Ruckus – Capitol Hill, Seattle Marijuana Store

December 10, 2015 By Manic Conrad

UPDATE: Make sure you check out Ruckus this Saturday at noon. They will have a little shindig which includes a harp player sitting on a toilet.

Can you believe it? Capitol Hill finally gets a recreational marijuana store!

Amidst the ever changing gentrified (Sodo Sopa) landscape of Capitol Hill in Seattle, a new store has emerged to shake things up a little bit.

Ruckus, a small, curious, recreational marijuana store, owned by Sam Burke, is located next door to a US postal service on 15th and Republican. This is great news as it gives the densest neighborhood in Seattle an option when purchasing legal weed.

Contrary to its’ name, the first impression of Ruckus is calm and peaceful. But don’t let that vibe fool you. Underneath it all, are little intricacies and curiosities, that make this pot shop loud. Ie., the image of a bird perched on a tongue as you walk in, little contraptions placed around the store such as a magnify glass, wooden artist figures, a vintage looking poster that reminds you how to breathe, and wooden artist hands holding products.

Marijuana products such as flower, pre-rolled joints, oils, and edibles are placed carefully behind vintage wood/glass display cases that sit on the counter. A few products and glass pipes are displayed in various places behind the counter. The setup has a general store vibe, where there is one counter, the selection is simple, and the interaction with the budtender is very personable.

Ruckus is open from 10am-10pm Monday thru Sunday.

Marijuana Edible Review: Winterlife Cannabis Almonds, A Jurassic Experience

June 15, 2015 By Ellie Klein

Winterlife Cannabis has been on my edible’s radar for quite some time. Especially since, the company produces vegan, organic when possible, locally crafted edibles.

I originally intended to try one of the company’s cookies, which come with fun names and flavorful ingredients. However, I had had way more sugar than I normally do in the days leading up to my review, so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop in Capitol Hill was out of Winterlife Cannabis cookies but had three different flavors of infused almonds in stock. After a budtender’s recommendation, I decided to purchase a 10mg package of Grizzly’s Heavenly Garden Herb almonds.

Incredibly satisfied with my purchase, I caught the bus home. I had a date planned that night to go see Jurrasic World with my fiance and was excited to face an island of dinosaurs with a pleasant buzz and Sour Patch Kids. I think it is important to note that, prior to these almonds, the last time I consumed edibles was in college–in Kansas–where marijuana is still illegal and most people do not portion cannabis properly when preparing edibles. I was hesitant about becoming too high since I completely overdid it during my last experience and I am not positive about my tolerance level. In lieu of this, I ate four almonds and waited. After no effect, I decided to eat a little over half the pack.

The high hit me right when the movie started. I became one with my chair and was immediately immersed in the movie. I was heavily invested from the start, and the almonds are to credit for that (I am not one to pay close attention to movies). When the climax of the film surfaced I was wide-eyed and grinning like a goon. Also, kudos to the movie for tastefully tying into Jurrasic Park; the nostalgia was a wonderful addition.

My favorite part of the high was my hyper focus mixed with comfortable body relaxation. I mean, I could not have been more thrilled and calm at the same time about a T-Rex-hybrid-beast-thing screaming in my face. The almonds are classified as a hybrid and definitely induce the best of both worlds. I would say that the blend that I ate was more Indica heavy since the body relaxation was more prominent than any mental enhancement. On top of my great movie experience, that night was also some of the best sleep I have had in a long time, which solidified my devotion to Winterlife Cannabis’ wonderful almonds.

A little review about the almonds themselves: the seasoning on the garden herb variety is absolutely delicious. Each almond is covered and flavorful. The almonds were very fresh and snapped when bit into. The seasoning did not leave any residue on my fingers which I was delightfully impressed by. I enjoyed them so much that I plan on adopting them into my blossoming edible consumption.

If you have yet to see Jurrasic World, I highly recommend enjoying some Winterlife Cannabis almonds before the show. They are a wonderful accompaniment to an island full of Jurassic-era beasts and two hours of staring at the beautiful Chris Pratt. Seriously.

