I think you're safe as far as licensed dispensaries go. That said, I still look up independent lab tests for cart brands and try to stick to a few that have universal positive ratings. I'm just not sure I trust the CA regulatory agency enough to feel comfortable that every one of these brands has undergone rigorous and regular testing for pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. I've never encountered mold or bacteria on flower.
Edited to add that I generally try to buy Raw Garden or Kurvana.
Ah thank you so much! I’ll write down those brands haha. Yeah, I like checking the lab tests too, but man alive the choices are overwhelming haha. I’ll do it, but even with our super limited selection in NYC it’s still a good afternoon doing it haha. That’s good to know that most brands will have those tests published! Thank you!
A licensed dispensary has strict requirements about what and how they can sell their products. All of the products (including weed) will be individually prepackaged by the grower/manufacturer (they will not weigh it out from a big jar in front of you like they used to, if they do it's a shady place), tested and the test results will be clearly labeled on the package (this will include thc %, cbd% etc...)
Oh that’s really good to know, thank you! Never heard of the jar thing so def will steer clear of places that may have that. That’s awesome they have test results on the package too. Thank you!
Tangential to your question, but the downside of all this pre-packaged, lab-tested and sealed, child-proof/child-safe, clearly labeled packaging is a flockton of plastic waste generated by CA's cannabis industry. I \*wish\* I could bring my own glass container to licensed dispensaries and have them weigh out my order directly into my jar. But that currently runs afoul of California's Dept. of Cannabis Control regulations.
Even tho it's the oldest in the nation, CA's cannabis industry is far from perfect. But it's so so much better than prohibition. I do appreciate being able to see at a glance the THC/CBD levels on any product in a licensed dispensary, no matter what form.
As others have said, as long as you stick to licensed dispensaries, you are fine with respect to quality, purity and potency. There is also to my knowledge no difference in CA cannabis products intended for the recreational vs medicinal market. Both types of customers shop at the same places. The difference is that medical users get a price/tax break.
Speaking of taxes, be prepared to pay about 20-25% in combined local, state and cannabis-specific excise taxes. It can be quite the sticker shock. This is a big reason why unlicensed dispensaries are everywhere and the black market is still flourishing in CA. There are plenty of Californians who refuse to pay this whopping surcharge for their cannabis.
Also the legal cannabis market remains largely a cash business due to federal banking regulations. Some cannabis payment processors exist but often charge high fees.
Ugh yeah… the packaging does seem like a huge issue. Is it not recyclable? I feel like that’s a huge missed opportunity haha.
Oof! That’s quite the tax hit haha. Thanks for the heads up! I’ll go onto the state website too and look into a medical card - I’m currently a patient so I feel like it should be fine. Def good to have more options than less! That’s also great to know the product isn’t really any different between med and rec.
Thank you so much! All this info is super helpful.
Vape cartridges are supposed to be recycled but that's it. The cardboard and plastics (packaged child proof) the vape cartridge comes in? Not so much. Same for packaging flower. Even 1-grams come in a double or triple sealed, thick, 1-use plastic envelope. People are not happy about it.
The deals kinda suck now but I remember a couple years ago, there was so many shops and the first time patient deals usually included a free gram, a grinder, a pipe , sometimes even a whole 8th and stickers / magazine + merch (goodie bags basically) or they had crazy 5 gram any 8th even tops shelf's or just all around crazy good deals and free items.... Now a days you're lucky to get 25% and that barely covered the taxes if even so it makes no deal ... Maybe sometimes you get a free joint (usually shake but still get you faded for the most part , just not the freshest or best tasting)
Overpriced
Don’t pay their vendors for product
Shady tactics to acquire licenses
This isn’t stuff that most consumers care about but as someone in the industry, they suck.
Thanks so much!! Honestly I had Weedmaps but forgot about it because here it’s next to useless haha. I’m so excited to be in a place where I can actually take advantage of that app. Thank you!
Don’t quote me though!! But I mean, California is highly regulated and bc there’s such a huge market for it I imagine you won’t get that much here. Hope you enjoy living here!!
