Monroe2

I really like the Buddha Bar Collective’s approach to operating a dispensary. According to their website, they only buy medicine from collective members and they go out of their way to get people set up and growing their own. They also cater to those in need with delivery service and a sponsorship program for patients who can’t afford their medicine. They could use to amp up their stock and work on their customer service a bit but I like this place as a local, community centered dispensary and I hope to see them grow into their potential.

The positives of my experience at Buddha bar:
1. The location is great for me, right up the street from the Beverly Center.
2. Their atmosphere lives up to their name, it’s inviting, uncluttered, zen-like and relaxing.
3. The verification process was fast and they offered me a bottle of water while I waited.
4. The quality of medicine was pretty good. Not the best but good enough for me to go back for more.

The not so positives:
1. The customer service wasn’t cold but it definitely wasn’t informative. Both of the guys working seemed nice but neither one had much to say about the medicine they were showing me and my questions were met with pretty short answers.
2. They didn’t have much product when was there, I would have liked a few more strains to choose from.

I have mixed feelings about PureLife. I have been there once and I felt like I had two opposite experiences. The front room, where you check-in and get verified, was really uncomfortable. The lighting and decor made me feel like I was in a shady pawnshop. The girl working the desk was very stern and didn’t even sound human when she spoke. She sounded like a mean automated answering service. I was amazed that she could get through the whole verification process and rules explanation (longer than at most places) without even the slightest change in the perma-frown on her face. I was so miserable as I sat waiting to be admitted to the main room that I seriously considered leaving PureLife and going to one of the many other dispensaries in the area. Of course, right then I was called to the back room. I am so glad that I didn’t leave because my experience from here on out was fantastic.

Everything about the back room was different. The atmosphere was clean and comfortable and the service was very friendly. The guy who helped me immediately made me feel at ease by asking me if I was new to MMJ and if I had any questions. I do have a basic knowledge of MMJ, and on this day I knew what I was looking for but I really appreciated feeling like I could ask novice questions and not be snubbed for it. They had about twenty strains and everything I looked at was of superb quality. The budtender was happy to show me whatever I wanted to see and gave me nice explanations of each strain. Everything taken into consideration, my experience at PureLife ended up being a good one. The service in the back and the quality of medicine were both exceptional and this is really the most important thing. Unfortunately, I had to give a four instead of a five star rating since the first part of my visit was so miserable.