Portland-Area Dispensaries

Alberta Green House

1313 NE Alberta St., 954-3900, thealbertagreenhousedispensary.com.

A charming little bungalow in the heart of the Alberta Arts District, with plenty of flower and shatter, and an absolute wealth of truffles, ginger snaps and candy.

Americanna Rx

8654 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-254-4581, americannarx.com.

Despite the website name accidentally spelling out "American Narx," this shop will be high in utility for the Parkrose crowd—24 hours, with a huge selection of flower and shatter, plus plenty of Lady Greens treats and Lean Back Sizurp.

Bloom

2637 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 444-7538, bloomportland.com.

Bloom streamlines the buying process by offering prepackaged and weighed canisters of leaf. Roving budtenders walk patients through their selections in a half-unfinished, half-bougie space that looks like somebody placed a dentist's waiting room inside an Urban Outfitters. Receptionists pull double-duty as stock retrievers and cashiers behind a glass window sturdier than you'd find in many Portland banks. The measures may seem draconian until you consider that security is a very real problem for an industry still an arm's length from legality in the rest of the country. There are a number of visionary shops out there to get excited about, but it's the practicalities of how this industry is run that will ultimately decide who thrives and who goes under.
WM. WILLARD GREENE.

Blue Sky Portland

729 SE Powell Blvd., 971-319-6298, blueskyofportland.com. Cash only.

A fresh spot at the east end of the Ross Island Bridge, Blue Sky catches your eye with a pavement-to-roof depiction of the Portland skyline across the outside of its massive building. Within, the new dispensary is another example of the luxury spa aesthetic, with a reception area flanked by a colorful aloe planter, and wispy air plants and orchids welcoming you into the cool, calm space. The layout of products is similar to recreational shops in Washington: Strains are arranged by grower rather than effects. "Like domestic vineyards," one employee said. Blue Sky plans to host a vendors' market on weekends for companies to pitch their products and network (no consumption). The dispensary carries reliable growers and such products as Dr. Vert flower, Canna Refinery shatter, and Grön chocolates. Check Blue Sky's Leafly for sales like $10 clones and $17 concentrates. LAUREN TERRY.

Bridge City Collective

4312 N Williams Ave., 384-2955, bridgecitycollective.com.

Portland is different from other cities in part because of how we treat each other. The staff members at Bridge City Collective embody that ethos: They're self-aware and chill, and make an effort to speed up transactions when you're in a rush. The inventory is meager compared to other spots that pack their shelves with brownies from every Tom, Dick and Mary. But what Bridge City does have is quality and an emphasis on uncommon products and strains, like Dr. Who, Grandpa Larry, and Where's My Bike?—which feels a lot like how it sounds. BCC stands out for its loyalty and recycling programs, the latter offering credit to patients who remember to round up the sea of plastic containers that develops after a few visits. You can follow one of their famed budtenders on Instagram at @SheSmokesJoints. She has attracted over 100,000 followers with her impressive smoke-ring skills. LAUREN TERRY.

Brooklyn Holding Company

1436 SE Powell Blvd., 477-8380, brooklynholdingcompany.com.

Shops have advanced past Grateful Dead tapestries and Marley on the radio, but most modern layouts still end up resembling Stumptown Roasters knockoffs. Not so with Brooklyn Holding Company, Oregon's first themed dispensary. Before your head fills with visions of Critter Country, the decadent Prohibition-era apothecary was assembled lovingly by a host of tradesmen. With iridescent damask wallpaper, gold-leaf trim framing the shelves of stock, hand-drawn cannabis leaves, and a soundtrack that could end an episode of Boardwalk Empire, BHC's attention to detail stands out. LAUREN TERRY.

Brothers Cannabis Club

3609 SE Division St., 894-8001, bcc503.com.

Brothers is a patient-owned medical shop with a heavy focus on health and wellness, right down to recipe sharing and treatises on naturopathic medicine.

Buckman Cannabis

128 SE 12th Ave., 462-7220.

Buckman is a brand-new shop open since late 2014, with consistent $99-per-ounce specials, including their house Buckman Diesel strain.

Calyxes

7501 SW Capitol Highway, Suite A, 889-0682. Cash only.

You may have noticed "Clean Green Certification" stickers appearing around town on a few jars of flower or particular concentrates. An organic verification program out of California, it's the most comprehensive option available to certify the eco-friendliness, freedom from chemicals and sound business practices of West Coast dispensaries, processors and growers. Well, Calyxes is the first dispensary in the state to be 100 percent Clean Green Certified, from its interior operations, to the farms growing the flower, to the processors making the concentrate. Resembling a spa that would provide services that even the average Portlander couldn't pronounce, the furniture and display cases are all gleaming wood and slate-colored granite. Stunning woodblock prints set a serene mood in the waiting area, and the concentrate case of more than 20 solventless hash slabs in artisanal clay dishes is worthy of a museum exhibit. All flower comes from the esteemed Green Bodhi Farms, and all the products are made from Green Bodhi flower. High-end glass pieces for sale are handmade by local artist Mark Lammi and Eugene's Sky brand. But Calyxes doesn't stop at Clean Green Certification: It intends to pay for dual testing on every product that hits its shelves. Although these certifications cost money, patients can expect affordable prices, starting at $8.50 a gram for flower, with clones for sale to boot. LAUREN TERRY.

