Pubdate: Wed, 11 Dec 2013
Source: Seattle Weekly (WA)
Column: Toke Signals
Copyright: 2013 Village Voice Media
Contact: 
http://www.seattleweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.seattleweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/410
Author: Steve Elliott

SWEET SECONDS IN SILVERDALE

About five months ago, Hope Alternative Medicine became Silverdale's 
second medical-marijuana access point; until then, Greenthumb 
Silverdale had been the only dispensary in town. Hope Alternative has 
a warm and homey feel to it, and on my visit, proprietors Scott and 
Kim (a married couple) had gone to the trouble to make the tastefully 
decorated reception area exude holiday cheer, so I was already in a 
good mood even while they were verifying my paperwork.

This shop had somehow slipped under my radar for the first four and a 
half months of its existence. It's not in a place you'd notice unless 
you were actually looking for it (behind the State Farm office, on 
the ground floor). But by using the handy dispensary-locating 
resource THCFinder.com, I was pleased to note a second marker showing 
up on the Silverdale map on my computer screen.

Hope Alternative, conscious of being the second shop in town, aims at 
a somewhat more mature and calmer clientele than Greenthumb 
Silverdale's, according to Scott, who said he wants to give older and 
more infirm patients a place where they'll feel more at home. "I'm 
not saying they're doing it wrong," Scott said. "I just wanted to 
open a place where people like me would feel more comfortable getting 
their medicine."

The shop has an across-the-board $11 per gram pricing scheme-in other 
words, fair but not fantastic. But if paying a buck or two more per 
gram means getting quality meds, that's an acceptable trade-off, and 
based on the two strains I tried (Funk Skunk, a sativa dominant, and 
Block Head, an indica), you get true top-shelf quality for your 11 bucks.

Funk Skunk had just a little more moisture in the flowers than is 
conducive to even burning in a joint, so pipes or vaporizers are 
recommended. The strain's energetic sativa zing provides welcome pain 
and nausea relief without sleepiness, making it a good choice for 
daytime medication. Its sugary, calyx-heavy flowers are almost 
scentless, with just a hint of sweetness.

Block Head's phat, dense, dark-green nugs don't have an overwhelming 
smell, either-just hints of a smooth, musky earthiness. But its 
indica wallop is satisfying and unmistakable after three or four 
tokes. The taste has a bit more sweetness than is suggested by the 
bouquet, and the buzz is immediate, heavy and profound, with a 
noticeable body component to the high, followed by typical indica 
sleepiness with continued toking. (Yes, I'm suggesting this is a good 
evening or bedtime strain.)

Hope Alternative offers a small but tasty selection of medibles, 
including Cocoa Pebbles treats, infused Goldfish, peanut brittle, and 
brownies, all for $6 each. New patients get a free medible on their 
first visit. Concentrates, including prefilled cartridges for vape 
pens, are also available.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom