duke-elliott

I've long been a fan of the Jack Herer. Fromt he first time I smoked it I was hooked on the spicy, spicy goodness. The brain lifting effect is what I recommend to others who need an herbal mood stabilizer.

Well, while I was in the H-Side, I picked up some Jack. Jumping Jack Flash. Holy Cow. It was great. The come up was nice and conversational. My mind felt inspired as I explored the different possibilities of a PhD in Asian Comparative Studies. The brain candy effect lasted for a good hour and a half, so beyond the great initial kick, the high maintained a great peak for a while.

The smoke was nice and spicy with a touch of minty goodness tagging along for the ride. The high was so nice and clear I felt like singing some Jimmy Cliff or Stevie Wonder. All in all it made for a great evening.

Be good to each other and remember to-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

But Headband you're just not for me. Seriously, you were great. You looked and smelled really good. You said all the right things. You even made a great impression on my friends. But let's face it, we have no chemistry.

Your perfect blend of OG Kush, Trainwreck, and Jack Herer sounds like the perfect match for me on paper, but when it comes down to it, I just want OG Kush, Trainwreck, and Jack Herer in a threesome topped with oil. It seems like after 30 minutes with you I just want to call up my ex and see what she's up to. I mean she really knew how to treat a dude, and she did it without all the pretentious nonsense about being so awesome.

Seriously, some day you'll find a guy who appreciates you for who you are and not for where you came from. I just don't know how else to put it to you babe-

It's not you, it's me.

Rock It Out!
-Duke

So I'm really going through this, buy a gram/try a gram kick. I saw some good Urkel on the H-Side, so I decided "why not?" I have a very good relationship with Urkel's Purple Twin, but there's just something about green flowers that keep me coming back for more.

So I get the Urkel out today after sitting on it since Friday. The smell was nice and sweet, with a faint odor of artificial grape flavoring. The bud was nice and compact. The trichromes looked incredible under the 'scope. A little bit in the grinder and we were off.

The green hit screamed "I am Urkel" much in the same way Adam yelled "I have the power" as he transformed into He-Man. I was half expecting the shyest of my dogs to turn into Battle Dog, but it didn't quite happen. This is all to say that the come up was pretty fierce and fun. The taste mirrored the odor of grape koolaid, and the smoke was nice and smooth. After a few minutes my sprained MCL calmed down and my neuropathic pain was doing a lot better.

I started off with the one hitter, ducking out to take a hit or two as needed. 2 hits were providing over an hour of pain relief, so the potency is pretty good. Over all it was a great representation of Urkel. Kudos to the grower and thank you to Harborside the seller.

That's it for today. As always be good to each other and-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

But it is across the street from Zeitgeist.

So if you're like me, you occasionally enjoy meeting up with some friends for some beers. Sometimes you want to drink beers on a patio where no one gives a flying flip if you're chiefing down on a hogleg while quaffing a nice IPA. If that's the case, you head on over to Zeitgeist.

Now imagine that no one thought to bring a joint with them. What on earth will you do? Well, I choose to drink half a pitcher, run across the street to Mr Nice Guy's, grab some prerolleds, and play the role of epic hero. I wish I could remember more about the pricing beyond the fact that they have prerolled joints, but I've never really thought of them as a place that would be my regular dispensary. However, they've also really helped my circle of patient friends as we were celebrating promotions, job losses, and birthdays.

So if you're getting your drink on at Zeitgeist, roll on over to Mr Nice Guy and pick up some prerolleds. You and your friends will thank me for planting this info in your head when you're chilling on the patio.

So HopeNet is on my list of must try dispensaries for new patients that I run into. Their staff has always been helpful to me, their decor is funky, yet unobtrusive. The last time I was there they still had an indoor smoking lounge of a couch, two chairs, and a breakfast style bar. The line can be a bit of a hassle at times, but the medicine they offer more than makes up for any problems the wait might generate. They have one of the widest selections in SF and most of their meds are prices very well for being high end to top shelf quality. If you're looking to get in and out of the dispensary without collecting the odors of a dispensary on your clothing, you may want to consider going elsewhere as I have often encountered staff members and patients puffing down on joints inside. Their edibles and concentrates menu is very comprehensive, and you get the feel of being in a mom and pop style operation rather than Weed WalMart. So for all of you California Culinary Academy students looking to grab something in the late afternoon on your walk back to Civic Center Bart, drop on in and check them out. You won't leave disappointed.