 The Cannabis Corner

484 Evergreen Drive, North Bonneville, Wash., 509-427-4393, thecannabiscorner.org. 

The world's first city-owned weed store, this no-frills shed in the wilds of North Bonneville, which sits across the river from Cascade Locks, is a bold gambit by a city with a cash-flow problem. Last year, the city manager used dwindling cash reserves to form a public development authority that could apply for one of Skamania County's two state-issued marijuana sales licenses and build this blue metal shack on the edge of town. It opened in March, an occasion marked by a "grand opening" banner hung between two concrete pylons off the Evergreen Highway and visits from NPR, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg News. Inside the shop—it's got a gravel parking lot and a green velvet rope at the entrance—things seem to be going well. It had $15 gram bags from three Washington producers and some of the friendliest and most chill city employees you'll ever encounter. MAJOR E. SKINNER.

 Cannabis Country Store

1910 W Main St., Battle Ground, Wash., 360-723-0073, cannabiscountrystore.com. 

If Battle Ground's new Cannabis Country Store sold John Deere tractors, it would be perfect. Even without the farm gear, walking into this recreational pot shop in exurban Washington is something like walking through the tunnel that divides Disneyland's Frontierland from Main Street, U.S.A. Outside, a sign that's styled like an old corner saloon's tips you off to the country-store theme. But inside it's amazing how much this shop has done to continue the theme, from the moment you get your head through the door and are asked to "make yourself at home" by a clerk with what seems to be a semi-authentic country accent. The large room is done up in classic Wild West style, with wood paneling, comfy red couches and a little Toby Keith on the stereo. This Country Store has 60-plus strains in stock, plus edibles, tinctures and a wide selection of glass paraphernalia in jewelry cases. Like other shops in the newly competitive recreational weed scene, it runs street-price specials, like $10 grams of Agrijuana's OG Kush. Constructive criticism? The place needs more deer heads. TED LANAHAN.

Canna Daddy's Wellness Center

16955 SE Division St., 971-279-4932, canna-daddys.com.

Canna Daddy's is, to our knowledge, the only dispensary to have hosted both a 4/20 barbecue and a rap battle royale, with a selection strong on concentrates and hybrid flower.

Cannababes 

4730 N Lombard St., instagram.com/cannababes_pdx.

In a town where Walmart is more taboo than strip clubs, it was only a matter of time before the Bikini Barista business model affected the medicinal marijuana world. Cannababes is finding giggly wiggle room where it can, sharing Instagram moments of playful spanks in short skirts and nearly transparent leggings. Inside the cozy budroom, the titular 'Babes shuffle on heeled boots, and while they may lack for strain knowledge, they're very friendly. The shop carries renowned vendors such as Mad Farmaceuticals and Doobie Farms. In another moment of professionalism, the strains' test results can be found in binders at the front for patients' perusal. Less fortunately, a tip jar reading "Tip if you think we're sexy" can be found next to a fuller tip jar reading, "Tip if you think you're sexy." LAUREN TERRY.

Cannabliss & Co.

1917 SE 7th Ave., 719-4338; 2231 W Burnside St., cannablissandco.com. 

This veteran Southeast dispensary is known for its unique location in an old fire station, which has graffiti-covered walls inside. It was also the former home to a marijuana farmers market that gained some notoriety, providing a gathering place for growers to connect with patients. The farmers market ended after stiffer regulations were enacted, but the dispensary plowed ahead, continuing to provide an affordable range of products. Conveniences like stamp cards for perks sweeten the experience, and the dispensary regularly has at least 20 to 30 strains on shelves. Cannabliss & Co. has expanded to the westside with a location on Burnside Street, where it offers cool graffiti pieces made by a vendor. Both branches carry a wide variety of flower, including strains from exclusive, small-batch growers. There's a decent selection of edibles, but head to the eastside location for its "oil field," an epic menu of 56 concentrates. Got a dinner party planned with fellow OMMP patients? Call in and order a bud flight. It's $85 for 10 flower samples, one gram apiece. LAUREN TERRY.

Club Sky High

8957 N Lombard St., 719-5801, clubskyhigh.net.

A St. Johns shop that sells clones of OG Kush, Train Wreck and White Russian alongside a balanced selection of indica, hybrid and sativa.

