HIGH QUALITY

If The City Starts Growing And Selling Its Own Dope, Will It Be Any, Uh,
Good?

There's been a lot of talk lately about Proposition S, the ballot initiative
sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Leno and recently approved by San Francisco
voters. It will allow the city to grow and distribute medical marijuana, a
process currently undertaken by private farms and cannabis clubs.

Most of the talk focuses on how this is going to help patients suffering
from debilitating conditions like glaucoma and how likely it is that Johnny
Ashcroft will roll into town and break up the party.

Important issues, sure, but aren't we forgetting something? Shouldn't we be
asking if the stuff the city grows is going to be any better? When it comes
to selection, quality, and prices, does Mark Leno really know best?

We're not sick, and, legally, not eligible to buy anything from pot clubs.
But let's face it, the situation affects us, too. The trickledown theory of
cannabis (also known as "voodoo potnomics") tells us that eventually the
stuff from pot clubs comes into the hands of everyday Joes like us, through
resales, charitable donations, and other workings of the pyramid drug
economy.

Case in point. Recently, we came upon something that the black market never
would have brought us: hash oil pills. The pretty orange capsules sold for
the astonishingly low price of five for $25. And they were fabulous, we
might add.

We acquired the pills from our connection, Angel, who possesses a cannabis
club ID card ("It's pretty much like a Costco card," she says) due to
ongoing back pain suffered from a car accident.

She shops at Mission Street Caregivers, at 1766 Mission. Because it only
recently opened, she says, business has been far from brisk compared to
other clubs she's been to. But judging from the shop's fabulous selection,
that seems likely to change.

It's like being in Amsterdam. As Angel describes it, the THC-rich products
include dozens of varieties, with names you've heard of, like Northern
Lights, to names you might not have, like XXXX. The quality runs from top of
the line ($60 for an eighth of kind bud) to south of the border ($15 for an
eighth of swag), the latter of which, as we all know, can be hard to find in
Northern California.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. They've got plants, little ones and
big ones; seeds; hash oil in a jar; hash soaked in hash oil; hash kef;
pre-rolled joints; lots of edibles including brownies and cookies; and
marijuana tincture, which is pot soaked in alcohol that can be applied
topically or used in tea.

It's all under a little glass case.

So, Mark Leno, you've got a lot to compete with. While we respect your
desire to shelter this valuable service from the evil arms of the federal
government, we just hope you maintain some quality control.