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Odam News reviews Los Angeles dispensaries
Amazing! Los Angeles is a big city with even bigger outskirts known for its ability to make things “bling-bling.” So, when it comes to their new cannabis retail scene, as we discovered during our recent tour de LA, the area shines like the finest of diamonds. For example: the SF, Sacramento, Berkeley, Hayward and Oakland cannabis scenes combined still would not add up to LA's burgeoning and diverse medical marijuana distribution network. It's bigger, better, and then some.
Security and patient document verification get the same strict enforcement as up north. No doctor's approval, no exceptions. Ironically, all the best cannabis we found in LA comes from up north. It is also important to mention that the scene in LA has been made possible as a result of the work of folks like Dennis Peron in San Francisco, Jeff Jones and Richard Lee in Oaksterdam. Cannabis acceptance is a growing state phenomenon, and continues to forge ahead. I loved LA and enjoyed all the great people who make it possible. Here's what I found. ●Earth Collective 5115 Sunset Blvd. 323-668-7633 7 Days 11am-11pm Accessibility: Off street parking Voted Best in Town (tie). Enter through a gated wooded fence and find yourself in an oasis of serenity. A Taiwanese rock garden with a pond that streams from the gate entrance to this sanctuary's front door awaits you.
The variety available is guaranteed to please even the most discriminating palates with strains like Mars, Bubba, and Hindu Kush. All their mouth watering Cannabis strains are kept in tall, huge, airtight glass jars. Once a selection is made, long, cooking style chopsticks are used to pluck the Cannabis buds out of the jar and placed under a lighted magnifying glass for inspection. Edibles are also on hand. Earth Collective is currently undergoing some really nice renovations that include wooden flooring, hand crafted wooden and glass show cases to expand their current vending area. Very impressive.
●The Holistic Caregivers 1321 East Compton Blvd. 310-889-4199. 9am-8pm Mon-Thur 9am-9pm Fri -Sat 11am-5pm Sun Accessibility: Off street parking Voted Best in Town (tie). The Holistic Caregivers is one of the finest standard, medical cannabis dispensary we've yet encountered. Each bud undergoes extensive, meticulous manicuring to produce the most elegant density and form a bud could dream to have and any cannabis connoisseur would dream to have, even if just a glimpse and taste. You'll just have to go and see for yourself because all we will tell you is that they have the most THC rich Silver Haze on the planet.
●Hezekiah Inc. 6051 Hollywood Blvd. #202. 10am - 6pm Monday-Friday 10am-4pm Saturday 323-467-6484 Accessibility: Customer parking lot. Hezekiah sits atop a Subway restaurant and has a great view of local landmarks such as Capitol Records. It's not the 'Rolls Royce” of dispensaries, but it gets to the point. It's a cool location and with a good atmosphere and prices, as well. Fairly new to Hollywood, it will be nice to watch this one grow, and when traveling the Central Coast, don't forget to visit their Buellton location. ●The Farmacy
In the heart of Hollywood, The Farmacy is one of the largest cannabis dispensaries, both in area and in its variety of medical lines and strains that are all organic. Its herb collection is not limited to cannabis by any means. Doctor referrals and weekly events are among The Farmacy's services. The Farmacy is your source for all things organic. It has everything you want - even for an “organic only, herbal alternative” fan. From Chinese herbs to organic vegan juices and other beverages, The Farmacy was welcoming, clean, classy, eclectic, organic, and just plain very natural. The Farmacy sells really cool hemp tee shirts with awesome graphics. Tell them Oaksterdam News sent you and get a free five-minute massage with any purchase. Limit one per person, per visit. ●Quality of Life Activities 4323 Melrose Ave. 323-644-1209 10Am - 8pm M-Sat 12pm - 7pm Sun Accessibility: Off-street parking. Nice location, plenty of comfort and room inside to lounge and relax. The compassionate and friendly staff provides good prices and quality medicine along with quality edibles and a new line of cannabis skin, face and hair care products. Don't forget to ask about their community and outreach events when you visit. Here is where we found the best Grand Daddy Purple in town. For those not familiar with this strain, many patients highly recommend it. If fine liqueur is based on aroma and body then their GDP would be Courvoisier L'Esprit Decanter.