Collective Awakenings

2823 NE Sandy Blvd., 206-7090. 

One of Portland's first dispensaries, Collective Awakenings' yellow and green sunrise has become a bit of a landmark on the dispensary-heavy stretch of Northeast Sandy—or as one of the owners put it, "The Green Mile." Whether or not you have an OMMP card, the lobby is well worth a visit. Last year's renovation included a tree made of reclaimed wood that stretches to the roof and spreads its branches across the ceiling. A custom-built bench holds a five-star terrarium for the dispensary's pet, an Australian bearded dragon named Gary. Every inch of the place, from the carved wooden benches to the wrought iron entry, was made by local artists out of sustainable materials. Particularly proud of its accessibility for the disabled, Collective Awakenings has point-of-sale areas designed for wheelchair use. Partitions between each point of sale offer the same level of privacy you'd get at a bank or pharmacy. The owners and budtenders are warm and knowledgeable. About 20 strains are available on any given day, priced $6 to $12. There's a wide range of products, including dependable brands like Elbe's Edibles and Empower Oil. LAUREN TERRY.

Divine Kind

8601 SW Terwilliger Blvd., 889-0929. 1133 SE 82nd Ave., 971-407-3120. divine-kind.com.

The budtenders at Divine Kind are called "patient care representatives." This is the place you'll send your mature relatives and friends who want a professional experience when they shop for medicine. With a private parking lot, lots of natural light in every room, and a no-nonsense glass display counter, this is the destination for grown-up stoners. Don't worry, though: The psychedelic art provided by a patient keeps the atmosphere warm and familiar. The two locations have near-identical inventories, but head to the eastside for wilder edible options like a microwaveable pizza. It's a simple, efficient selection of 20 or so strains and a handful of other products, but the producers are all renowned names of consistent quality. Nelson and Company Organics flower is available, as well as 1859 concentrates and Lunchbox Alchemy edibles/crumble. Divine Kind offers one of the few student discounts in town, as well as a 10 percent discount on any item during the daily happy hour. LAUREN TERRY

Exodus

16211 SE Powell Blvd., 971-242-8079, exoduswellnesscenter.com.

A members-only OMMP club and dispensary with a big-screen TV for movies, games, NASCAR and MMA watching.

Farma

916 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 206-4357, farmapdx.com.

Farma is the cutting edge of marijuana as medicine. The shop pairs neatly appointed modern décor with a vast menu carefully curated to engage a variety of ailments and tastes. But as the name implies, Farma's focus is patient care—symbolized by a green medical cross on its wall. The dispensary's greatest asset is probably Jeremy Plumb, a bundle of frenetic energy and cannabis knowledge who bred one of Portland's most popular strains (Cinex) and is currently learning to play the plant's effects like a violin. The process of buying and shopping at Farma can be intimidating to newcomers, in part because there is so much information to learn. But the staff's enthusiasm at guiding patients through the medicinal process, paired with a proprietary classification system that is leaps ahead of the standard indica/sativa/hybrid delineations, establishes Farma as one of the nation's gleaming visionaries for what medical marijuana could be. Bonus points for having a storefront along Portland's original cannabis corridor. WM WILLARD GREENE. 

Five Zero Trees

10209 SE Division St., No. 100, 971-242-8492, fivezerotrees.com. Cash only.

A favorite of the younger demographic, this dispensary caters to snowboarders on the way to the mountain, and skaters headed home from the park. The staff is thoroughly knowledgeable and super chill; you'll never feel uncomfortable sharing a stony anecdote. It's a safe space for those who miss those good times on your dealer's couch, swapping injury stories from tricks gone wrong and mosh pits gone right. The wood-paneled interior is divided into the budroom, glass room and clone room, each with a massive selection designed for the small spaces. At least 40 concentrate options are available, next to a similarly impressive number of flower strains. The Five Zero Trees farm grows some of the best in-house flower in town, and the dispensary maintains high standards when accepting additional growers as vendors. Flower pricing reflects the quality, ranging from $10 to $12 a gram. Don't miss out on the Five Zero Trees Northern Lights when it's in stock. It's the next best thing to the real deal. LAUREN TERRY.

Flint

2725 N Ainsworth St., 289-1676, flintsupply.com. Cash only.

Walking into Flint is what I imagine it will feel like shopping on the Oregon Coast in 80 years, when global warming turns Astoria into Santa Cruz. Inspired by the perfect pairing of weed-smoking and camping, the design is both minimalist and outdoorsy, and the shop is run out of a house in a quiet neighborhood. Like an artisan market, a wide, low wooden table serves as a point-of-sale station, and there are luxury camping goods available that could be found on the shelves of Solabee. The flower is decent, with about 15 to 20 strains in stock. The selection of concentrates and edibles is small, but high-end. Leif Medicinals truffles and the Hershey-like Toro Bar chocolates are among current vendors. The boutique-style menu may not be as thick as others, but one can expect consistent quality, both in product and customer service. If you needed further incentive for a second visit, Flint reimburses 2 grams of flower if you post a review on Leafly. LAUREN TERRY.

