Choice Wellness Center isn’t the biggest among the many dispensaries on Aurora Avenue, but if you count its previous location in the U-District, it’s been around longer than most of the others. There are always reasons for a shop’s longevity in such a competitive environment, so I checked out Choice on a recent weekday afternoon.
The access point is located inside the former office of a motel, and as such, it’s close quarters inside Choice. But the shop doesn’t feel cramped; it feels cozy. That’s at least part due to the friendly welcome extended by budtender Calvin, who also happens to know his cannabis.
Choice Wellness has an excellent selection of cannabis infused topicals; in fact, their topicals shelf would put to shame that of a few shops twice its size.
There were only about 10 strains on the shelves when I visited; Calvin said there are usually more. One shelf held four sativa dominants, and another had around half-a-dozen indica varieties; prices ranged from $10 on the left, to $12 in the middle, to $15 on the right hand side.
Now, I’m not crazy about paying $15 a gram, and when I do pay it, I insist on being impressed. But I quickly decided life is too short to not try out the best weed in the place, selecting two $15 strains, the indica Head Band, and, at Calvin’s suggestion, the sativa Chocolope.
It didn’t take long once the sampling started to figure out that if there’s such a thing as $15 weed in Seattle, this Head Band is it. These rock-hard, tightly-trimmed nugs may not be the prettiest flowers you’ve ever seen, but they pack a pleasing punch, quelling nausea and pain even as the potent brain fuel puts your thoughts into overdrive.
I know this is atypical advice for an indica strain, but if you enjoy indulging your creativity, I predict you’ll love Head Band. Just be cautious if you’re tempted to take a big ol’ toke: This weed has a lot of lung expansion once inhaled, and is capable of making you cough your ass off.
As I mentioned, Calvin recommended the Chocolope, and I’ve rarely regretted taking a budtender’s advice. Nobody’s in a better position to both personally sample every strain in the house, and to weigh patient feedback on a daily basis.
So it’s no surprise that he was right about the Chocolope. This almost-pure sativa (95 percent) is a blending of Cannalope with Chocolate Thai, and if that sounds delicious, well, yes, it is. The cross retains much of the taste of the Chocolate Thai, mixed with a bit of the ripe sweetness of the Cannalope.
Chocolope delivers dreamy but intense cerebral effects, alleviating stress and magnifying appetite. If you are sensitive to strong sativas, proceed with caution, as this strain, in addition to giving relief, will also get you quite high.
First-time patients get a free medible; I recommend the in-house Soma brownies. I was also pleased to find a lighter in my bag when I got home.
Choice Wellness Center, 8600 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, 206.682.3015, www.choicewellnesswa.com
Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon-Sat.; 1 pm-5 pm Sunday
Steve Elliott edits Toke Signals, www.tokesignals.com, an irreverent, independent blog of cannabis news, views, and information
tokesignals@seattleweekly.com
