my freebies for my first time (only the edible for the Sticky coupon, they were out of pre-rolls for the first time visitors), but I am in shock at the prices. I mean, I've looked at their menu on StickyGuide before, so I knew in advance that their eighths are all 4 grams, which of course raises the prices, and I saw that all the pure indicas they have are $60 an eigth.

I told the budtender that I do not pay Los Angeles prices for buds in SF, that I'm seeking a heavy indica for my insomnia (and also anxiety), and that I do not like sativas at all because they only make insomnia and anxiety worse. I was saying this because I was prepared to thank her for her time and head to another dispensary for some dank pure indica at a reasonable price. This was after she suggested several hybrids for my insomnia, stating the "uplifting" effect as a benefit. It's a huge peeve of mine when I tell a budtender that I am treating insomnia/ anxiety and they reccomend something "uplifting," like that's a selling point to someone that can't fucking SLEEP and is totally neurotic all the time.

She looked at me like she understood my needs exactly, nodded her head, and said that Ron Burgundy has the heavy effect I'm looking for and will help my insomnia. I still wasn't really buying it, but I must admit that I was intrigued by the 4-way genetic cross of different purples. I know purple doesn't nessecarily mean pure indica as well, but I figured I would try this anyway if she thinks it will work. $50 for 4 grams is not bad at all!

3am that night; my brain is still wide awake from the stresses lf the day and the anxieties of tomorrow. I smoked 2 bong-loads of Ron Burgundy in quick successtion to get an intesne sedative effect and laid down in bed. 4am; my brain is still racing as if I were dead sober. I trusted the budtender, and she sold me medicine that does not fit my needs at all.

Today, I tried calling Medithrive several times only to reach a constant busy signal. I went to Medithrive with the remainder of my eighth and spoke with a gentleman about my situation with hopes that I could perhaps return it or exchange it for an actual indica. The first thing he said is that Ron Burgungy is actually a pure indica, to which I replied that their own StickyGuide menu names Ron Burgundy as an indica-dominant hybrid. They HAVE since edited it since this review has been written, here's a screenshot for proof: http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/satansaves/ronburgundy2.png. Caught! Another gentleman said that all of their indica-dominant hybrids are good for insomnia.

O _ O

Are you kidding me? If that's what you think, you are seriously undereducated on the uses of indica and sativa and you obviously don't know shit about how insomnia works. Indica dominant hybrids are NOT good enough for insomnia... it's like suggesting a sleeping pill that contains a percentage of caffeiene. My insomnia doesn't say, "oh, well that's 70% indica, so good enough! Let's go to bed!" That's not how it works. It's more like, "well well well! it looks like there's some sativa in here! Let's keep on thinking and being wide awake and anxious all night!!!" If you believe that a hybrid is good enough for somebody with insomnia, then you yourself must have only experienced some OCCASIONAL SLEEPLESSNESS in your life. Must be nice.

This is not a stupid mistake, this is a huge deal! When dealing with medical cannabis and medical cannabis patients, it is the partial responsibility of the dispensary and the budtenders to know the basic differences between indica and sativa, what they treat, and provide the patient with the proper medicine. If I come to your bar looking for a glass of red wine, don't sell me on a glass that's 20% white wine... that's a rosé! A rosé is neither a white wine or a red wine, it's a bastardizd blend! I asked for a RED wine, not a "mostly" red wine (I'm really a beer and whisky guy, by the way).

Anyway, I told them that I'm really not trying to be a jerk and that I just want the right medicine. I entirely understand that most dispensaries have an all sales final policy, but there are some very compassionate dispensaries that will let you make returns if you don't like the meds and I was checking to see if they were one of those.

He said that I can't return the remainder of the Ron Burgundy, and suggested I try their Burkle for insomnia. I told him as well that I am not paying LA prices in SF and I don't see the 4-gram eighth as that big a benefit. $60/4 grams=$15 a gram, $15 a gram x 3.5 grams=$52.50 eighth... so I suppose they're baaarely within the compassionate price range, though having to pay more for a 4 gram eigth isn't any more convenient for me like they claim it is... it would be more convenient if I could pay $50 for 3.5 grams.
So I left with the damn hybrid in my pocket and went to Grass Roots to get some PURE INDICA.

Despite the "medi" in Medithrive, I think the staff needs some serious education on how to effectively treat their patients unique symptoms. I'm annoyed with myself for letting the budtender talk me into buying a hybrid. 4 stars is generous, I'd rather give them a 3.5/5.

-----------------------------------------------------

Part 2:
Since that review was written, the manager contacted me about my review. He professionally acknowledged my concerns, acknowledged the mistake, apologized, and offered me a complimentary eighth (4 grams) of my choice. I REALLY appreciated that! The original title of my review was "More Like Malprac-dithrive," but that is no longer a fitting title.

I went and met the manager, a nice guy named Stephen, who directed me to a budtender and told him that I get a complimentary eighth. I told the bartender that I'm looking for a heavy, heavy indica-- the heaviest they have (I don't think I mentioned sleep or insomnia that time, I think I wasn't in the mood to talk about it or something). He said that he doesn't think any of the buds they had at that time were pure indica-- which I can't say I'm thrilled about, but I'm very glad he told me! He suggested Big Romulan for sleep, and Stephen suggested their GDP for my needs (which I didn't realize they had a GDP). I went with the GDP, as it's something of the "indica standard" at dispensaries, despite varying qualities.

The nugs were crazy dense! Check out my medicine review for it!

Overall, I can't say that Medithrive fully suits my need for pure indica (I've even come to terms with the fact that the 4 gram eighth is actually pretty cool, even if it's kinda pricey), but I'll definitely be back in the future. I went by for their Giants special (it was $25 for 4 grams of shake that day) as well as the Halloween promotion, which they initially advertised as a joint, but changed to a nice sample of Big Romulan. Sweet!

Best hours of any other dispensary in SF. Hands down. They deserve a solid 4 stars- no more, no less.

PROS:
* Open 7 days a week until 9pm!
* Convenient, discreet location
* Easy to find parking
* Friendly staff
* Medicine comes in cool tins

CONS:
* Menu could be better organized
* Staff isn't as knowledgeable as they could/should be
* No price breaks

I'm gonna go ahead and call The Vapor Room overrated. *gasp* "Blasphemy!" The atmosphere is definitely well thought out and highly efficient, the medicine is good, the people are friendly, yes yes...

It's a great club, it genuinely is, but I have trouble seeing the "single price" as an advantage. While it ensures a specific level of medicine quality, one can never be sure they truly are getting the quality they are paying for. I haven't been in a year, but I know from StickyGuide (thank you, StickyGuide) that their eighths are now up to $55.
The advantage, obviously, is knowing exactly how much your weed is going to cost, but my problem with the scenario is that they can slip in buds worth $50 an eighth here and there, but they'll never throw in $60 an eighth quality for the price, you know what I'm saying? The socialist approach to marijuana pricing doesn't work because I can't tell how "good of a worker" that weed is or if it "slacks on the job." It's all about marijuana capitalism.... shut up, you know what I mean.
Their bud presentation is well-organized: arranged from indica to sativa and color-coded labels.

There really is nothing like a leisurely day in Lower Haight though. Stopping into Vapor Room, picking up a little something, taking a seat at one of the tables with the adorable miniature metallic-green Volcanoes, loading it up, and spending countless minutes staring into the aquarium before finishing up and moving on the the fabulous Lower Haight bar scene. Ahh, that's beautiful.

The Vapor Room is a definite spot to "hang out" for an hour with a friend, if your friends are medical status as well. I spent some time there with a friend before they remodeled the place and we stumbled out of it as if we'd been taking shots of whiskey the whole time. Very fun.