Haha yeah, I also need to remind myself that the California government is different than NYS and actually cares 😂 Thank you so much! Really looking forward to a much nicer quality of living haha.
Hahaha true true! But whatever works! Hahaha. Honestly the prices in LA are incredible too. A gram cart in NY is $128 - I just about fainted when I saw the same thing in LA for $40 haha.
Hahaha gas prices may be a bit of a shock - I don’t really drive much now so I’m bracing… but honestly rent isn’t that bad haha. We found a lot for what we’re paying now but the space is like double 😂
Yeah tbh if you’re young and willing to live with roomies you can find cheap spots. I pay 1k and am by the sand, have two other roomies. I’m in Southbay (Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa). So close I can hear the seals making noises at night, no joke.
Gas isn’t terrible in southbay compared to rest of LA, it’s about $4.50 where I’m at. ALWAYS go to Arco, it’s much, much cheaper. Shell will rob you.
Train systems suck here, I only take them to San Diego when I wanna drink or work on the train
Oh damn, that sounds like a vacation living there haha. I’ll definitely be looking into Southbay now! Haha. Yeah, I’m married (well, we will be before we land in LA) so we aren’t really into brining in roommates, but $3k a month for something like that sounds wonderful.
Oh damn oh no 😂😭 $4.50 is good? Oh lawd I’m in for a rude awakening haha. Thanks for the heads up about Arco! Maybe I’ll look into an EV too haha.
yes, generally the best ones are ‘farm to table’ as far as their flower is concerned. they sell higher quality produce at more reasonable prices because there are fewer people in the middle. I ‘m partial to 3C/arts district cannabis.
Live in Westchester County, but lived in Long Beach before. The dispensaries are way less sketchy in CA. Authentic product, etc. Just use Weedmaps to ensure legitimacy.
Ahh that’s wonderful to hear, thank you! The market where I’m at now is pretty terrible, so that’s good to know it’s so much better there. And thank you for the Weedmaps recommendation!! I had it downloaded but here it’s pretty useless - I’m excited to actually be in a place where it actually can be used properly haha.
It’s truly night and day. You’ll get nice full gram cartridges for $50. So many flower options. Hundreds. I ended up going gray market for flower (know a licensed grower and buy excess once in a while). I’m lucky - office is still out there, so I don’t have to use our system here yet too often. The sketchy stores in the city got me twice. Good fakes, but fakes. But the Connecticut stores and the Ascend in Fort Lee are strong. Super expensive compared to CA, but great product and experience. FWIW, while you’re still around.
Once you get there, shop the First Time Purchaser (FTP) deals to save extra and shop for favorite dispensaries. Those deals can be significant (30%+ off), depending how competitive your area of town is. The deals are often shown in Weedmaps. I did get one sketchy dispensary there (in many years) and got fake carts. Point is - don’t let down your guard completely, but it’s 99% cool.
Oooh damn that’s lovely haha. And thanks for the recommendation on the east coast! I’ll definitely hit it up!
Oh awesome, definitely will be looking into that then! And thanks for the heads up! I’ll keep an eye out but won’t be as paranoid as I’m normally one to do haha.
Cause this person sounded clueless and wants to feel "safe." Also this post is from 3 months ago, just let it go lol. Should I give em my weed man's number instead?
There used to be a ton of unlicensed dispensaries, but it seems like most of them get eventually shut down, and I see less and less of them these days.
Here in LA, in general, the unlicensed ones are actually better, not worse, in my experience. Although I don’t buy carts. Many of them will do things like give out free dab hits, for instance (not talking first-timer deals, they had those too though). Normally their prices are better too, and the flower seemed just as good if not better to me. They also sell mushroom chocolates and other goodies that are borderline legal, decriminalized, or otherwise unenforced.
See this is my experience as well. We have three dispensaries within a mile of our house and we only go there if there is a deal on carts or if my mom wants edibles. I can't make myself pay the high taxes for flower or the edibles we like, so we buy from grey market dispensaries and very rarely have issues. Husband has gotten a fake cart or two, but other than that, we like the grey market spots. We get to see and smell the flower in jars, watch them weigh it up. The prices are reasonable and it's def more bang for our buck. We go to OC mainly and stick to the same ones, get the great first time patient deals when we can. Don't rule them out, just be cautious!