Let us know if you went to see this new thriller armed with some edibles. We would love to hear about your experience!

Seattle’s First Proposed Weed Lounge

March 9, 2015 By Kevin Ross

One of the most disappointing aspects of the way I-502 was structured was that it included a couple important provisions that essentially banned the possibility of the weed lounges a lot of us hoping to see one day. There were already a few factors which make this difficult, from the state ban on indoor smoking to the numerous restrictions on smoking “in view of the public.” Perhaps the most important, however, is the stipulation of I-502 that states that marijuana cannot be consumed at the place at which it has been purchased.

At the rate at which these laws change, it will be a while before we see Seattle’s first cannabis lounge – but what will a marijuana lounge look like when one finally opens? By skirting some of the rules, and outright ignoring some of the others, let’s take a look at Cascadia Cannabis Lounge, Seattle’s first hypothetical proposed weed lounge.

One of the biggest problems facing the process of opening a weed lounge inside of Seattle is figuring out where you can place it. The 1000 foot rule, which is designed to keep places selling marijuana away from schools and parks, means that the most densely populated areas are ineligible for any sort of dispensary or weed lounge. We’re going to toss that rule out the window and put Cascadia in the heart of Capitol Hill, possibly someplace in between Broadway and 12^th, within blocks of some of the Capitol Hill’s best restaurants, music venues and coffee shops.

With a location like this Cascadia can bring real value to the neighborhood. One of the most basic is to add a service to the area that is both unique and complementary to the neighborhood at large. Just as like-minded people gather at coffee shops and bars to take part in shared interests, from espresso and news at Stumptown Coffee to music and drinks at Nuemos, so will people be able to enjoy cannabis and socialize at Cascadia Cannabis Club. By providing a safe, accessible place for adults to purchase and consume marijuana during most of the day, probably from 10am to 12am, Cascadia Cannabis Lounge will help accomplish what I-502 purports to do – taking marijuana distribution out of the hands of dealers and consumption out of the view of the public.

What will Cascadia Cannabis Lounge look like? As the first cannabis lounge in Seattle, we want it to be demonstrative of how a well-designed marijuana lounge can definitively add value to its surrounding neighborhood. To that end, Cascadia Cannabis Lounge is going to be a classy joint. Not stuffy classy, no one should feel intimidated to hang out there, but someplace with lodge-like qualities that celebrate the heritage of Seattle and Washington, and with clean, industrial lines. Imagine a cross between Smith and Café Vita, if you would.

image from: http://www.seattleite.com/

Image from www.Seattleite.com

Image from: skypencil.com

Image from www.skypencil.com

Cascadia Cannabis Lounge would be staffed by experienced industry professionals, providing product guidance and to-order joints. A large selection of edibles would be available, and a full coffee bar would be open from 10 am, alongside other medicated and non-medicated beverages. A small stage would host low-key performances and music in the evenings.

All in all, Cascadia Cannabis Lounge would be dedicated to providing a professional, enjoyable cannabis experience that would bring real value to a community that could easily benefit from it. Hopefully, one day this dream can become a reality.

This Dumb Rule is Keeping Marijuana Away From You

January 12, 2015 By Kevin Ross

Have you ever wondered why there aren’t any recreational marijuana stores in the areas where you would expect them? Capitol Hill, the University District, and Pioneer Square, 3 areas where adults who are looking to buy recreational pot live, work and play, lack an easily accessible retail store where they can legally purchase the product the citizens of Washington fought so hard to gain access to. Of course, sites such as weedsmart give us the opportunity to purchase the marijuana that we want online, but that doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be more options within walking distance for people looking for a great deal. Instead you find them clustered in the outskirts, almost random locations such as SODO or Northgate. The answer is as simple as it is silly – the 1,000 foot rule.

