Top Washington State Legal Marijuana Stores (October Total Sales)

November 11, 2014 By Manic Conrad Leave a Comment

Last month, two Seattle recreational marijuana stores made the top five for total October sales (three, if you include Seattle area Herbal Nation).

New Vansterdam, based in Vancouver, continues to impress by leading the way with approximately $760,000 in total sales*. Just minutes from the state border, we assume that visitors from Oregon have an impact on total sales. This assumption is only confirmed by an observation from local marijuana blog Mrs. Nice Guy: ‘it seems as though there’s a decent amount of Oregon customers.’

We should note, the number of reported sales for New Vansterdam was obtained from the retail store and not the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB). According to New Vansterdam, the WSLCB did not report a correct number. If any other retail stores have the same issue, contact us so we can update the infographic accordingly. The information in this infographic was gathered from a document located here.

Here are the top 5 recreational marijuana shops in Washington State for total sales in the month of October:

Marijuana Review: Durban Poison from CannaSol Farms

October 23, 2014 By Fischer Campbell Leave a Comment

Durban Poison is a strain that has long eluded me, and I’m delighted to say that this week we got some for review. This specific Durban Poison was produced by CannaSol Farms, and it was acquired at Herbal Nation (in Bothell, WA) for the sum of $67.76 for 2 grams.

Last week, I reviewed a different strain from CannaSol Farms (in which I highlighted information about the producer itself, their website, and the packaging). To reiterate, CannaSol Farms is a values driven marijuana producer based out of Riverside, WA. They have a sleek website with information about their mission, their process, their team, and their product.

According to their “Our Team” page: the owner of CannaSol Farms, Jeremy Moberg, is a former biologist with plenty of experience in cannabis cultivation and “never stops finding new ways to be involved”. Moberg is also President of the Washington Sungrowers Industry Association, and the Okanogan Cannabis Association. This kind of leadership combined with veteran knowledge will only lead to good things for CannaSol Farms’ future, and it’s inspiring to see such professional individuals bringing their expertise to marijuana production.

Looking at the product package for CannaSol Farms’ Durban Poison, I’m sticking by my stance that it’s rustic – yet could probably use some color. The packaging of a product enhances the experience, and maybe it’s just me… but the best package designs I hold on to. In the end it’s just trash, right? But if you can transcend that, create a memory infused with that packaging – well, that’s the best way to get loyal customers.

To paraphrase a young John Stewart in Half Baked, “have you ever seen this package… on weed?” Yes, I have – and it’s pretty much just black letters on a white sticker.

Moving on to the way more important stuff, let’s take a second to gaze at the specifics of Durban Poison:

Sativa
THC Total* – 22.27%

With an open of the package, I was immediately attuned to the beckoning fragrance. A slight spicy nature, accompanied with a lemon zest. Durban Poison is far from toxic in the smell department.

The nugs themselves are spectacular, and snap apart in a manner that sends crystal kief fragments flying. This author found Durban Poison to be cured excellently, and regardless of the leaves – the product is of a visual top notch.

Tasting Durban Poison is smooth, and goes along with a cuppa tea. The subtle spice aroma carries over to create a peppery taste, with notes of lemon. Enjoying a good marijuana strain is like enjoying a good wine, and it’s important to discern what flavors you taste.

Durban Poison’s high packs a wallop. It’s a strong sativa that will seriously get you stoned, don’t let your tolerance fool you. The feeling is incredibly clearheaded, with no sign of heaviness. It’s an uplifting experience, and is by far one of my favorite strains I’ve ever sampled.

Like I said, this was like a mythical goal for me. Attaining Durban Poison has always been a pipe dream, and after getting high with this specific strain I can attest to the fact that it may be one of the greatest buds out there. CannaSol Farms has once again delivered a stellar bud, and High Above Seattle will certainly be keeping an eye on their products, and their impact.