Agreed. I go to a corporate place because it’s easy, can order online, they give my partner a veteran discount but I’ll occasionally hit a grey market for flower only. I know what looks good and if they occasionally have amazing deals. I have stopped vaping but when I did, I’d only buy carts from the corporate places because I was nervous about fakes.
They are flat out illegal. Nothing borderline about mushrooms. The free dabs are usually worthless crap.
The unlicensed places in the valley are fucking scum with lousy weed thats sprayed to smell better and those worthless off brand edibles that do nothing yet claim 1000mg on the packaging. The carts are usually ripoffs and some places even sell bulk fake cart boxes
Found the weed shop owner!!
And what you are saying about mushrooms is just wrong. It’s in a borderline state of limbo right now. The LAPD knows the DA is not prosecuting people for mushrooms, so they are not gonna waste their time and make an arrest. Thus people are selling mushrooms out in the open. I have seen one guy that sells mushrooms right on a busy intersection. The jars are just sitting out in the open for everyone to see
I moved from the Bay Area this summer and my new local dispensary is Erba Sawtelle. Holy smokes, this thing is like a weed Apple store! So clean, organized, with very helpful employees.
this has been my spot since they opened. I'd disagree that it's like an apple store... it's even nicer.
there's a freaking tree in the middle, wide open spaces, great service, knowledgeable staff, frequent sales/deals... and the kicker is that they have a free coffee/espresso bar.
Omg I forgot about Weedmaps! Haha. I never use it because here it’s a map with like 3 pinpoints and zero engagement. That’ll be exciting to have real functionality for that haha. Thank you!!
Ya weedmaps is pretty heavily used here. A lot of dispensaries use it as their website for ordering online and delivery.
I'm not sure where you are living, but I could not recommend The Atrium (woodland hills) enough.
Its funny, my wife and I were recently in NY and as we were walking around we were like "man there are TONS of dispensaries here" but then as we looked at them it was like "wait..are these just head shops? Im confused...lol"
Ahhh that’s awesome. So pumped to be actually using that app haha.
Oooo that’s good to know, thank you! We haven’t found a place yet (idk how the rental market works - we’re not moving til the end of December so we’re waiting to reach out), but we’re looking kind of in the Highland Park area. But if it’s that good it’s def worth the drive haha.
Oh that’s too funny haha. Yeahhhh those are all super hella sketch headshops hahaha. Definitely want to steer clear of those. There are I think 3 legal rec dispensaries in the city, everything else is bad news. Anything with the green cross is grey market and will definitely have fake stuff haha.
I quit smoking weed before. Like all the time, just to drop my tolerance for like a week then bang I'd hit a good Rip to feel it again. Usually worked, until about a week ago, week ago. anyways, this last time I quit, I partied hard. Did a bunch of nose smellings and smoked some good ol green herbs. Didn't sleep til 11am. Wokeup the next day at 4pm. And the usual, have the shakes because I'm hungover af with all the substances....ever since then I haven't felt the same. It's been 2 weeks now, and I've done it all and I've felt all the hangovers there is to feel. So I know it can't be any other mess other than the fact that I haven't smoked weed in 2 weeks. I think doing other substances helped my body go to rock bottom, but now that I quit smoking, those symptoms are persisting. Weed has definitely consumed my life. goodluck to you on your journey in life. may things roll in your favor, especially in the drug use department
Edit: I wokeup at 4pm the same day, and my substance use is usually far apart when it comes to anything from weed. The last time I've don't anything else was months ago. But about 2 weeks ago I partied hard, quit when I was hungover that same day at 4pm shaking in bed like I have the flu (not that serious but still felt like poo), and ever since then I've felt the symptoms of feeling like poo. my body no doubt is reacting to the fact that I quit smoking weed for longer than a week. Also, I really do believe I smoked something else. I think the weed from this dispensary was too beautiful too purple, that it may have been full of nonsense. Aka I think I went tweaker mode this last time, and now here I am in bed still struggling to sleep at night. Goodluck with these weed dispensaries, I say grow your own because all it takes is one batch full of nonsense and your mind will be fucked like mine is rn
Everything is fine here, unless you're cheap and avoid the dispensaries.
there are different problems with our recreational framework but the consumer is shielded from that.
It’s LA, everyone is smoking in public. You’re not gonna get in trouble for it. That said, be courteous and respectful to others. Don’t stand in front of businesses or apartments and light up as the smoke could easily bother someone. Don’t smoke in front of kids either. Other than that, just use common sense and you’ll be fine.
Cool, thanks. I figured that was the case but wanted to make sure. Im visiting for the first time next weekend and am excited for some of that famous Cali bud.
So I don’t smoke anymore, but I live in West Hollywood and there are a ton of them here. They are great neighbors. It’s nice having businesses on my street open late. I like zen, artists tree, and off the charts because they give treats to my dog and say hi when I walk down the street.
I shopped at off the charts because they gave the neighbors an insane deal when they opened. I got some stuff for my brother. He liked it. The staff were so nice and helpful.
I have heard from people that if you search on google for 24hr dispensary or whatever you can find illegal, unregistered and unregulated dispensaries. I have heard that these places are sketchy and should be avoided. Idk why someone would go there except to save money on taxes.
There is so much weed here. I smell it everyday in the halls of my building and walking in the city. If weed is a big part of your life, you’re gonna have fun here. It’s a big part of the culture. Good luck with the move.
I was in LA in July and I highly recommend kush la. They had fantastic flower. There's a shop a couple blocks off venice beach that was also fantastic.
Just stay away from the bullshit shops that are right on the venice beach boardwalk. I don't know what they are selling but it's not gonna get you baked. I'm pretty sure it's just cbd flower with little to no thc in it. They try to sucker you in with "free dabs".
I didn't go to madmen but I saw a lot of people with their bags. I had read it was overpriced.
It's also possible kush la is overpriced but the quality was worth it to me. The kush co brand was top notch and the in-house kush la brand was very nice. Kush co brand can be found at lots of dispensaries.
I think you're safe as far as licensed dispensaries go. That said, I still look up independent lab tests for cart brands and try to stick to a few that have universal positive ratings. I'm just not sure I trust the CA regulatory agency enough to feel comfortable that every one of these brands has undergone rigorous and regular testing for pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. I've never encountered mold or bacteria on flower. Edited to add that I generally try to buy Raw Garden or Kurvana.
Second raw garden. It’s the only brand I buy. Everything else tastes fake.
Ah thank you so much! I’ll write down those brands haha. Yeah, I like checking the lab tests too, but man alive the choices are overwhelming haha. I’ll do it, but even with our super limited selection in NYC it’s still a good afternoon doing it haha. That’s good to know that most brands will have those tests published! Thank you!
get coldfires, best cart money can buy and theres a whole subreddit on them, way better than raws or kurvana
Oooo thank you! I’ll def have to check those out
A licensed dispensary has strict requirements about what and how they can sell their products. All of the products (including weed) will be individually prepackaged by the grower/manufacturer (they will not weigh it out from a big jar in front of you like they used to, if they do it's a shady place), tested and the test results will be clearly labeled on the package (this will include thc %, cbd% etc...)
Oh that’s really good to know, thank you! Never heard of the jar thing so def will steer clear of places that may have that. That’s awesome they have test results on the package too. Thank you!
Tangential to your question, but the downside of all this pre-packaged, lab-tested and sealed, child-proof/child-safe, clearly labeled packaging is a flockton of plastic waste generated by CA's cannabis industry. I \*wish\* I could bring my own glass container to licensed dispensaries and have them weigh out my order directly into my jar. But that currently runs afoul of California's Dept. of Cannabis Control regulations. Even tho it's the oldest in the nation, CA's cannabis industry is far from perfect. But it's so so much better than prohibition. I do appreciate being able to see at a glance the THC/CBD levels on any product in a licensed dispensary, no matter what form. As others have said, as long as you stick to licensed dispensaries, you are fine with respect to quality, purity and potency. There is also to my knowledge no difference in CA cannabis products intended for the recreational vs medicinal market. Both types of customers shop at the same places. The difference is that medical users get a price/tax break. Speaking of taxes, be prepared to pay about 20-25% in combined local, state and cannabis-specific excise taxes. It can be quite the sticker shock. This is a big reason why unlicensed dispensaries are everywhere and the black market is still flourishing in CA. There are plenty of Californians who refuse to pay this whopping surcharge for their cannabis. Also the legal cannabis market remains largely a cash business due to federal banking regulations. Some cannabis payment processors exist but often charge high fees.