Fresh Buds PDX

110 SE Main St., Suite C, 477-4261. 

Formerly Flora Portland, and Patient Resource Collective before that, Fresh Buds PDX has been made over by new management, which has wisely kept the same knowledgeable budtenders at the counter. The renovation made a splash at a grand opening this spring, and the dispensary has maintained a festive atmosphere by throwing an occasional party, most recently sponsored by Koi Fusion. Any makeover could affect regular clientele, but the inventory has improved. There's twice as many strains as before, and a far better selection of edibles, concentrates and topicals. Recognizable brands like NW Kind and Delta 9 Confections (producers of medicated muddy buddies) are available, as well as good ol' Beems cookies that Flora always stocked. In addition to the refreshed menu, the new specials are worth checking out on Leafly. Fresh Buds PDX frequently has buy-one, get-one-free edible specials and premium flower for $100 an ounce. LAUREN TERRY.

Gräs 

621 SE 7th Ave., 477-4580, grasdispensary.com. Cash only.

This new spot is family-owned and -operated, and the friendly, welcoming space is quickly establishing itself as one of Portland's finer medical dispensaries. The tightknit crew of employees makes one-on-one attention a priority, customizing patients' shopping experience to fit their needs. On "Wheelin' Wednesday," there's a 10 percent discount for anyone who arrives on board, bike, scooter or skates. There's a generous 15 percent discount for veterans as well—all day, every day. The dispensary intends to have a $100 ounce always on hand and is starting the business with stamp cards for patients to earn perks as they shop. Although the sparse walls indicate the store's infancy, there's a solid selection on the shelves: familiar concentrates like True North vape and Mad Farma, along with the latest products like Toasty's cheese chips and Synergy transdermal THC-CBD patches. Well over 20 strains are available, ranging from $5 to $12 a gram, with top-shelf local farms like High 5 and Sofresh in the mix. LAUREN TERRY.

Grateful Meds

7050 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 774-3699, gratefulmeds.com.

Right down to the silly pun, this little dispensary looks a bit like an old-school head shop, with T-shirts on the bottom shelf, but its below-the-norm pricing on everything makes it an eminently useful stop.

Greeley Gallery

6512 N Greeley Ave., 889-0729, greeleygallerypdx.com. Cash only.

When you pass through the front doors of Greeley Gallery, you're transported from the shared parking lot with Plaid Pantry to an exotic boutique in the Japantown of the future. Low lighting keeps the temperature down in the budroom, and adds to the gallerylike effect. Orchids bloom in glass globes atop custom bamboo display cases that make the most out of the small space. The sample display exceeds recreational standards, showing a few buds of each strain in a clear jar with a sealed top that slides aside for smell checks.

The family-owned and operated shop carries in-house nugs from Trillium Farms, which has exclusive strains like New York Pineapple Diesel and Grand Master Chem, and most are also available in concentrate form. The flower is top-notch, without pesticides used from clone to flower. Clones are for sale, and Trillium flower is used for the concentrate menu, as well as a variety of edibles and baked goods. There's a massive selection of medicated beverages as well as Canna Help candies. LAUREN TERRY.

The Green Front

6814 NE Glisan St., 252-0036, thegreenfront.org. 24 hours, daily. 

It takes a special breed of dispensary to stay open as long as the Green Front. By proving itself to a growing clientele and developing a relationship of open communication with local law enforcement, it has established itself as the most reliable and welcoming late-night dispensary. The exterior green lights shine into the night like a Polaris for potheads, alerting them that medicine is near. Amid the familiar setting of Grateful Dead tapestries and punk band stickers are vintage pot propaganda and High Times issues in frames. It also sells non-marijuana products such as the popular HUF marijuana leaf socks. The Green Front also didn't waste any time creating the first online pre-order system in the state. Holding in-house strains and products from other vendors, the budtenders are all well-versed in their inventory and helpful with suggestions and guidance based on the patient's tastes, any hour of the night. A super-affordable range of flower starts at $5. The edible and concentrate selection isn't as large as the flower menu, but the dispensary earns major points for price-matching Mad Farma PHO and CO2 Company vape cartridges. LAUREN TERRY.

Green Oasis

4012 NE Cully Blvd., 971-407-3305; 1035 SE Tacoma St., 206-7266; portlandgreenoasis.com.

A two-dispensary chain, Green Oasis offers $25 specials on plant starts, an absolutely crazy selection of edibles and a free pre-roll if you recycle 10 bottles.

The Green Remedy

12447 SE Powell Blvd., 954-2991.

Veterans get premium bud here at a ridiculous $8 a gram—but every new customer gets a free joint. Also check out their cool medicated Arnold Palmer, Lemon Aid or Strawberry Lemon Aid drinks.

GreenSky Collective

4027 N Interstate Ave., 208-9775, greenskycollective.com. Cash only.

GreenSky is a member of the league of newer dispensaries—the sort with painstaking curation and branding—with an aesthetic that is somewhere in between simplicity and millennial nostalgia. Outside, the sign is bright, tropical colors, with an emojilike owl symbol. Along the same lines, the reception area displays colorful portraits of marijuana activists through the ages, and white plaster animal busts stare at you from behind the desk. Inside the budroom, the mood drastically changes, with an innovative, rustic strain display and old-fashioned glass jars for the flower. In any case, the friendly service and variety of product is a welcome addition to the North Portland neighborhood along the MAX Yellow Line. The décor will seem a little too fancy for some stoners, but know that all flower is $10 a gram, and the collective fields a down-to-earth, knowledgeable team of budtenders. My favorite special is the "Weekend Wake & Bake," which offers a free joint with any $30 purchase before 1 pm on weekends. GreenSky is a useful spot for those new to the dispensary scene or seeking less-potent medicine than the average product in the PDX market, with a wide selection of THC percentages below 20 percent and tasty low-dose edibles. LAUREN TERRY.