PROS:
* Onsite vapor lounge (best in SF) with LOTS of Volacanoes
* Awesome location: next to food, bars, and 2 other dispensaries
* Delivery service available

CONS:
* Single-pricing: You will NOT spend less than $55 an eighth
* Somewhat static selection

(a.k.a. Optimus Prime)

Incredible. This is hand-down the best-looking and best-tasting bud I've had in at least a year. The texture is dense, but still soft and a little fluffy-- almost like chewing gum. The color is a very deep purple with dramatic orange hairs. Upon looking at it under the microscope, my first 4 words were, "Holy shit! HOLY SHIT!" It's that good. under the scope, it looks like bondage weed made from black leather and studs. It even seems like there are 3 times as many trichromes as I'm used to seeing on meds! Well-matured crystals; mostly clear bulbous heads with several frosted heads resembling granulated sugar.

It's named "Three Times Crazy" because it is bred from Granddaddy Purple, Bubba Kush, and OG Kush, and you really can tell from the effect and the way it tastes. The smoke is medium-bodied, the exhale tastes like a very flavorful purple ("skittles" taste), but it also has that sour kushy taste from the OG. Wow!! The effect starts off on the upper-side (probably from the OG) and then plunges you down into a deep, heavy indica effect.

Writing about this flavor really does it no justice, you need to try it while you can!

I came to HopeNet for the first time 2 weeks ago specifically to try this flavor.
When I got it, I must say that it must photograph better than it looks with the naked eye, because it didn't look like dank-ass $50 an eighth weed, but I know that appearance has nothing to do with effect. Looking at it under the microscope, I was blown away by it's long, thick, in-your-face trichromes that-- again-- I really don't notice with the naked eye.

The fruity smell is intoxicating, and the taste is even better. Let me tell you, I consider myself to be "King Indica", and this flavor is SUPREMELY relaxing. It feels very heavy, but in a way that melts all your anxieties away. I would go back just for more Black Domina, and I'd recommend this variety to any other connoisseurs of indica.

I don't think I've purchased any of their buds, but I went with a friend who purchased their Candy Jack and it was very tasty and lucid-feeling. You have to communicate though a bulletproof glass window, and the weed comes in the silver capri-sun pouch things.

What I like about this place is the separate area for buying concentrates, which they misleadingly refer to as a "hash bar." This one isn't isolated by bulletproof glass. Lots of keifs, concentrates, and shiva crystals of all kinds. A little pricier compared to their buds, but I recall getting a good deal on the keif than it should have been-- I don't know it it was a happy hour of some kind of if the guy was just hooking it up.

Definitely not the worst or most awkward club in the city. Worth checking out if you're in the area, but don't rush over.

If you've read my most recent review of The Green Cross, you know that I am a fan of the delivery service concept and became very disappointed when I had reason to believe that The Green Cross tumbles their buds. I began an epic online search for delivery alternatives, and was astounded by the number of services I found!

The first one I wanted to try is The Canny Bus, partly because they specifically state on their website that they do not tumble their buds to sell keif. Though they are not same-day service, you'll be VERY glad if you place an advance order with them. Their delivery is more like a bus route, and they deliver to the entire Bay Area! They deliver in about 2 or 3 days, or you could call to see when they're going to be in your area to coordinate.

The website is incredible! Very nicely organized, and each flavor has multiple high-resolution photos as well as 2 ultra-closeups of the trichromes (like Hustler magazine for weed!!) and a thoughtful, meaningful description of the flavor and it's uses. You can also add different items to your basket and check out, like any other e-commerce site! There are still some bugs being worked out with the website as it's still new, but you have to start somewhere, and I'm already impressed.

They currently have one staff member; the owner. His name is Mario, and he is an incredibly friendly, professional, compassionate, and all-around cool guy. He came to my house with a very discreet parcel that contained a vacuum-sealed pouch protecting 3 plastic containers (my 2 eighths and a free eighth of Purple Kush for my first order) as well as the tiny jar of hash oil that I purchased that was only $20.
The first time he delivers, he does an "interview" (more like friendly conversation), but it's nothing to worry about and it takes no time at all.

I absolutely despise the band U2, but I purchased an eighth of the U2 Kush and an eighth Tom's Purple (grown by a 2-time Cannabis Cup winner). The buds look, smell, taste, and feel AMAZING!! Clearly TOP quality. The free eighth isn't that great for a bong, but it's some daaamn good weed for rolling joints, and it's loaded with keif!

I will definitely be calling The Canny Bus again very soon, and I have a feeling that Mario isn't going to be the only staff member for too much longer.

PROS:
* Great selection, with different prices and potencies
* Buds are never tumbled-- they won't even purchase weed from vendors that looks as if has been tumbled
* Closeup photos of trichromes for every bud
* Very discreet
* 100% money back guarantee (obviously you can't smoke half of it though)

CONS:
* Service is not same-day, & closed Sundays

(a.k.a. 208 Valencia)

I have a friend that used to swear by this place a year back or so. I visited 208 Valencia St. twice, and walked away both times because it's just a café! I said this to my friend, and she told me that it's like a secret dispensary; You have to show your prescription to the cashier to see the weed.

Next time I was in the area, I awkwardly approached the cashier-- which felt entirely wrong, because I swear this place is just a coffee and sandwich shop-- smiled, and handed them my prescription card. He said, "OK," and pointed to a door behind me, which began to buzz. I walked into this peculiar little room that had an ATM and one of those bulletproof bank window things. The budtender was the cashier himself!

I was only browsing at the time, but I went in with a friend later and got some hash at a decent price. I still have not tried their buds, but the experience alone was worth a visit.

At the time, there were ominous medical signs on the sides of their green awning, but not anymore. I haven't been since then, but I'll pop by next time I'm in that neighborhood and see if anything has changed.

Wow. Where to begin? So I've been a medical cannabis patient for 3 years, and I've been to just about all the dispensaries (there's maybe 2 or 3 I haven't been to). I've read all the Yelp reviews and gotten recommendations from other patients, and my favorite for the last 3 years has been Grass Roots. Upon seeing their ad in The Guardian, I decided that I needed to check this place out. What initially drew me is not just that they're brand new, but that they lab test their strains to get percentages of THC, CBD, and CBN in their buds. I love the concept, because I'm a pure-indica kind of guy and I'm more interested in CBD than THC (not that THC is unimportant to me). The free validated parking also drew me in, as finding a parking spot is the most obnoxious part of going on a pot run.

It was easy to find the place, as the outside of the club is equally beautiful and memorable. After registering (about 5 minutes or less), they gave me a really cool translucent membership card to get in with. The member card has a rewards program, so you receive $25 off your next order after you spend a cumulated total of $250--an awesome perk. I suck at math, but that means 10% off, effectively eliminating the sales tax.

Excellent selection of medicine, except for there weren't enough pure indicas for my taste (no, indica-dominant isn't good enough). The menus are on large, vertical-oriented TV screens and are very easy to read and understand--which is a complaint I typically have at many other clubs. Not to mention, the counters have bud samples in petri dishes, arranged from sativa to indica. Couldn't be easier!

The woman who helped me was very friendly and knowledgable, and she helped me pick out a mid-grade indica that's equally suited to anxiety and insomnia at $45 an eighth. Instead of the typical Capri Sun pouch thingies that they package their meds in, it came pre-weighed in a really cool SPARC glass jar that seals up very tightly. This usually triggers a debate between patients: "Are you paying more for the container then?" I say the answer is yes and no. Obviously, they're not getting the jars for free, but glass is bar none the best way to keep buds fresh and protected from heat and static (unlike plastic and baggies). So personally, I don't have a problem with the glass jars, and I don't see it as a ploy to charge more (not at this dispensary, anyway).