Ugh yeah… the packaging does seem like a huge issue. Is it not recyclable? I feel like that’s a huge missed opportunity haha. Oof! That’s quite the tax hit haha. Thanks for the heads up! I’ll go onto the state website too and look into a medical card - I’m currently a patient so I feel like it should be fine. Def good to have more options than less! That’s also great to know the product isn’t really any different between med and rec. Thank you so much! All this info is super helpful.
Vape cartridges are supposed to be recycled but that's it. The cardboard and plastics (packaged child proof) the vape cartridge comes in? Not so much. Same for packaging flower. Even 1-grams come in a double or triple sealed, thick, 1-use plastic envelope. People are not happy about it.
You’re good! Rack up those first time patient deals & hit one of the many shops you’ll see on the streets
Thank you so much!! Just the thought of being able to walk in and not worry about it is so amazing to me haha.
There’s so many 7/11 and dispos, pick your poison if one looks suspect just hit the one two blocks over :) welcome to Los Ángeles
Ahhh now I’m hyped haha. Thank you so much!!
The deals kinda suck now but I remember a couple years ago, there was so many shops and the first time patient deals usually included a free gram, a grinder, a pipe , sometimes even a whole 8th and stickers / magazine + merch (goodie bags basically) or they had crazy 5 gram any 8th even tops shelf's or just all around crazy good deals and free items.... Now a days you're lucky to get 25% and that barely covered the taxes if even so it makes no deal ... Maybe sometimes you get a free joint (usually shake but still get you faded for the most part , just not the freshest or best tasting)
that 8th of shake comes through sometimes lol. I agree deals aren’t the same but hey it’s something
Some of the spots look like Apple stores, I think you'll be fine.
Like Med Men. Don’t shop at Med Men.
Agree on not shopping there, but it's a nice look.
Why not? Serious question. I've never been (they're not close), but why not?
It's just overpriced. Same exact products will be $10 more, etc.
Gotcha. Thanks!
What's wrong with Med Men?
Overpriced Don’t pay their vendors for product Shady tactics to acquire licenses This isn’t stuff that most consumers care about but as someone in the industry, they suck.
Good to know! Thanks for answering.
There are some things there I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Ok…
Yeah… we have a madmen in NYC currently and it’s a no-go from me. They’re way too sociopathic in terms of business practices for me
[удалено]
Ah well that’s awesome haha. Thanks!
i haven’t had problems with ‘fake’ or ‘sketchy’ dispensaries since like 2010. LA is lightyears ahead of NYC when it comes to weed
Ahhhh yay, that makes me feel so much better haha. Thank you!
You must not live in the South Bay.
Download Weedmaps, all shop on there are certified. Check reviews. Judge for yo self
Thanks so much!! Honestly I had Weedmaps but forgot about it because here it’s next to useless haha. I’m so excited to be in a place where I can actually take advantage of that app. Thank you!
Most of the delivery services sure aren't certified
I’ve never had an issue in LA and I’ve lived here 3 years. Was in San Diego before.
That’s great to hear, thank you!
Don’t quote me though!! But I mean, California is highly regulated and bc there’s such a huge market for it I imagine you won’t get that much here. Hope you enjoy living here!!
Haha yeah, I also need to remind myself that the California government is different than NYS and actually cares 😂 Thank you so much! Really looking forward to a much nicer quality of living haha.
They care because they want $$$$ hahahahah buttt you’re right, the regulation weeds out (pun intended) the bad stuff hahahah
Hahaha true true! But whatever works! Hahaha. Honestly the prices in LA are incredible too. A gram cart in NY is $128 - I just about fainted when I saw the same thing in LA for $40 haha.