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*I noticed that the information was different on the back of the Durban Poison packaging compared to the Alice in Wonderland packaging (both CannaSol products harvested on the same date). On the back of Durban Poison, the term “THC total” is used – and for Alice in Wonderland, the term “Total Active Cannabinoids” is used. Can any of you readers explain why they would print two different phrases like that? Or are the two terms synonymous?

UPDATE: Check out the rest of our marijuana reviews and Seattle pot stores.

Marijuana Review: Alice in Wonderland by CannaSol Farms From Seattle Area Shop Herbal Nation

October 16, 2014 By Fischer Campbell Leave a Comment

So there I was, a rainy day with nothing to do. As the great Raoul Duke said, “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right” – I might as well indulge that desire and go on down the rabbit hole. Today’s review is a strain of marijuana known as Alice in Wonderland by CannaSol Farms, which I procured from Herbal Nation (in Bothell, WA) for the price of $67.76 for 2 grams.

CannaSol Farms is a producer that describes their product as “Cannabis Unplugged”. The herb is grown in the Okanogan sun, and the producer is based in Riverside, WA. Taking a glance at CannaSol’s website, their mission statement can be summed up in three concise words: Sustainability, Responsibility and Integrity.

These three pillars of practice are the kind of foundations that will help keep producers like CannaSol Farms at the forefront of the recreational movement. Oh, that and the lovely premium product that they grow.

Before we delve into Alice in Wonderland, let’s take a look at CannaSol Farm’s packaging: it’s of a rustic fashion, only consisting of black and white colors. The producer’s logo is displayed directly in the front, along with the weight of the product and some shipping information. Turing to the back, we get more specific details; the strain’s name, some testing results, more tracking information and a web address. The package certainly doesn’t have much color or design, but the information necessary is present.

Let’s look at the specifics:

Sativa
Total Active Cannabinoids – 19.96%

(for more information, have a glance at the sticker photo)

Alice in Wonderland smells superb; a hint of fruit, with subtle earthy lingerings. The aroma is potent, and permeates quite rapidly throughout the room.

The view is fantastic when opening the package – the interior gives off a warmth, and makes the bud all the more enticing. The nugs themselves are wonderfully frosted with keef, and are deep in color. As always, there are a few leaves – but nothing that detracts from the beauty of Alice in Wonderland.

Upon tasting the smoke through a water pipe, it was fresh upon the palette. The fragrant hint of fruit carries through for a slightly cherry sensation, and a quite enjoyable sensation at that.

Getting high with Alice in Wonderland is best suited for the AM hours, and nothing is really better then a “good mornin'” session. It’s hard to find yourself “one toke over the line” with this strain, and that makes it perfect for doing morning stuff; brewing coffee/tea, gazing off into the foggy distance while holding a mug of said coffee/tea, and getting ready for whatever you have to do (fingers crossed whatever you have to do involves “nothing”).

Another great reason for Alice in Wonderland being a morning strain is the lack of burnout. True to it’s sativa nature, there is very minimal tiredness to be expected. I’m swooning over CannaSol Farms’ product, and am excited to bring you a review of their Durban Poison next week.

UPDATE: Check out more weed reviews and Seattle marijuana stores.

Top 5 Washington State Recreational Marijuana Stores (Total Sales)

October 14, 2014 By Manic Conrad 4 Comments

Even if we gave you several guesses, chances are you probably wouldn’t have guessed the Washington State recreational marijuana store with the most total sales (year to date or for the latest month of September). And if your guess was Cannabis City, which would make sense considering Seattle is by far the most populated city in the state, you would be wrong! Although, the city’s first pot shop did rank in the top 5 despite early hurdles of trying to remain stocked with product while keeping up with demand.

Here are the Top 5 Washington State recreational cannabis stores in order of:

Total Sales For Latest Month (September)

1. Herbal Nation – Bothel – $815,176

2. Cannabis City – Seattle – $639,862

3. New Vansterdam – Vancouver – $592,495

4. Rainier On Pine – Tacoma – $397,491

5. Spokane Green Leaf – Spokane – $350,899

The number one recreational marijuana store in terms of total sales for the month of September is Bothel’s Herbal Nation. This legal weed shop is quickly becoming a favorite of connoisseurs with its’ large variety of cannabis flowers and edibles to choose from. Our reviewer wrote about Avita’s Agriculture’s Plushberry and Mickey Kush, both of which were purchased at Herbal Nation. New Vansterdam was a surprise for us at #3, but we imagine sitting so closely to the Oregon border and just North of Portland has helped business just a little. Rounding off the list is a Tacoma and Spokane pot shop.

Total Sales (July, August, September)

1. New Vansterdam – Vancouver – $1,547,246

2. Herbal Nation – Bothel – $1,261,853

3. Cannabis City – Seattle – $1,183,962

4. Main Street Marijuana -Vancouver – $1,070,670

5. Spokane Green Leaf – Tacoma – $935,840

Would you believe that the Washington State marijuana store with the most total sales, so far this year, is Vancouver’s New Vansterdam? The same retail shops which are on the ‘Total Sales For Latest Month’ list, make up this list as well, except for Main Street Marijuana who replaces Space at the number four spot. Imagine that: two Vancouver based marijuana shops are #1 and #4 in the state with a combined $2,617,916 in total sales!

Check out more marijuana sales activity at the Washington State Liquor Control Board website.

UPDATE: Check out Seattle marijuana stores and our weed reviews

Marijuana Review: Plushberry by Avitas Agriculture From Seattle Area Shop Herbal Nation

October 9, 2014 By Fischer Campbell Leave a Comment

The marijuana strain at hand this week: Plushberry by Avitas Agriculture, I picked up a gram at $34.99 from Herbal Nation (in Bothell, WA).

Last week, I reviewed a different Avitas produced strain (Mickey Kush) and gave some insight as to who they are (as a producer), and what they stand for. To swiftly reiterate: Avitas has a svelte website detailing their mission and methods, Avitas also takes special care in packaging their products (adorning every sticker with strain specific descriptions that go way beyond the call for testing results and tracking information).

Looking at the packaging for Plushberry, it’s in some ways like a work of art. The Avitas logo is well placed and soft in color, the bud itself reflects off the packaging and creates (what I can only describe as) a hallowed glow – in the right light. A pattern runs around the sticker, which reads:

“Relaxing and sensual. Sweet smooth smoke with hints of blackberry and current.”

Well done, Avitas (golf clap).

Moving on to the specifics:

Indica – 80% / Sativa – 20%
THC Total – 19.12
CBD Total – 0.76

(check out the sticker for more information)

Cracking open the package, the smell was instantly apparent. As the name Plushberry suggests, there is indeed a berry fragrance – but honestly I couldn’t immediately identify it as blackberry. It’s more so along the lines of “mystery berry” (or perhaps “mythical berry”), an all but extinct fruit located deep in the western end of the Kunlun mountains… or something.

The look of the bud was velvety, and it burns nicely. The curing process yields a great looking nug (and potency), with just a few leaves. On the Avitas website, one can view the products; the image for Plushberry doesn’t hide it’s leafy appearance – it’s just the way the bud is.

Avitas was spot on in it’s description for the mythical Plushberries flavor, though. I couldn’t specifically identify the smell itself, but the blackberry taste was heavily evident. It’s a fragrant bud that I would recommend for daytime and nighttime use – an “anytime” strain.

After hitting Plushberry out of a water pipe, it was time to nerd out and play some Destiny. The high has a gradual onset, and results in a focused-yet-peppy feeling (which was great for interplanetary exploration). Get focused, and get giddy – I like it. It’s good for a project, recreation, chores, etc.

Burnout is surprisingly low for this indica, and it’s easy to function after the high fades. It’s fair to say that Avitas has yet again hit a home run, and I’m looking forward to sampling them again in the near future.

UPDATE: Check out the list of Seattle cannabis stores and our marijuana reviews.