Best Practices to Shop for Cannabis, and My Favorite Dispensaries in Seattle Metro Area
By Brandon Rose
We all have our favorite places to go when we need our favorite food or coffee. But what about weed dispensaries, I think everyone has their own favorite place or places that they like to frequent. In this day and age where weed dispensaries are dime a dozen, and popping up like Starbucks stores, I am going to share with you some of my favorite places to go.
First: Best Practices to shop for Cannabis
I've also included a few best practices when it comes to shopping around for your favorite strains as well. These are some helpful suggestions to maximize your experience.
1. Check online! Shop around on Leafly. Just like anything else we buy there's always a good deal out there. Don't settle for subpar product. Here are the best three website where you can find strain reviews and recommendations:
2. Never buy your weed retail price, shops often will do happy hour specials, daily and weekly specials. Keep your eyes and ears open for those since they do change.
3. Check the harvest dates if possible. I suggest Boveda moisture packs myself if I am buying older flower. Drop a pack or two into your jar, and just adjust every so often.
4. Get to know the budtending staff. They are always happy to provide suggestions on different products. Just remember everyone is different, so one option may not work for another.
5. Sign up for membership or loyalty programs. Some loyalty programs offer up to 25% off your order, and most stack on top of their daily, weekly or happy hour specials.
Second: The List of pot shops worth checking out in Seattle Metro Area
1. Herbal Nation
- Address: 19302 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98012
- Website: https://herbalnationbothell.com/
- Operating hours: Mon - Sun. 8am - 12am
This is top of my list for a few reasons actually. I stumbled across this place one day after work, and I haven’t stopped going since. I absolutely love this place, and I love that they have constant specials and promotions. Customer experience has always been great when I go in, even when they are extremely busy. You never feel like a newbie when you go in, and they love answering questions.
My favorite strains from here is Fruity Pebbles, GG#4 and OG Kush.
Pros:
- Ounces as low as $60 on average, and 3.5g as low as $11, 7g as low as $25.
- The staff are super knowledgeable, and always happy to offer suggestions.
- Their inventory spans almost everything (lotions, tinctures, candy, etc.)
- They are open till Midnight for your late night needs.
- They have growers come in and offer sample packs often
Cons:
- Strains can be on the lower end, with budget strains around the 15% - 17% range
- They sell out quick of their lower end products.
- The parking lot is fairly small, and they are busy all day.
- Bothell Everett Highway traffic can deter people from wanting to go.
- Since they deal with volume, their inventory can change often so your favorite strain may not always be available.
2. Kush Mart
- Address: 13220 Hwy 99, Everett, WA 98204
- Website: https://www.kushmartse.com/
- Operating hours: Sun - Thur 8 AM - 10 PM / Fri - Sat 8 AM - 11 PM
The name says everything that you need to know about this place. This place definitely feels almost like a 7-11 for weed. This particular location has a smoke shop next door even, complete with some of the finest glass pieces and accessories I've seen. The thing that I like most about this place besides its location, is their specials. Sundays are their 20% off Half and Full Ounce
containers. Staff are knowledgeable, friendly and always open to sharing their favorite products.
I would say customer experience is good, but would recommend other locations for newbies. I really like the Purple Urkle, OG Kush, Bruce Banner and Trainwreck from this location. They mainly focus on the bigger growers like Phat Panda, Firestorm Growers, and Northwest Cannibas.
Pros:
- Their inventory is expansive, and carry most of the bigger growers (BBB Farms, Phat Panda, Northwest Cannabis Solutions)
- Their 20% off half and full ounce specials on Sundays are hard to pass up.
- Smoke shop next door sells almost everything you need for your smoking needs (glass, accessories, butane gas, papers, etc.)
- Parking isnt an issue due to their location
- Strains are usually around the 19%+ range, with top shelf being around 26%
Cons:
- Half and full ounces sell out quick on Sundays, so inventory can be limited
- Location can be a little hard to get to during the week due to traffic
- Caters more to the mid to high shelf market, so prices are a little more than others
- Smoke shops close early, which can be an inconvenience for some.
- Inventory of some strains are limited
3. Kush Pointe
- Address: 11811 Mukilteo Speedway suite-111, Mukilteo, WA 98275
- Website: http://kushpointe.com/
- Operating hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - 11pm
A good friend of mine turned me onto this place some time ago. I love going up to Mukilteo and sitting down at the beach anytime of the year. The staff definitely know their stuff, and this shop is more for the experienced smoker.