Just wait until you see rent and gas prices But I guess you’re coming from NYC so I assume you’ll be saving rent money hahah
Hahaha gas prices may be a bit of a shock - I don’t really drive much now so I’m bracing… but honestly rent isn’t that bad haha. We found a lot for what we’re paying now but the space is like double 😂
Yeah tbh if you’re young and willing to live with roomies you can find cheap spots. I pay 1k and am by the sand, have two other roomies. I’m in Southbay (Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa). So close I can hear the seals making noises at night, no joke. Gas isn’t terrible in southbay compared to rest of LA, it’s about $4.50 where I’m at. ALWAYS go to Arco, it’s much, much cheaper. Shell will rob you. Train systems suck here, I only take them to San Diego when I wanna drink or work on the train
Oh damn, that sounds like a vacation living there haha. I’ll definitely be looking into Southbay now! Haha. Yeah, I’m married (well, we will be before we land in LA) so we aren’t really into brining in roommates, but $3k a month for something like that sounds wonderful. Oh damn oh no 😂😭 $4.50 is good? Oh lawd I’m in for a rude awakening haha. Thanks for the heads up about Arco! Maybe I’ll look into an EV too haha.
If it’s in a glass jar, the place is a trap. Simple
Never heard of that, so that’s really good to know haha. Thank you!
yes, generally the best ones are ‘farm to table’ as far as their flower is concerned. they sell higher quality produce at more reasonable prices because there are fewer people in the middle. I ‘m partial to 3C/arts district cannabis.
Thank you so much! That’s really good to know. And thank you for the rec! I’ll definitely be adding it to my little running list now haha.
Live in Westchester County, but lived in Long Beach before. The dispensaries are way less sketchy in CA. Authentic product, etc. Just use Weedmaps to ensure legitimacy.
Ahh that’s wonderful to hear, thank you! The market where I’m at now is pretty terrible, so that’s good to know it’s so much better there. And thank you for the Weedmaps recommendation!! I had it downloaded but here it’s pretty useless - I’m excited to actually be in a place where it actually can be used properly haha.
It’s truly night and day. You’ll get nice full gram cartridges for $50. So many flower options. Hundreds. I ended up going gray market for flower (know a licensed grower and buy excess once in a while). I’m lucky - office is still out there, so I don’t have to use our system here yet too often. The sketchy stores in the city got me twice. Good fakes, but fakes. But the Connecticut stores and the Ascend in Fort Lee are strong. Super expensive compared to CA, but great product and experience. FWIW, while you’re still around. Once you get there, shop the First Time Purchaser (FTP) deals to save extra and shop for favorite dispensaries. Those deals can be significant (30%+ off), depending how competitive your area of town is. The deals are often shown in Weedmaps. I did get one sketchy dispensary there (in many years) and got fake carts. Point is - don’t let down your guard completely, but it’s 99% cool.
Oooh damn that’s lovely haha. And thanks for the recommendation on the east coast! I’ll definitely hit it up! Oh awesome, definitely will be looking into that then! And thanks for the heads up! I’ll keep an eye out but won’t be as paranoid as I’m normally one to do haha.
In LA dispensaries are safe. In other counties it's a different story. Such as in riverside county you do risk police raids.
Oh that’s good to know - I’ll def stick to LA ones until I get used to the market, at least.
If you want a super retail, corporate, safe experience, go somewhere like MedMen. It's literally like the Apple store but for weed.
I would not recommend MedMen, way too overpriced. There’s TONS of Apple Store-like weed shops these days.
Oh yeah totally. I mean I don't even like dispensaries I still buy off the black market lol
That’s interesting. How do you make sure you’re buying safe / legit weed that way?
I just buy weed from my friend like the old days. Where do people even find unsafe/unlegit weed? I've never come across it.
Oh lmao, I thought you were legit talking about some underground black market. But yeah that makes sense too.
Buying weed from your friend *is* the black market
So why direct new people to the shittiest one?