-Duke

So you'e out wandering the Haight and Golden Gate Park. After a while you start to get that pain in your knee that lets you know you've done too much. Sure you could whip out your stash and blaze on the street (you are in the Haight), but you realize are still in a residential neighborhood. Go check out the Vapor Room.

As the name states, they vaporize in the Vapor Room. If you've been frequenting them for a while you'll remember the funky vibe of their old location next door, but the new location has a clean, comfortable vibe. The Volcanos sometimes have a waiting line, but most of the patients I've run across are happy to share with you if you're waiting. The medicine counter in the back is a clean, modern space that has excellent accessibility for disabled patients. I've seen anywhere from 8-20 different strains available, and their staff is very helpful in getting you the right medicine. Their hash selection is good. The Chocolate Milk is awesome if you need a quick boost of energy and medicine. The edibles are comparable to what you find elsewhere in the city.

What really sets the Vapor Room apart from everyone else is the sense of community you get while inside. You get an excellent chance to meet other patients who might not have the same symptoms and conditions as you, yet you share a bond in your medicine. Their emphasis on vaporization techniques shows me that they really care about patient health. Let's be honest- I love smoking as much as the next patient, but if Cannabis is our medicine, don't we owe it to ourselves to use it in the least harmful way possible? With this said, the staff doens't look down on you for smoking if that's how you choose to use your medicine, although I'm not always a fan of walking out of the dispensary smelling like I came from the dispensary. Wait times for the medicine counter are never incredibly long and the staff is super helpful in getting you the right medicine for you.

Next time you're up in the Haight, drop on in and see what's going on in the premier dispensary that allows on site medication.

Be good to each other, and as always-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

Wow. Harborside. The East Bay Mecca of Medicinal Cannabis. The Grand-Daddy of them all.

Where do I even begin? The security staff greets you outside and asks if you are a first timer or a returning client. They radio the staff inside and you are met with a smiling face holding the door open for you. You are then directed to the patient intake desk if you are a returning patient or the new patient orientation if you're new to the Health Center. First timers fill out the requisite paperwork and are given a tour of the facilities and the rundown on all of the health services offered at Harborside (more on this later.) Returning patients are directed to wait in line along with all of the other patients waiting to see a bud tender.

Harborside by far has some of the best selection in the entire Bay Area. The bud tenders are very knowledgeable and always have a top notch recommendation for whatever ails you. The prices are a bit higher than other dispensaries, but this is more a function of Oakland's Medicinal Cannabis Tax Policy than Health Center policy. They ALWAYS have a wide variety of good, not outstanding, clones and seeds.

The health care services offered free of charge are top notch. From chiropractic adjustments, to reiki and Alexander Technique classes, you'll find ways to complement the medicine you get with alternative healing modalities. (As an aside from a patient who has used the health care services- be sure to at least pick up a gram or an edible while you are in for a healing session. Harborside offers these services for free in an effort to provide a holistic approach to health care. They are able to do it for free through the proceeds from their medicine sales. The staff will be more than understanding if you don't have the funds to pick something up, but they will say something to you if you are abusing their generosity.)

