# Dispensary Reviews: Blue Sky + South Lake Tahoe



## mr.greengenes (Aug 21, 2009)

I'm a rookie MMJ patient. I've been to 3 dispensaries thus far; Blue Sky Cafe in Oakland, City of Angels 2 and Patient to Patient Collective in South Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe trip was a mini vacation. I'm expressing my opinion because I want to help the industry understand the voice of the customer and improve its best management practices. Having expressed that, I have the following constructive criticisms:

At Blue Sky Cafe, you walk to the back of the joint and step into a room with 1/2 door where the budtender opens a binder full of various products. In my case, I had to sit and wait while the patient in front of me ordered from the menu. But then, a person, presumably an employee, pops in and shouts out an order. This routine he performed several times while I waited. Sort of like an express phone order to go. I understand the protocol at a fast food restaurant where you have dine-in customers and to-go customers both ordering from the same kitchen. But here, to the un-initiated, it looks like some loud mouth jerk is taking cuts in front of others. When it was my turn, I was shown sample products from the binder and chose a sativa bud for $22. Good smoke. Overall impression of Blue Sky - the operation needs work to help new customers assimilate to its business model. As I recall, the bud was provided to me in a sealable plastic bag. 

City of Angels 2 - South Lake Tahoe. Not much information on the internet about this place. I actually had to call a different dispensary to get their phone number. The gal on the phone sounded friendly enough. When I arrived, I produced my CDL, my Medicann card and my doctor's recommendation. I filled out 3 pages of forms and waited. I was then shown to the storeroom. The storeroom reminded me of a biker bar with a pool table. I told them it was my first time and I got to spin a wheel for a freebie. I 'won' a free gram of hash. I purchased 1/8 oz of 'snow cap' on recommendation of the budtender and another gram of hash. The price of the 'snow cap' was not discussed/disclosed. When it was rung up it was $50 where other products were $35/$40 per 1/8 oz. Bottom line: I felt like I was not treated fairly as a consumer. Upsold at least, ripped off at worst. And finally, I don't like to judge, but I wasn't comfortable with complete strangers handling my medicine with their bare hands. While I want to believe that everyone has good sanitation, you never know and this is how disease is spread. Solution: have your employees wear latex gloves while handling medicine. Especially breaking apart hashish with one's fingers. I was told that next time I come all I have to do is slide a magnetic card. But they didn't give me the card upon exit. The employees appear very thin but friendly. It made me wonder about certain avocations that suppress the appetite. 

Patient to Patient Collective: Same routine with the paperwork; CDL, Medicann Card, doctor's recommendation. I had a nice conversation with an employee regarding growing MMJ. I grow my own but don't get to converse with real people, mostly just forum talk. I was shown to the storeroom. The store was stark, clean and large. So large that it made the inventory seem small. Prices were about the same as City of Angels. I wanted to purchase an edible as I was already stocked up on smokables. I purchased a piece of MaryJane fudge for $8. Strong medicine. 2 hour nap. I was told that next time I come I just have to show my CDL. Friendly environment. 

To the MMJ industry: Consider following pharmaceutical hygiene standards. If you are dispensing medicine, don't touch it with your bare hands. If you sell hashish, there has to be a way to purchase the product in percentages of a gram without breaking it apart with your fingers and putting it on a scale that doesn't look clean. 

I haven't been to Harborside in Oakland yet. But I hear good things about its business model as an industry standard. 

Just my opinion.


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## Barbapopa (Aug 21, 2009)

You have to get over to Harborside, best place in the bay.  Large selection of herb, all prices are listed by color code and they almost always have something for sale.  They now have a very decent selection of clones.  They rotate the selections of clones almost daily as they sell fast.  They even have a "dope scope" magnifier if you want to take a close look at the buds.  And now that I think about it, I do not think any of the budtenders have ever touched the herb I was looking at.
What else, oh yes!  They give you a card that they stamp, 1 fully stamped card equals 1 gram of herb, or 4 cards for an 1/8.  One of the employess told my that it is better to just get 4 grams then an 1/8 as it is .5 grams more.  Hehe.  You can also trade your cards in for clones as well.


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## greenfriend (Aug 23, 2009)

mr.greengenes said:
			
		

> I'm a rookie MMJ patient.
> But here, to the un-initiated, it looks like some loud mouth jerk is taking cuts in front of others.
> 
> The employees appear very thin but friendly. It made me wonder about certain avocations that suppress the appetite.


 
well since your a rookie MMJ patient maybe you should go there a few times before you pass judgement on those "loud mouth jerks", AND the business owner that will be competing with those loud mouth jerks

and are you the anorexia police? who gives a crap if their employees are skinny.  maybe your just obese and jealous that some stoners are actually in shape...?  and their 'avocation' does the opposite of suppressing the appetite...


