“Well, hello, Steve Elliott!” the receptionist at Tacoma Greenthumb’s Port Orchard access point said when she checked my paperwork. “Have you come to grade us again?”
I was slightly taken aback for a millisecond, as I’d never set foot in the place, which from the outside looks a lot like a private residence (the place is the next driveway down from New Image Health & Wellness, reviewed in this column a couple of weeks ago). But then I remembered my review of Greenthumb Silverdale, and in that moment realized she remembered too. I complained about the argumentative nature of Silverdale budtender Logan.
Budtender Tammy came out to greet me at the reception desk, and, overhearing my conversation with the receptionist, asked, “Did you enjoy visiting Greenthumb Silverdale?”
“I liked the medicine, but the budtender wanted to debate me,” I truthfully answered—and the receptionist threw in “He doesn’t like Logan.” Well, I actually have nothing against Logan the guy; I do have some doubts about his customer-service methods. But enough of that; this of course didn’t have to be part of this review until it had to be.
Back in the bud room with Tammy, I quickly found a lot to like. When I’m selecting from about 20 strains of top-shelf flowers at $9 a gram, I’m in my happy place, and Tammy gave me a good tour, even producing a sheet of lab numbers for many of the strains. (A few $7 strains and one $5 strain are also available.) On Tammy’s recommendation I got a sativa called Island Sweet, and it turns out this name is more than just marketing. These tightly trimmed, small nugs have an endearing sweetness of taste and smell, and, a few tokes into a joint, a pronounced mental effect that reminds you what people are talking about when they say “euphoria.” With that welcome side-effect comes the main attraction: profound pain and nausea relief plus a calm, centered anti-anxiety effect—a little unusual for a sativa-dominant. Budtender Tammy had noticed this phenomenon as well; she told me Island Sweet is one of the few sativas that don’t make her jittery.
My next selection was an old favorite, the indica-dominant hybrid Afgoo, a crossbreed of Afghani, Thai, and Hawaiian strains with a sweetness of its own—distinctly different from Island Sweet’s but just as pleasant. One of the best pain strains around, Afgoo doesn’t quickly result in couchlock as some indicas do—that’s not to say you won’t get sluggish if you overindulge.
Then there was the indica PDS, recommended by Tammy as her favorite strain at Greenthumb Port Orchard; it’s also the one that boasts the access point’s highest lab result for THC, 17 percent. PDS’s hard, dense nugs have a complex terpene blend which results in an aroma mixing a skunky bottom with sweet citrus high notes.
Greenthumb Port Orchard has a good selection of medibles and cannabis capsules, as well as concentrates and topicals.
tokesignals@seattleweekly.com
Steve Elliott edits Toke Signals, tokesignals.com, an irreverent, independent blog of cannabis news, views, and information.
GREENTHUMB PORT ORCHARD 4978 Mile Hill Drive, Port Orchard, 360-443-2293. 10 a.m.–6:45 p.m. daily.