External Relief - Patient dispensaries offer medical products that are not seen in most areas of the world, such as this cannabis/isopropyl alcohol spray liniment to be used externally. A tincture, which has a liquor base, is usually taken orally in drops. - Oaksterdam News photo by Jaime Galindo ●Hollywood Patients Collective
Hollywood Patients Collective comes through for those who seek an artistic vibe. Pipes that stand from the ground to the sky (literally), blown glass bongs with alien creatures inconceivably sculpted within, a gas mask rigged with a pipe attachment; all these and more make this place unforgettable. Daily and random specials are also an attractive reason to come check HPC out, as are their Blueberry and Canadian Mist Cannabis strains. ●Natural Caregivers 609 S. Westmoreland Ave. 310-927-0911 11am-7pm daily. Naturalcaregivers.com Accessibility: Off-street parking. The typical price for a top shelf 1/8 ounce of cannabis in LA is a steep $75-$85. Natural Caregivers has comparable strains for $45 such as Train Wreck, Sour Diesel, and Purple Erkle. Located in a mellow part of town north of Wilshire, Natural Caregivers offers a great variety of strains that are always fresh and at a truly compassionate price. Prices speak louder than words. Definitely support and check them out. Have your Patient ID and proper identification ready, and tell them Oaksterdam News sent you for a free joint with purchase. Limit one per person, per visit. ●Hollywood Center for Compassionate Healing 8921 Sunset Blvd. 11am-8pm 7 Days 310-626-3333 Accessibility: Off-street parking. Yet another nice place to visit and experience an artistic vibe and decor while visiting the “Sunset Strip” area. They stock a wide variety of edibles and an exceptional selection of Cannabis strains such as Green Erkle, Purple Kush, and the ever popular, Sour Diesel to name just a few. ●Cancer Help Center Herbal Collective 3381 Long Beach Blvd. 562-424-HERB (4372) 11Am-8pm Mon-Sat 11Am-7pm Mon-Sat Accessibility: Off-street parking. This little gem is down south in Long Beach. Quiet, relaxed and easy going, it offers over 50 quality strains like NYC Diesel, Ice Plant, Big Thunder, and Long Beach's Finest. A free eighth ounce is available to the terminally ill; call for information on qualifying for this offer. Veterans get 5% off. Compassion in action: Oaksterdam News salutes you. Please support these fine people. Visit them today and get a free gram with your purchase. Limit one per person, per visit, of course. ●Palos Verdes Collective 716 Yarmouth Rd. #215 12pm-8pm Tu-Sat Closed Sun-Mon 310-541-0608 Accessibility: Customer parking lot.
Near the edge of California's ocean cliffs sits the gorgeous community of Palos Verdes. Palos Verdes Collective is super friendly, fairly new, and very ambitious. They are the makers of Canna-banana Bread. If you haven't tried it yet, it's tasty and effective. Interested in stocking this delicacy at your dispensary? Give them a call to ask for details. The classic Bay Area strain, Romulan, is in their catalog along with Cotton Candy. Either of these strains is sure to mellow out and relax even the most anxious and stress-filled patient. Their great selection of BLISS edibles will also do the trick. The scenic drive to this collective was truly spectacular. Nothing beats medicating with a fatty at the edge of the world, overlooking an endless sea of possibilities. Nothing! ●Compassionate Care of Studio City 11314 Ventura Blvd. 11am-7pm Mon-Thur 11am-8pm F 12pm-8pm Sat 818-506-7207 Ccscity.com Accessibility: Off street parking Just over the hills and into “The Valley” is this impressive stop. Relax in comfort is the vibe here. Great location, prices, and a fresh variety of Top Quality Cannabis await you. Among the best are Afghani, Thai, Snow Cap, and an amazing Silver Haze/Purple cross strain, it's puff, puff, goodnight insomnia with this one. ●CannaMed of Northridge
As the sun sets on the day and our tour de L.A. comes to an end, this cozy location catches both our eyes and taste buds, yet again. With a friendly staff on hand and relaxing atmosphere, who wouldn't feel right at home? Offered here are an exceptional selection of sativas, indicas, hybrids, hash and the best candies and brownies we tasted in LA. Very decent prices, easy parking, and the novelty of purchasing cannabis from a tax paying, job creating, community-minded cannabis dispensary as opposed to purchasing from a tax-evading thug truly is a safe, convenient, responsible way to finish the day. We ran out of time before we could visit these other outlets: ●AHHS 7828 Santa Monica Blvd. 323-654-8792 ●California Caregivers Alliance 2815 Sunset Blvd. #201, 213-353-0100 ●HIP 22831 Ventura Blvd. 818-225-2426 ●Marina Caregivers 3007 Washington Bl. #225, 310-574-4000 ●Lawndale Collective 14829 Hawthorne Bl. #203, 310-432-3262 ●Natural Care Collective 18341 Sherman Way #213. 818-344-7420 ●West Valley Caregivers 23067 Ventura Blvd. #102, 818-222-9212 ●Valley Independent Pharmacy 19459 Ventura Blvd. 818-345-5477 ●Trichome Healing Caregivers 7100 Van Nuys Bl. #204, 818-373-5000 ●United Medical Caregivers Clinic 1248 S. Fairfax Ave. 310-358-0212. Feel free to write to Oaksterdam News about your experience and opinions. Send your letters to “My Review” c/o 376 15th St, Oakland, CA 94612. For a complete list of dispensaries, check out our Patient Directory listings in this issue. Please consume cannabis responsibly. Support your local dispensaries and tell them Oaksterdam News sent you. |
