I wanted to give some of my first impressions after trips to a few local dispensaries. I have been to C3 Initiatives, ReLeaf Center, Herbal Connections, & Herbal Remedies. The most important aspects to me when rating a dispensary are PRICE & QUALITY. Here's some brief info on each:

C3 Initiatives - This was the first place I went based on some of the reviews that I have seen here. This dispensary is no frills... basically it's a room in a community center. The guy, Ricky, was very friendly and helpful and spent over 30 minutes with me since it was my first trip. This place has VERY fair prices... the best prices that I've seen yet. However, I was not impressed with quality. It was not bad, but it was not the TOP quality that I was looking for. I will potentially come back here for economic reasons, but if I have the money, I will probably go somewhere else.

ReLeaf Center - This dispensary was really nice on the inside... hardwood floors, etc. They offered some snacks while waiting, nice folks. I had to sign some paperwork that said I was signing over primary caregiver, but the attendant assured me that it's just temporary (because I didn't fill out and sign the state form). I was a little leary at first, but after visiting a few more dispensaries, this seems common. You're basically giving them "temporary" caregiver status, although it doesn't say "temporary".
Anyway, I thought the quality here was significantly better than what I saw at C3. The herb was good quality, however, the edibles were crap! I got one for $8 and barely felt anything. I would steer clear from their edibles.
Prices here were too high for me. Top-shelf strains were like $62/eighth. Oz's for $410. However, I may be back for when I want top-shelf to see what they have. I was paying $400/oz on the black market for VERY TOP-SHELF meds, so $410 is pretty comparable. However, I will keep hunting for similar quality (or better) at cheaper prices.

Herbal Connections - This dispensary was pretty nice. The waiting room had a better feel than the ReLeaf, although it wasn't as swanky. People were hanging out having discussions and I even saw a packed bowl sitting there. May be able to smoke while you wait, but I didn't see anyone doing it. The prices here seemed much better than ReLeaf prices... maybe not as good as C3 though. The selection was pretty limited when I was in. They had a few strains and their top quality, Jack Flash, looked pretty good although I didn't try it. I picked up a few edibles and they were GREAT! Much better than the edibles at ReLeaf Center and they were only like $6-7. I got a triple-strength and it was probably a little stronger than what I was looking for... although I don't think I like edibles as much as vaporizing/smoking. Anyway, I'll be back here for sure to get another look at the herb selection. Seems like it could be a good middle ground for quality meds at fair prices.

Herbal Remedies - I was in this dispensary awhile back to have a doctor referral, so I wasn't actually shopping here. However, this dispensary has buds up front in the waiting room behind a glass case so you can get some idea of their inventory. I wasn't very impressed with this place. I immediately got the impression that it was all about the dollar bill here. I had some concerns about the price of the referral that they didn't explain to me on the phone and when I raised them, they were extremely rude... saying I was wrong and they couldn't possibly have given me incomplete/wrong information. I was pissed enough about getting some attitude that I took my business elsewhere. From what I saw of their product I would say they are way overpriced. I saw eighths going for $50-$75. The $75 eighth I saw was not that impressive either. The quality was good, but I've seen better. For $75 an eighth, that shit better culminate in an orgasm after smoking. Also, they had a case with plant "tops". These were "choice" nugs that they apparently felt justified in charging an even higher premium for since they were plant "tops". Gimme a break!! Charging more for tops!! Granted the tops may theoretically be higher in THC, but I bet it's not even noticeable... the difference in my opinion is negligible. Anyway, I don't think I'll be back here unless I hear things have changed.


So, those are some of my first impressions. And my first impressions have led me to believe that the only way to go is to grow your own. I ultimately need to grow my own in order to not go broke, however, I'm pretty sure I'll be back to a few of these to fill in the gaps.