The 1,000 foot rule is an important part of I-502 and probably has one of the largest effects on where recreational pot stores are allowed to open. The rule states that a store selling marijuana cannot be located within 1,000 feet of any area that children would frequent – and that list includes “any elementary or secondary school, playground, recreation center or facility, child care center, public park, public transit center, library, or game arcade that allows minors to enter,” according to the guidelines posted on the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s website. As a result of how extensive this list is, more populated areas, which are filled with these sorts of facilities, end up with crisscrossing zones where it is illegal to open a recreational store, and so the stores that do end up opening are in areas without this sort of infrastructure, such as the heart of SODO.

Obviously, the rule is intended to make sure that children are kept away from a product that society has historically deemed dangerous and addictive, and no one involved in the recreational marijuana industry has any intention of helping to create an environment where children are in danger. However, this rule is far too restrictive and is quite honestly so poorly thought through that it could easily in fact have the opposite effect.

Retail recreational marijuana stores are run by professionals in the cannabis industry who have taken the utmost care to train their staff and have every interest in making sure that they do not under any circumstance provide marijuana to a minor. They are closely monitored by the State Liquor Control Board and the lack of any major incidents involving minors and recreational marijuana stores is a testament to this relationship. As long as the average, typically law-abiding resident of Seattle lacks convenient access to legal marijuana the black market will continue to flourish. Do you think the guy pushing weed on the Ave is checking IDs? Obviously not. By not allowing these stores to open in the areas where people need them, this restriction is helping the black market to flourish and continue to supply Seattle minors with marijuana.

If you were outside of Seattle (in Canada for instance), you would be able to order it online from companies such as The CBD Insider – they have a big customer base that legally orders it from the internet. And it works fine in Canada!

But that isn’t the only reason why this rule is a dumb idea. Seattle and Washington State have taken a great stride forward with the legalization of marijuana and we should see that progress through. One day, weed tourism could turn Seattle into a true destination for marijuana enthusiasts across the country and maybe even the globe – but that won’t happen if a tourist has to take a bus deep into Lake City to find bud.

High Five Interview: Ian Eisenberg, Owner of Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop

December 10, 2014 By Manic Conrad

‘High Five’ is an interview where we choose someone from the local marijuana industry who is deserving of appreciation.

Ian Eisenberg is one of the owners of Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop. The fact that he is one of the owners didn’t have much to do with luck as he placed badly in the I-502 retail lottery earlier this year and walked away without a license. But, with a little bit of skill, experience, leverage, and perseverance, he was able to turn his dream into a reality.

We would like to thank this recreational marijuana store owner for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer the following questions. For opening the 2nd legal retail shop in Seattle, we give Ian Eisenberg a ‘High Five.’

1) Predict the Future. Three years from now what does the local Seattle recreational marijuana industry look like and where are we nationally?

In three years I think all 21 recreational shops will be open. The big “if” is what will happen to the medical marijuana industry. I think legislation will pass and medical marijuana will be rolled into the existing I502 framework or the LCB will be tasked with creating a similar framework. I also think there will be some kind of state patient registry. The price of recreational weed will continue to fall and the available products will expand. I think our regulatory framework will be a model for other states.

2) Go back to the age of 21. Someone tells you that you would open a marijuana shop in Seattle in 2014. How do you react and what do you say?

Sounds good, let’s do it!

3) What is your favorite part about running Uncle Ike’s? What is the most challenging?

My favorite part is the people. We have great employees and all of the vendors we deal with are, seriously, the nicest people I have ever met. One of the funnest things is dealing with the customers who are so happy and excited – it is contagious. One of the most challenging things is just dealing with Biotrack and working through the kinks associated with a new industry. Every day is exciting and filled with something new.

4) Who is your role model and why?

I’m still looking for one.

5) Martian Mean Green, Schnazzleberry, and Trainwreck, are some of our favorite names for strains of cannabis. Here’s your chance! If you could name a strain of cannabis, what would you name it?

Our average customer is probably 40 or 50 years old. I think a lot of the current names are lost on them. It will be interesting to see how the names evolve.