Health Awareness Group

2312 NW Kearney St., 750-4594, healthawarenessgroup.com. Cash only.

Soon to be renamed "The Oregon Weedery," this Northwest neighborhood spot is one of the clearest examples of marijuana going mainstream. The line for Salt & Straw snakes around the opposite block, and the dispensary is located above a nail salon. You walk past a line of people getting pedicures, and the scent of high-acetone products follows you up the stairway into the cozy space. The atmosphere reminds one of a used-book store, with Persian rugs and cushy chairs in the waiting room and striking abstract paintings on the walls. The selection is on the smaller side, with a dozen or so strains at $10 a gram. They carry in-house Happy Bud Farms—plus 7 Point Farms and a few others—and there are a handful of edible and topical options, including Luminous Botanicals' Cannabis Cure-All and Drip ice cream. Only a few concentrate options are available, but the high-quality shatter from House Flower at $15 a gram adds oomph to the oil menu. Something we can all look forward to, depending on the details of recreational laws, is a balcony adjacent to the budroom with a view of 23rd Avenue. LAUREN TERRY.

The Herbery

212 NE 164th Ave., Suite 11, Vancouver, Wash., 360-841-7500, theherberynw.com. 

The Herbery is located in a green and white plaza, catty-corner from an O'Reilly Auto Parts, Mary Jane's House of Glass and—you can't make this shit up—Blazzin Pizza. It's everything you want in an '80s car-focused shopping district. The store was even christened by Sir Mix-a-Lot. Inside the Herbery, it's not Apple Store or even average medical-dispensary chic. But it is clean and brightly lit, with three large jewelry cases holding the goodies and various mechanisms for their consumption, with bongs located on shelves above the cases. The budtenders work in pairs behind each case, ready to find the right bud for you. There's a large strain selection—35 from eight growers when I visited—and it is indica-heavy, although the store has been shopping for more sativa. The strip-mall effect is grounding upon exit. You don't feel like you just left somewhere interesting; it all seems very normal, like when you used to run out to RadioShack for batteries for that fucking wireless GameCube controller. TED LANAHAN.

High End Market Place

1906 Broadway St., Vancouver, Wash., 360-695-3612, highendmarketplace.com. Cash only.

Remember when you used to go to an old house in a run-down neighborhood to buy weed? There was a couch, a lazy dog, a big TV and, quite possibly, a Jimi Hendrix poster. Well, that's a bygone world, so there's something instantly nostalgic about Vancouver's third shop, High End Market Place, which opened earlier this year. Situated in a century-old Craftsman just north of the downtown 'Couv, this little shop feels a lot like an old-school dealer's house, except without the couches or video games or dog. The staff here is refreshingly jokey, and Jimi's here, hanging by the fireplace. High End is in the Arnada neighborhood (Vancouver has neighborhoods!) on a relatively quiet street that has plenty of parking even if it's not totally pedestrian-friendly (passing truck to me: "Get the fuck out of the street!"). It is right next to a lawyer's office, Vancouver's pre-eminent hipster dive bar, the Elbow Room, and a comic-book shop. It's all very domestic, from the rhododendron bushes around the front porch to the wood-floored foyer, where there's a desk and paintings of an owl and various woodland creatures on the walls. (Also, a really nice Jerry Garcia painting by a local artist—a Jerry Garcia painting so nice you'll briefly consider whether you could hang a Jerry Garcia painting in your home.) The walls have been torn out on the ground floor, their shells forming see-through bookshelves that've been stocked with glass. The flower selection is relatively limited compared to other shops in the 'Couv—the cheapest offerings are three different strains from Bondi Farms for $15 a gram. The selection of edibles is larger and comes from three makers. Unlike a lot of shops, it has prepackaged goods on the counter for inspection, so you can actually look over the leaves you're buying to make sure they're not all stems and seeds. Remember that? MAJOR E. SKINNER.

Home Grown Apothecary

1937 NE Pacific St., 232-1716, homegrownapothecary.com.

Home Grown's product is just that—home grown, not to mention all organic. The dispensary distinguishes itself by also offering noncannabis herbal remedies, not to mention 10 different $10-$20 clones.

Kaleafa

5232 SE Woodstock Blvd., 971-407-3208, kaleafa.com.

Kaleafa started in Oak Harbor, Wash., but is branching out in Oregon with a boasted 50 years combined cannabis-industry experience and an extensive selection across all varieties of THC delivery systems.