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## NorCalHal (Aug 23, 2009)

LOL greenfriend...I love your passion man...take mr.greengenes comments as a valid concern to the average Joe that is fast becoming a HUGE new customer base.

Let me just say this right quick...Blue sky is not about selling herb me.greengenes..they are all about the clone market. I think they only have a few different herbs and a bunch of hash/kief/edibles.

As far as taking the recomendations from "the budtender"..don't man...just don't. They are going to push top shelf(what they think is top shelf) if u ask them, and of course, it is allways TOP dollar.

I applaud your efforts in exploring the Medical MJ "scene" and becoming involved. But, as you can see, there is alot of room for "growth".

Lets get down...Clubs have been around since '97, that was when I first went to the first one on Market Street in SF ran by Dennis Peron himself. The author of 215.

He opened up the possibilities of what 215 really meant. Really meant.


So, from there many clubs have opened, and since the last POTUS election, it has exploded.
Some fun facts. You don't need a degree, or any kind of education to open a dispensary. there are no health guidlines at all. There is no goverment intervention or "codes" to operate under, with the exception of Taxes.

The punk kid who cut you off in traffic could open one up if he was so inclined.

I am a FIRM believer that this should continue, and let us, the patients/growers/operators police ourselves. The bad clubs will get put out of business just by poor management. The LAST thing we want is the goverment to say anything about how they operate.

So, yes, as you have found out, not all clubs are created equal. Think of it as restaurants man, you gotta "weed" thru some bad ones to get to your favorite place.

So, go to Harborside man and come back to this post and tell us what u think.
There is a right way to run things.


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## mr.greengenes (Sep 4, 2009)

NorCalHal,

So I went to Harborside yesterday and was very impressed. I was given the 10 cent tour. They have free 'grow your own' classes every Sunday as well as other resources. I waited in line to buy my medicine. I chatted with a Berkeley Student about the different grades of pot they sell and discussed the differences between soil and hydro. I think I convinced him to try hydro.
I ended up buying 4 different grams of Indica of which I tried one so far.

Yes, NCH, there is a right way to run such a business and Harborside Health is the industry leader as far as I can tell. I went over to the 'clone bar' but they were busy and understaffed (the wife was waiting in the car). So I'll be back for sure. I appreciate that they don't 'handle the merchandise' and have signs posted 'do not touch clones'. Too bad I have to drive an hour and a half to get there. It's okay though, I have family that lives in the area so I have good reason to visit more often. 

Cheers,
greengenes


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## NorCalHal (Sep 4, 2009)

I am glad you liked the place.
They have a few "rules" but, as you said, it is to ensure the product doesn't get mishandled.
The clone bar allways takes time, but they had alot to choose from,I am sure.


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## nvthis (Sep 5, 2009)

For the most part, I have found club employees to be some of the coolest folk around. That being said, Harborside IS the bar by which would-be shop owners should look to. However, the 2 most rude and disrespectful dispencary employees I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with both worked at... You guessed it! Harborside.


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## mr.greengenes (Sep 5, 2009)

The 'budtender' I worked with at Harborside was patient, professional and courteous. My 'review' ruffled feathers here and was removed from a different forum. Handling medicine with your bare hands and dispensing it to a customer as such is very troubling to me, especially with the flu virus season upon us this year. 

Overall, Harborside was a very positive experience.


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## 2Dog (Sep 6, 2009)

I have never been treated rudely. I have been to about 5 clubs and each has had it perks so far. I find that some are better for clones, some for buds, some for keef or hash. Some never have edibles some do it kind of depends on what I want to tget. One place in town has given me a card where every 7 eights I buy I get a free one. So thats nice..


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## NorCalHal (Sep 6, 2009)

nvthis said:
			
		

> For the most part, I have found club employees to be some of the coolest folk around. That being said, Harborside IS the bar by which would-be shop owners should look to. However, the 2 most rude and disrespectful dispencary employees I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with both worked at... You guessed it! Harborside.


 
Tell you what...if I ever had any kind of disrespect from an employee at Harbor...I would flip out. Call them out and demand to speak to the manager.

The customer is allway right. Just handle yourself well and explain yourself without being too rude.


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