My only "complaint" about SPARC is that the sales tax is not included in the prices (and I don't recall reading "sales tax not included" anywhere), but that's not really a huge deal considering the quality of what you get. My $45 eighth was actually $49-something.

I weighed out my eighth of Granddaddy Purple when I got home, and it was over by 2 points (3.7 grams), which is fiiiine by me! Upon inspection with my mini-microscope--because I'm a psycho like that--I was delighted to see that the buds were *sparkling* like a Christmas tree, in a way that I just don't see too often at dispensaries anymore.
All this, and I haven't even tried the damn weed yet! One moment please. *cough, cough* Ohhh yess; it's bomb. The question is not whether I'm going back, it's whether I'm going back to any other dispensary.

Pros:
* Incredibly organized menu and website--the best I've seen to date
* Rewards program: $25 off your next order after you spend a total of $250
* Highly recognizable, stoner-proof facade
* Percentages of THC, CBD, and CBN content
* Friendly, helpful staff
* Spacious vapor lounge
* Top shelf medicine comes in snug glass jars
* Free validated parking at Soma Grand garage (1 block away)

Cons:
* Tax is not included in the prices... meh
* Selection is somewhat limited
* Closed on Mondays

SPARC ran out of Granddaddy Purple when I went in a little while ago, which made me a little bitter because their indica selection is already pretty slim as it is. I chose to get an eighth of their Purple Kush, which was $55 PLUS tax. That's expensive; this isn't Los Angeles. It came in the cool glass jar, though it said "indica dominant" instead of "indica." Grr.

It looked, smelled, and tasted amazing. The effect was good, but nothing to write home about. I found it to be actually kind of... boring. Their Granddaddy Purple is much better in every way-- and it's cheaper.

EDIT 10.08.10: They've dropped the price of this strain to $49 (after tax) since I wrote this review. Coincidence?

Grass Roots has consistently been my favorite dispensary in the Bay Area-- let alone San Francisco-- for the past 3 years.

The overall reason is very simple: they always have TOP QUALITY buds at unbeatable prices. I rather like the new dispensary that just opened, SPARC SF, but that place is honestly more of a high-end boutique type of pot club (not that it's a bad thing at all, it just means select, beautiful strains that may cost a little more).

Grass Roots has something for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. Some prefer quantity over quality, which Grass Roots is an excellent place to go for cheap eighths that are bomb for rolling, but they also have several options for varying price ranges from $45, $50, $55, and $60, with anywhere from 12 to 20 strains in each price bracket! When you spend at least $50, you get 10% off... every single time. Believe me, there is a noticeable difference between a $45 eighth and a $45 eighth discounted from $50, so I strongly suggest going for the "$50" instead.

When you get in, if you have to wait before approaching the bar (yes, it's an old-timey wooden bar setup), you sit on these cozy stools against the wall with menus on them that you can look over. The menu is color-coded (indica, sativa, hybrid) and organized by price, so kudos to them because unorganized menus are one of my biggest complaint at other clubs. The selection is also evenly distributed, which is HUGE to me. What I mean by that, is it's not just 6 sativas, 5 sativa-dominant hybrids, and 1 indica, which is incredibly frustrating for me as I'm an all-indica individual. Each price bracket has about 6 of each medicine classification (like I said, something for EVERYONE).

The staff is not just the friendliest and most helpful of any dispensary, but of any business I've been to. Seriously. Every SINGLE one of the employees are incredibly friendly, personable (very easy to talk to), and extremely knowledgeable about all their medicine. I always ask their recommendations, as they're very honest and will tell you exactly what they think is good and what's not.

The last perk that makes me love going to Grass Roots is the fact that you are allowed to actually touch and smell the buds, and even examine them under the UV magnifying-glasses they have mounted to the bar.

Pros:
* The BEST selection of buds in the city
* Excellent selection of concentrates, at different price levels (hash, keif, earwax)
* Higher quality and lower price than most other dispensaries
* Open 7 days a week

Cons:
* I can't think of even ONE