Kaya Shack

1719 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 954-2348, kayashack.com. Cash only.

Kaya Shack doesn't lack for ambition. Its website casts a long-term vision of a national chain, carries funding from a Fort Lauderdale-based holding company, and its inaugural shop opened in prime real estate on the north end of Ladd's Addition, well-sandwiched between 4-4-2 and Devil's Dill and open late for stoned convenience. The list of what Kaya does lack in pursuing those lofty goals is considerably longer. Their company logo is a teetering clip-art house with an orange rectangle window. The interior layout is cobbled and queasily lit. The walls are festooned with posters featuring such vague faux-hippie positivities as "Never Throw Away a Chance to Say I Love You," "Don't Be Eye Candy, Be Soul Food" and "It's a Good Day to Have a Good Day." Strain selection is serviceable, running a gamut of well-known standards, but bud quality isn't anything special. Also, it's a good idea to bring cash, since the nearest ATM is a few blocks away. Look, you're free to make your own decisions, but this seems like a good time to point out that the city's finest dispensary, Farma, is also a few blocks away. Maybe just head there?

Kind Heart Collective

8217 N Denver Ave., 512-6136, kindheartcollective.com. Cash only.

This is a classic stoner's dispensary. No frills, no branding: just some chill dudes transferring some fire nugs. There are thoughtful perks like a couple quarter candy machines in the reception area, and in case you need any supplies to consume it, Kind Heart happens to be adjacent to Smoke It Up, a head shop. After celebrating its first birthday, Kind Heart officially became a fixture of the Kenton neighborhood. Random prints from Pier 1 decorate the walls, but the significant clone selection is lush enough to give the room a comfortable glow. The store staffs the best kind of stoners—the ones who know what they're doing. There's a high-quality flower menu of 20 to 30 strains, all at $10 a gram. The budtenders can advise you which strains are fresh on the shelf and what may be worth your while that you haven't tried yet. Though the edible and concentrate selections may not be as big, you can expect a few buzzed-about brands, like Dab Society Extracts, Cannatonic medicated lemonades, and H.E.M.P. CBD honey sticks. LAUREN TERRY.

La Cannaisseur

10700 NW St. Helens Road, 285-0355, lacannaisseur.com.

A provider of flower, concentrates, F.E.C.O. oils, and salves and more, La Cannaisseur bills itself as a specialist in high-falutin' exotic strains of the fine herb.

La Mota

7435 SE 52nd Ave.; 4999 NE 99th Ave., 777-9333; lamota.com.

Straight outta the Southern Oregon heart of weed production, Mota has its own concentrate line and prides itself on offering 25 different strains of flower at $100 an ounce.

Left Coast Connection

10055 NE Glisan St., 971-407-3049, leftcoastconnection.com.

Left Coast Connection offers—hold your breath—a $79 ounce at all times. This is a lovely policy.

 Main Street Marijuana

2314 Main St., Vancouver, Wash., 360-828-7737, mainstmj.com. Cash only.

Main Street Marijuana sits behind a frosted-glass window on the leafy northern edge of ’Couvian downtown. Inside, you probably won’t even see the security guard until you’re leaving, since he’s perched behind the door. The back wall is graffiti-styled, the light fixtures are from IKEA, and there’s a domesticated seating area with a leather couch and books—in other words, it looks just like your dealer’s house after his ladyfriend moved in. The menu is smaller than New Vansterdam’s, but there are more unusual strains, including a “historic first harvest” of Berry White from Life Gardens, which the budtender recommends. The place seems busy with old people asking endless questions about vape pens, but the budtender says business is slow, and it only takes about five minutes to get an order, which comes in a baggie with your name on it, just like at Starbucks, and a complimentary bowl, because you can never have too many bowls. MAJOR E. SKINNER. 

Mt. Hood Wellness

2532 NE Broadway, 946-1142; 11121 SE Division St., 971-279-4116; mthoodwellness.com.

Along with its selection of flower, concentrates and run-of-the-mill edibles, Mt. Hood offers the ultimate in wake and bake: Kofi medicated coffee, at $6 a bottle.

Nectar

3350 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-703-4777; 1019 NE 122nd Ave., 971-279-2512; 4125 N Mississippi Ave., 206-4818; The Pharm Shoppe, 10931 SW 53rd Ave., 477-8800; nectarpdx.com. 

After acquiring the former Pharm Shoppe dispensary, the Nectar empire has grown into the largest chain of dispensaries in Portland. The wide price range from $4 to $12 a gram across 50 or so strains has built a loyal patient base that followed wherever new branches opened, and Nectar is known for always having $99 ounces available. Although each branch holds a basically identical inventory, the Sandy Boulevard location operates as a sort of headquarters for the team. New products go there first before being distributed to the other outlets. The store carries a few unique brands, like Infinite Flower tincture, salves and edibles, plus Truly Pure vape cartridges that are mixed with all-natural fruit terpenes. The different locations have adapted their aesthetics to each neighborhood's vibe. The Sandy location is in the I-84 corridor, where people are coming and going, so it's a more straightforward operation with a focus on speedy service. In the middle of Mississippi's main drag, the waiting room at the North Portland location is full of art for sale and delicate plant arrangements, creating more of an experience for tourists for when the stores can sell recreationally. LAUREN TERRY.

New Vansterdam

6515 E Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash., 360-597-4739, newvansterdam.com. Cash only.

New Vansterdam is situated next to Safeway and a Jackson Hewitt tax preparation office in a thoroughly suburban stretch of Vancouver. Inside, it smells like weed—well, like bong water—and there's a security guard checking IDs before you can even get to the ATM. There are binders and iPad minis for perusing the dossiers on available strains. A couple from Seattle is impressed: "This is so nice compared to the ones up there. It's way cleaner." You don't really need the iPad to go through the 200-plus-item menu since there's also a handy binder at each station. A little plastic spice jar has been repurposed for smelling samples, which the budtenders say they try to switch out every week. After you pick a strain, you go into a third room where there's a cash register, then over to another station where you hand over your receipt and get a brown paper bag with your weighed and packaged weed. Also check out their new PDX medical location at 4709 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. MAJOR E. SKINNER.

One Draw Two

11711 NE Halsey St., 512-5114.

One Draw Two, along with being a dispensary with flower starting at $8 a gram, is a glass gallery, vape shop and tobacco and pipe shop, not to mention an occasional blues venue.

Oregon's Finest

1327 NW Kearney St., 971-254-4765, ofmeds.com. 

Rather than be written off as the snobby, expensive dispensary in the Pearl, Oregon's Finest has continued to provide high-quality cannabis with options that make its $8-to-$14 grams more affordable, including discounted ounces after parking meters turn off. The dispensary offers appetizers and unmedicated edible samples during First Thursday, and wild discounts on Black Friday and 4/20 had people in line hours before opening. Home to products by Sofresh and Ideal farms, the OF team follows an organic process that begins in the soil, and from there takes every step to grow award-winning buds. The huge selection of edibles, topicals, concentrates from house strains, and clones makes this spot a sort of super-center for most patients. One can also find extras like shirts depicting Jasper Hill Farms' popular strain Killer Queen, and cool ink drawings by one of the store's budtenders. Another team member maintains a comprehensive blog on the OF website, cataloging a massive donation of CBD oil to patients without adequate funds, for instance. LAUREN TERRY.

Pacific Green

710 NE Killingworth St., 971-242-8535.

They've got CBD dog treats. CBD dog treats! 'Nuff said.

PDX TreeHouse Collective

2419 NE Sandy Blvd., 894-8774, pdxtreehouse.com. Cash only, ATM on site.

Situated in a triangle-shaped building underneath a billboard, PDX TreeHouse Collective's drab exterior belies a treasure trove of edibles that always seem to appear here quicker than anywhere else. The best-selling Lean Drank Sizurp, from Dirty Arm Farms, is almost always available. Its typical daily specials, range from buy-two-edibles-get-one-free on Mondays to complimentary pre-rolls every Friday, and its concentrates from a trusted core group of extractors seem to multiply every other visit. It's great at making new customers feel like regulars, as each time I stop by, each budtender is quick to ask how my previous purchases went and isn't shy about recommending complementary products like its tasty White Fire flower. Also happy to share with and knowledgeable of other dispensaries, they expertly guided me to another dispensary to find the plant starts I had spent weeks searching for. TYLER HURST.

Portland Extracts

2123 SE Division St., 719-4861, portlandextracts.com. 

From the crew that operated Urban Collective on Northwest 21st Avenue until 2014's additional legislation forced them to move, Portland Extracts is in the thick of Division Street's newer, pedestrian-friendly stretch. You can look forward to familiar budtenders from those days, as well as a mix of reliable vendors. The larger space holds a broader inventory, and true to its name, Portland Extracts offers a huge selection of concentrates starting at $19 a gram. Flower prices range from $6 to $10 a gram, and former customers from the Northwest Portland location will recognize strains like standouts Mango and Jillybean. The original plan was to have live extraction happening in an adjacent room to the dispensary, like a brewery with observation windows for the public. People would have been able to watch the process of flower being run through a system that extracts THC or CBD, resulting in gooey, super-potent oil. Although it would take several hours to see a full batch get produced, it'd be a bit like an open kitchen, or the windows onto a Dunkin' Donuts bakery—a sign toward the probable expansive social marijuana scene in coming years. Rules forbidding the two businesses to take place in the same structure changed that, but it will be interesting to see what they do with the adjacent space. 

Portland Medicine Pot

5135 NW St. Helens Road, 208-2454, portlandmedicinepot.com.

This dispensary is prety damn bare-bones on the outside, but within there are a wide range of deals on weed strains—the best of which is a 15% discount across the board each Thursday.

Puddletown Organics 

8201 SE Powell Blvd., 558-6321.

Puddletown promises that "when it rains, we've got strains." But even in the summer, it has 15 strains of flower and an absolute world of both edibles and clones.

Pure Green

3738 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-242-8561, puregreenpdx.com. 

In 1934, an unmarked shopfront titled Store No. 2 quietly opened its doors. The store, one of Oregon's four original post-Prohibition OLCC outposts, was wedged between Sandy and Halsey and later retitled to Hollywood Liquors. Eighty years later, the shop is once again braving the waves of a newly re-legal industry, helmed this time around by stalwart cannabis advocates Matt and Meghan Walstatter. A year and a half on from opening, Pure Green remains one of the city's best and most well-rounded dispensaries, staffed by expert 'tenders and with a wide selection of edibles, concentrates and oils on hand. Like a good tap list, the flower selection is well-considered and high quality, with around 20 strains on hand any given time. With its spacious and nattily appointed lobby and floor space, Pure Green is poised to be a standout come October. WM. WILLARD GREENE.

Rip City Remedies

3325 SE Division St., 235-6000, ripcityremedies.org.

One of Portland's OG dispensaries, Rip City claims the largest selection of marijuana around—a claim difficult to verify, but made plausible by its estimable stash of flower, edibles, salves, concentrates and clones.

Shango Farms

6033 NE Win Sivers Drive; 8056 SE Harold St., goshango.com.

Shango is intentionally ambitious. "Shango is the new name for cannabis in America," the company's website says. Inside, the dispensary is polished, with iPads packed with product info and a gallery of ganja, with strains mounted inside clear cylinders on the wall to allow for 360-degree perusal of the nugs. In the center of the room you find a counter where patients can get a whiff. Customers buy pre-measured glass jars—there's no weighing or repackaging, so the buds stay fresh, shake stays to a minimum and the cost is predictable. Shango's bud is high quality—try Chillberry—and the location will make easy stops for tourists. LAUREN TERRY.

Silver Stem

1926 NE 40th Ave., 208-2074.

Oh, this is indeed a flower shop, with an ever-on-demand $100 ounce. First-time patients can also score 20 percent off everything.

Thurman Street Collective

2384 NW Thurman St., 971-803-7970, thurmancollective.com. 

Next to Kenny and Zuke's Deli, this gallery/dispensary blends well into its small-towny neighborhood, with a quaint storefront and chic interior. Potted plants welcome you through the entryway, and the rear wall hides a subtle door to the budroom. Elegant woodblock prints and paintings line the other, and the emerald-tiled floor keeps the shop pleasantly cool. Cozy touches like vinyl records and sepia-toned photographs of Portland make the budroom more relatable to the average stoner, and the shop crew has gotten more involved in the neighborhood by hosting a Qigong class every Wednesday. Since it's held before the shop opens, anyone can join—OMMP patient or not. Along with solid nugs from the in-house Lopaka Farms, the store carries flower, shatter, tincture, and THC capsules from Green Farm Industries. There is a small selection of edibles and concentrates, but the collective recently added concentrates made from Lopaka Farms flower. Each gram is packaged with love in a glass jar and wax seal, stamped with the store's logo. One can also pick up helpful non-marijuana items like blunt wraps and leather-bound dab tool kits. Keep up with the blog for store updates: Thurman Street recently implemented an online ordering system. LAUREN TERRY.

Today's Herbal Choice

2606 SE Gladstone Street, #101, 971-544-7685, thcglad.com.

A little shop above the Natural Mart & BBQ, Today's Herbal Choice offers a modest selection of hybrid-heavy flower, concentrates and edibles, plus clones for $12.

Urban Farmacy

420 NE 60th Ave., 957-7832, urbanfarmacyprc.com.

Along with being a comfortable, wood-grained dispensary, Urban Farmacy is an OMMP resource center including clinical herbalists, laser-light therapy and yoga.

Vessel

1979 NW Vaughn St., Suite B, 410-7396. Cash only.

New in Northwest Portland, this "Dutch-styled dispensary" takes the cake for most avant-garde theme in the medical weed scene. From what I could gather, the interior is designed to feel like a cloud, but in a very unconventional way, with twiglike glass pieces from the adjacent Elements glass studio suspended from the ceiling constructed at a series of vaulted angles. The owners' mission is to give a sense of upscale affordability, with sophisticated architecture and reasonably priced flower—all indoor grown, ranging from $7 to $9 a gram. The rest of the shelves are well-stocked, with a variety of glass pieces, and 20 or so types of concentrates and edibles. Touches from the glass studio embellish the rest of the shop, with green bubble pieces adding pops of color and hand-blown pipes and bongs for sale. LAUREN TERRY.

 

Party Like It’s 1934 | The Future of Drug Testing | Portland’s Oldest Head Shop

The Triumph Return of the World Famous Cannabis Cafe 

Historic Cannabis Landmarks In Oregon | Weed War II: The Battles to Come

Blending Buds and Learning Terps | Pick Your Loose-Leaf Vaporizer 

What You Need to Know to Grow | A Directory of Dispensaries

High Cinema | Stoniest Portland Albums

WWeek 2015