Pros:
- Located within a shopping center with several food options nearby, including QFC.
- Higher end strains for the high society smoker.
- Ample parking and easy to find.
- Daily specials make it worthwhile to keep in the rotation.
- They tend to carry various kush strains, perfect for the enthusiast.
Cons:
- Limited inventory of non weed products
- Prices are a little on the higher end
- Rush hour traffic can be a deterrent for this location.
- Inventory for joint packs was a little disappointing.
- Limited to one or two suppliers for most products.
The OG Kush, GG#4, and Girl Scouts Cookies were strains I liked. Most THC levels were around the 15% - 28% range on the products. Prices are reasonable, and daily specials make it hard to stay away for your work week needs.
4. HyperHerbally
Address: 14702 Hwy 99, Lynnwood, WA 98087
Website: http://hypeherbally.com/
Operating hours: Mon. - Wed. 8am - 10pm / Thur. - Sat. 8am - 11pm / Sun. 9am - 10pm
This place was a great hidden gem I was glad I visited. This dispensary look is the true illusion, as this place’s inventory was more on the top shelf side. 17% THC and higher, with most strains they carried were 25% - 29%. Top shelf strains does tend to mean top shelf prices, so just be prepared.
Pros:
- Top shelf strains with most being over 20%
- Daily specials change from week to week
- Ample parking, and close to Safeway shopping center
- Prices are on par with other dispensaries for top shelf
Cons:
- No location display outside of small street sign
- Not budget smoker friendly, with qtr ounce around $50 - $60
- Little to no non flower products
- Location is extremely small and narrow.
The Banana Kush was one of the two strains I grabbed from this location. I would suggest this place for when you want to feel like living high society sometime, and want to run for the gold ring.
5. BudHut
Address: 11603 Hwy 99, Everett, WA 98204
Website: https://www.budhut.net/everett/
Operating hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - 11:30pm
Shawn’s Produce in Everett that used to reside on Highway 99 has been repurposed into this Everett local favorite shop.
This place feels more like a social club than a dispensary. Their inventory ranges a bit, and they try to carry as many different strains as they can. Their more popular strains tend to sell out quickly, and their daily specials also help increase their popularity in the area. Harlequin, normally a CBD strain they carried in a THC variant, which they told me it was quite rare. With a 19% THC level, this was a good find from a familiar face. This place is busy, so parking can be kind of tricky so be aware.
Honorable Mention
Canna West Seattle
- Address: 5440 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136
- Website: https://cannawestseattle.com/
- Operating Hours: Mon - Sun. 8am - 11:30pm
This is one of my favorite neighborhood Cannabis shops in Seattle, only if it wasn’t too far from where I live.
Definitely worth checking out if you're down in the Seattle Area. As thisis a smaller shop, be prepared to wait in line around happy hour time.
Pros:
- Very easy to pre-order online for a pick up, either on the dispensary website, or on Leafly.com. Usually the order fulfilled in less than few minutes
- The prices for their products are some of the lowest West Seattle. With single grams as low as $5, with mid shelf around $8 - $10 per gram.
- Daily specials and Happy Hour specials include 20% off the entire store.
- More than 30 different strains from multiple growers.
- Superb customer service; staff is super friendly and always happy to provide suggestions for both experienced and inexperienced smokers.
Cons:
- Parking can be an issue due to small parking lot, but plenty of street parking.
- If you don’t live in West Seattle, it can be a bit of a commute during the week.
Conclusion
The list above are just a small portion of the shops in the area, and only meant to be suggestions. Every shop will offer their own take on daily specials, so it's always good to do further research. The most important part of the process though is finding the right product for your needs. None of the shops listed above have endorsed or reimbursed me for any part of this blog.
These are just my favorite places to go, and I am always looking for new places to review. Please feel free to leave comments on your favorite shops, or even your experience with one of the shops suggested above. But above all, have fun. Make it a day with your friends or partner, almost like a scavenger hunt of sorts.
About the author
I'm a gamer born in the 80s, my passion is combining good weed with daily life. Washington born and raised, I love educating and bringing awareness to all aspects of the subject of Marijuana. I also am a supporter of Marijuana Reform, as well as awareness groups. My goal is to be able to provide knowledge on both sides of the argument.