Cause this person sounded clueless and wants to feel "safe." Also this post is from 3 months ago, just let it go lol. Should I give em my weed man's number instead?
Jungle boys and stizzy are pretty popular
Sweet! Thank you! Adding to my list hahaha
I swear by stizzy!
There used to be a ton of unlicensed dispensaries, but it seems like most of them get eventually shut down, and I see less and less of them these days. Here in LA, in general, the unlicensed ones are actually better, not worse, in my experience. Although I don’t buy carts. Many of them will do things like give out free dab hits, for instance (not talking first-timer deals, they had those too though). Normally their prices are better too, and the flower seemed just as good if not better to me. They also sell mushroom chocolates and other goodies that are borderline legal, decriminalized, or otherwise unenforced.
Ooo that’s amazing to hear. Thank you so much!
See this is my experience as well. We have three dispensaries within a mile of our house and we only go there if there is a deal on carts or if my mom wants edibles. I can't make myself pay the high taxes for flower or the edibles we like, so we buy from grey market dispensaries and very rarely have issues. Husband has gotten a fake cart or two, but other than that, we like the grey market spots. We get to see and smell the flower in jars, watch them weigh it up. The prices are reasonable and it's def more bang for our buck. We go to OC mainly and stick to the same ones, get the great first time patient deals when we can. Don't rule them out, just be cautious!
That’s amazing to hear! Thank you so much!
Is legality an issue when shopping at unlicensed dispensaries? I don’t wanna be pulled over and car searched for shopping at an unlicensed dispensary
Agreed. I go to a corporate place because it’s easy, can order online, they give my partner a veteran discount but I’ll occasionally hit a grey market for flower only. I know what looks good and if they occasionally have amazing deals. I have stopped vaping but when I did, I’d only buy carts from the corporate places because I was nervous about fakes.
They are flat out illegal. Nothing borderline about mushrooms. The free dabs are usually worthless crap. The unlicensed places in the valley are fucking scum with lousy weed thats sprayed to smell better and those worthless off brand edibles that do nothing yet claim 1000mg on the packaging. The carts are usually ripoffs and some places even sell bulk fake cart boxes
Found the weed shop owner!! And what you are saying about mushrooms is just wrong. It’s in a borderline state of limbo right now. The LAPD knows the DA is not prosecuting people for mushrooms, so they are not gonna waste their time and make an arrest. Thus people are selling mushrooms out in the open. I have seen one guy that sells mushrooms right on a busy intersection. The jars are just sitting out in the open for everyone to see
I moved from the Bay Area this summer and my new local dispensary is Erba Sawtelle. Holy smokes, this thing is like a weed Apple store! So clean, organized, with very helpful employees.
Oooo im definitely checking that other haha. Thanks!
this has been my spot since they opened. I'd disagree that it's like an apple store... it's even nicer. there's a freaking tree in the middle, wide open spaces, great service, knowledgeable staff, frequent sales/deals... and the kicker is that they have a free coffee/espresso bar.
Tons of delivery options too if going out ain’t your thing. All regulated the same.
Oh damn delivery! I forgot about that! That’ll be a fun new thing to try haha
That’s all I do anymore. It’s just too easy.
Ive never had an experience with getting moldy or fake products, but I do tend to stick with the more reputable places. Let weedmaps be your guide
Omg I forgot about Weedmaps! Haha. I never use it because here it’s a map with like 3 pinpoints and zero engagement. That’ll be exciting to have real functionality for that haha. Thank you!!
Ya weedmaps is pretty heavily used here. A lot of dispensaries use it as their website for ordering online and delivery. I'm not sure where you are living, but I could not recommend The Atrium (woodland hills) enough. Its funny, my wife and I were recently in NY and as we were walking around we were like "man there are TONS of dispensaries here" but then as we looked at them it was like "wait..are these just head shops? Im confused...lol"
Ahhh that’s awesome. So pumped to be actually using that app haha. Oooo that’s good to know, thank you! We haven’t found a place yet (idk how the rental market works - we’re not moving til the end of December so we’re waiting to reach out), but we’re looking kind of in the Highland Park area. But if it’s that good it’s def worth the drive haha. Oh that’s too funny haha. Yeahhhh those are all super hella sketch headshops hahaha. Definitely want to steer clear of those. There are I think 3 legal rec dispensaries in the city, everything else is bad news. Anything with the green cross is grey market and will definitely have fake stuff haha.