The only thing keeping me from going to a 5 star review is the big, uncovered window facing the parking lot. When I go to the doctor's office, I am afforded a certain level of privacy by HIPPA. This means no talking about my condition with anyone other than authorized agents and strict requirements to protect patient privacy. When you pull into the parking lot, pay close attention to the dark, tinted windows on the office building that shares the parking lot. It wouldn't be unreasonable to come to the conclusion that someone in that office building could easily look through their windows and see you inside buying clones or finished meds, but especially the clones. Having been in the game for a while, I understand that growers want to protect their privacy and keep their hobby/profession from being broadcast out in the open. It would be wonderful to see Harborside follow the lead of most Pharmacies which don't have open windows right by the medication dispensing area. I don't want my neighbors or co-workers to know that I'm a medicinal cannabis patient unless I choose to share that info with them. In some ways, Harborside asks me to abrogate that choice so that they can take an attitude of "we have nothing to hide." That's great that Harborside has nothing to hide, and is quite respectable of them. However, some patients might need to keep their status as a patient hidden due to job, child custody cases, or personal preference. It would be great to see that choice being given back to the patient.

Aside from the privacy concerns, I have nothing but glowing superlatives for Harborside. If any of the staff from Harborside would like to sit down and talk with me about my concerns, I'd be more than happy to expand further upon what I have written here.

That's all for today. As always, be good to each other and-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

Wow. Where to begin...

The Divinity Tree is a no-frills, no-nonsense operation. You aren't met with throngs of practitioners looking to ply their trade on you. You aren't met with a super chill lounge area. What you get is the best medicine in the city.

From their expansive menu of dried cannabis to their superb selection of hash, you'll find what it takes to get you the relief you seek. The staff is very friendly and always willing to point you in the direction of quality meds at lower prices rather than selling you on the virtues of the top shelf. Don't get me wrong, the top shelf is phenomenal, but the 2nd and 3rd tiers beat the competition hand down. Their selection of edibles is top notch, and the hash, oh sweet hash.

If you haven't made it a point to check these guys out, do not pass go, bring your $200, and go straight to The Divinity Tree. You can thank me once you get back home.

As always, be good to each other and-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

Having spent the past two and a half years living in Oakland, I've seen it all in the dispensaries- the good, the bad, the cheap, and the expensive. Seeing that there are 4 dispensaries in Oakland, it's impossible to talk about one without comparing it to the others. The Purple Heart Center is the hidden gem of Oakland's Medical Cannabis Retail Establishments. Located quite conveniently in the Jack London Square District, getting here is quite easy from 880. The staff has always been very helpful. The security is professional without being intimidating. The counter staff has always been able to give excellent suggestions to help get you out of that "favorite strain" rut that we all eventually run into. They occasionally have what I would consider to be the best clones in Oakland. The only thing stopping me from giving them the full 5 stars is the somewhat spotty availability of clones. I have personally never spent more than 5 minutes in line, waiting to see the expansive menu of goods up close and personal.

I also can't say enough about their respect for patient privacy. If you've been to the "big guys" in Oakland, you might have felt like me and been a bit skeeved-out about waiting in line and getting your medicine with a huge, uncovered window back behind you. Couple that open window with the office building in the parking lot with super dark windows and you too may have felt a bit paranoid about conducting legit business with an organization that is trying its best to be the premier dispensary in the country. As far as The Purple Heart goes, I've never felt anything but safe and secure at this gem of a red-headed step child in Oakland.

That's it for today. Be good to one another and as always-
Rock It Out!
-Duke

Not sure how regularly they have them in, but when the Purple Heart has their Purple Erkel clones in, you'd better get on it. Last time I picked some up, I decided to run a little experiment on them. 4 clones went right in the soil and were put under 12/12 lighting in a 4x1000w HPS set up. The rest were put in the veg room and given 3 weeks to do their thing. The 4 that went direct to flowering each produced about 1.5-2 oz each with about 8.5 week of flowering. The rest that were given time to veg a bit were in the 2-3oz per plant range on yield after 8 weeks of flowering.

Everyone has their style of growing along with their go-to nutrient blend. I was kicking myself in the butt for not making sure to take some cuttings of the plants that spent 3 weeks in the veg room. The reason being that these clones produced some of the stickiest, purple buds I have ever had the pleasure of growing. I live with a laundry list of chronic health issues, and this purple erkel did the trick for everything but depression. My friends that grow were all trying to get me to come off some of my purple goodness, but when you get something this good, you keep it for head stash.

Well, that's all for today. As always be good to each other and be sure to-
Rock It Out!
-Duke