TMFR WRITES:
IT’S VERY CONVIENT THESE DAYS!!! YOU CAN GO BUY HERB, GET A CUP A COFFEE AND GO TO WORK AND SIT IN TRAFFIC AND GET HIGH!!!! FUCKIN AWESOME WORLD WE LIVE IN!!! IT’S NO AMSTERDAMN BUT FUCK IT CLOSE ENOUGH!!!
NEXT THERE WILL BE COFFE SHOPS AND WEED DINERS. WHERE US POT SMOKERS CAN SMOKE AND MOW DOWN GRUB!!! I WILL BE HYPED!!!
By Dan Skye
There are upwards of 150,000 medical-marijuana users in California. Most of them acquire their medicine from the dispensaries that can be found throughout the state. At last count, well over 150 dispensaries were already operating, and every month a few more open their doors. The dispensaries offer a variety of strains that patients can purchase over the counter. Edible cannabis medicine is also available in the form of candy bars, cookies and drinks. Many of the dispensaries also provide clones for those who prefer to grow their own medicine.
The more advanced outlets—like the Farmacy, located in West Hollywood—even provide healing alternatives beyond the scope of cannabis, including aromatherapy and massage. If you’re a member of the Farmacy, you can also purchase herbal (non-cannabis) remedies to be used separately or in conjunction with marijuana. And while you decide which of these treatments is best for your ailment, an eclectic mix of music—often performed live—soothes you. Music therapy is important here, too. The director of the Farmacy, known simply as Michael, explains the dispensary’s philosophy:
“If you were a patient requiring medicine, what would you want when you walk through the door? What would make your experience optimal?”
This is a wonderful place to buy medicine. It’s a spacious building with high ceilings. The staff is thorough and friendly and personifies the term “compassionate.” After all, that’s the actual name of Proposition 215: the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
West Hollywood is a progressive community. The dispensaries here have worked diligently with the City Council in order to ensure that business is done scrupulously. At the Farmacy, receptionists verify your membership and give you a stamp along with a numbered ticket. When your number is called, a security guard checks your ticket and stamp. A member of the staff then escorts you into the area where medicine is sold and hands you the menu of the day. Patients must abide by the house rules: leave your bag at the door, no cell phones, no cameras, no tape recorders. The entire process is designed to make the experience of buying medical marijuana safe and stress-free.
But there is a flip side to legal marijuana in California. Security guards are often armed. Dispensaries are a cash business, and the merchandise rivals the price of gold. And if you’re operating a dispensary where the local government is less than supportive, anxiety is a constant companion for owners and patients alike.