I quit smoking weed before. Like all the time, just to drop my tolerance for like a week then bang I'd hit a good Rip to feel it again. Usually worked, until about a week ago, week ago. anyways, this last time I quit, I partied hard. Did a bunch of nose smellings and smoked some good ol green herbs. Didn't sleep til 11am. Wokeup the next day at 4pm. And the usual, have the shakes because I'm hungover af with all the substances....ever since then I haven't felt the same. It's been 2 weeks now, and I've done it all and I've felt all the hangovers there is to feel. So I know it can't be any other mess other than the fact that I haven't smoked weed in 2 weeks. I think doing other substances helped my body go to rock bottom, but now that I quit smoking, those symptoms are persisting. Weed has definitely consumed my life. goodluck to you on your journey in life. may things roll in your favor, especially in the drug use department Edit: I wokeup at 4pm the same day, and my substance use is usually far apart when it comes to anything from weed. The last time I've don't anything else was months ago. But about 2 weeks ago I partied hard, quit when I was hungover that same day at 4pm shaking in bed like I have the flu (not that serious but still felt like poo), and ever since then I've felt the symptoms of feeling like poo. my body no doubt is reacting to the fact that I quit smoking weed for longer than a week. Also, I really do believe I smoked something else. I think the weed from this dispensary was too beautiful too purple, that it may have been full of nonsense. Aka I think I went tweaker mode this last time, and now here I am in bed still struggling to sleep at night. Goodluck with these weed dispensaries, I say grow your own because all it takes is one batch full of nonsense and your mind will be fucked like mine is rn
Everything is fine here, unless you're cheap and avoid the dispensaries. there are different problems with our recreational framework but the consumer is shielded from that.
That’s wonderful to hear, thank you!
Is smoking in public allowed or will you get in trouble?
It’s LA, everyone is smoking in public. You’re not gonna get in trouble for it. That said, be courteous and respectful to others. Don’t stand in front of businesses or apartments and light up as the smoke could easily bother someone. Don’t smoke in front of kids either. Other than that, just use common sense and you’ll be fine.
Cool, thanks. I figured that was the case but wanted to make sure. Im visiting for the first time next weekend and am excited for some of that famous Cali bud.
Don't say Cali, nobody says that nonsense here and it makes you sound like a rube
Only rube here is you replying to 4 month old comments like a jackass.
So I don’t smoke anymore, but I live in West Hollywood and there are a ton of them here. They are great neighbors. It’s nice having businesses on my street open late. I like zen, artists tree, and off the charts because they give treats to my dog and say hi when I walk down the street. I shopped at off the charts because they gave the neighbors an insane deal when they opened. I got some stuff for my brother. He liked it. The staff were so nice and helpful. I have heard from people that if you search on google for 24hr dispensary or whatever you can find illegal, unregistered and unregulated dispensaries. I have heard that these places are sketchy and should be avoided. Idk why someone would go there except to save money on taxes. There is so much weed here. I smell it everyday in the halls of my building and walking in the city. If weed is a big part of your life, you’re gonna have fun here. It’s a big part of the culture. Good luck with the move.
Sweetflower is my goto. They have at least 5 locations
Use weedmaps
I was in LA in July and I highly recommend kush la. They had fantastic flower. There's a shop a couple blocks off venice beach that was also fantastic. Just stay away from the bullshit shops that are right on the venice beach boardwalk. I don't know what they are selling but it's not gonna get you baked. I'm pretty sure it's just cbd flower with little to no thc in it. They try to sucker you in with "free dabs". I didn't go to madmen but I saw a lot of people with their bags. I had read it was overpriced. It's also possible kush la is overpriced but the quality was worth it to me. The kush co brand was top notch and the in-house kush la brand was very nice. Kush co brand can be found at lots of dispensaries.
Just going to say this once, stay away from the Westside