On Waldo Canyon

Don't worry dear readers, I'm working on a review now, but I just had to get this out.

Wow! What a week we've had! Either a careless hiker or an arsonist just had our guts for garters! Cheers to ALL the Firefighters, Volunteers and people who flooded our evacuation centers with Donations!

I am very proud to be a citizen of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, the Fourth Judicial District, the State of Colorado and the USA (aka the Colonies)!  I don't think there's been so much pouring out of goodwill and charity in a community!

I had friends and family affected by the fire and evacuations, so I did what I could to help them. Our patients used me as a network to pair them up with people I needed to find housing for. I'm very proud of my family, friends, and patients for their courage, patience, sweat, and generousity. New friends have been made and our El Paso/Teller/Fremont counties area is a kinder, gentler, more appreciative place because we faced a major catastrophe together.

Over 340 homes were destroyed but we had only TWO (2) casualties. That is PHENOMENAL! The two people who died were hiding out and disobeying the mandatory evacuation for their home. They hid from the authorities who did the house-to-house checks to ensure noone was in the affected area. Just another example that no matter how hard we try, there will always be people who refuse assistance and don't have the sense God gave a badger.

So CHEERS to EVERYBODY except those two hold-outs. My thoughts go out to their families however. I understand their family tried to get them to leave and they wouldn't budge. So I feel very deep sympathy for that famliy. My prayers go with them. So ONE CHEER for our public servants and volunteers and another more somber toast to the family of the two deceased.

Update:  Cheers to Thurlow Weed and No Excuses Entertainment

Cheesequake from Maggie's Farm

Okay, so I sorted out a couple of patients with my apprentice caregiver. She still has room for 3 more people for you patients out there interested in my sort of caregiver service.


Now, on to Cheesequake and Maggie's Farm. :-)

According to the label, Cheesequake is a 55/45 (Sativa/Indica) hybrid.  For any one not familiar with the nomenclature, I'll explain., Sativas tend to give you effects like energy and a cerebral high while Indicas go more for the overall budy buzz.  It can get really complicated scientifically, but that's a reasonable simplification. 

These effects can be negative.  Someone with fear or anger issues may become anxious or even paranoid (if a little unhinged to begin with).  Being old has its advantages.  I've had more time than some to sort myself out and not take what other people think as a reflection on myself.  So, my reviiews are, of course, very subjective to my conditions and stage of life.

For instance, I'm a really poor evaluator of the anxiety side effect of MJ because after much soul-searching (aka therapy), I've dealt with the more severe issues I had and am a much more balanced person now.  So a strain may negatively affect someone else that way without me having any indication.  On the other side, if a strain ever DOES do that to me, then it must be pretty severe on that side effect and most patients should probably stay away from it to be on the safe side.


Cheesequake: 

So, as it so informatively says on the label, this is a 55/45 hybrid.

Typically, Cheesecake should give you the Sativa energy and alertness with the Indica body buzz and relaxation.  http://www.leafly.com/indica/cheese-quake

First thing I felt very soon after using was my frontal lobe got nicely numb.  Your frontal lobe handles your problem solving and thought processes, so I wouldn't use this on a day you need to be fully alert.  That's its kind of cerebral high. 

I also had some healthy dry mouth.

Some Sativas make me think better and others make me fuzzy.  An hour after use, I'm getting some squeezing behind my eyes and my brain feels kind of shielded, but the MJ seems to be moving on to other parts of my brain (temporal lobes atm).  (Others describe that as "fluffy," but I since my brain doesn't feel soft, just very solid behind some nice concertina wire, I won't use that term here.  Maybe someday I'll find a strain that actually makes me feel fluffy, but I'm not holding my breath over it.)

Having a nice body buzz with it, so good for muscle spasms and pain relief.

I'm not feeling anying energy, so I recommend this for a day when you just need to relax (my ROTC instructor used to call those "attitude-adjustment days").  We all need some good relaxation as needed so we can untie the stress knots the world can put into us before they get too complicated, so I can recommend this strain of Cheesequake for that.

That being said, this is kind of interfering with my ability to write this review.  It's taking longer than it should.  I'm feeling kind of dumb and humorless.  The fatigue I'm feeling could lead some patients into depressive feelings, so please be careful.


Maggie's Farm:

Very good labeling.  All strains are clearly identified and some even include info on the effects of the strain.  Good stuff for those new to the MMJ community.  The labels also include the Maggie's Farm logo, so you won't forget where you got it from.  (Good marketing - Cheers!)

Very well planned label, however the fill-in-the blank spots for date, MMR# and batch number were blank.  Now, they also labelled it with the standard computer printed name, dispensary, weight and strain name, so I can appreciate the planning for writing that info on their dispensary label even though the date and MMR# are kind of redundant, so leaving them blank when the vial is labelled on the other side with that info is okay.  But having a blank for the batch number just feels kind of lazy.  Like someone had a great plan for tracking something and then they abandoned the effort.

Strains can vary a bit from batch to batch, so I appreciate them planning to write in what batch it came from as being informative for the more anal retentive patients (like me) who are interested in tracking these things, but leaving it blank shows good intent with no followthrough.

Plastic container isn't air tight and also a bit of trouble to open.  Patients with impaired function in their hands may have difficulty opening them

I appreciated the information about their product being "organic" and grown outside and I'll trust that it's accurate.  I have no green thumb so I can't in good conscience have any preferences about growing inside vs. out, but I know some people do.

Their bags are also labelled with their Maggie's Farm logo.  Nice marketing, but for safety reasons, some people may not feel secure with that.  Get stopped by a cop and having a dispensary name on a product in easy view of the officer you're trying not to get a ticket from isn't great planning.  I'd rather have a nice non-provocative bag, thank you.

They advertised their Sugar Hash (which I think is made with the leftovers from the trimming process as they blend their strains to make it) for 5 grams for $45.  Nice cost-efficient option for patients without financial resources.  I wonder how their Sugar Hash compares with Levity Wellness's Levit-aid Hash. 

Also, having a dispensary at their South Nevada location is definitely a step up from the crappy used-car places that have been there in succession for years.  I think the dispensary is a definite improvement for that piece of real estate and the property values around it, but that's my logic and I know many people in Colorado Springs that way because of that NIMBY quotient.

They take Visa/MC which as you all know I think is better for patient safety and comfort.

One odd thing happened though.  The very lovely ladies treated the weighing like a game show for how fast they could get the perfect 7g weight.  Now, I know I got 1/4, but placing so much emphasis on the perfect weighing when other dispensaries intentionally overweigh their 1/8 and 1/4 and such is kind of a downer.  Again, the weighing is where the dispensary has an interest in giving you what you paid for with as little overage as possible, but I don't think it needs to be shown off.


My two cents:

"Maggie's Farm" was written by Bob Dylan against the "protest" folk musicians who had sold out.  It's a deeply political song about capitalist exploitation. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie's_Farm

Then U2 covered it in 1986 as a protest against Margaret Thatcher's UK/Ireland policies.

There are more versions, but suffice to say, "Maggie's Farm" was always alluded to as a bad thing.  I'm sure either someone there is a fan of Dylan or one of the musicians who covered it, or maybe someone thought the name recognition for marketing outweighed in original negative connotation it has.  

As a name for an MMJ dispensary, it kind of confuses and scares me.  Got some goosepimples going on.

To you all who read these musings:

A few people have seriously wanted to know who I am.  For those of my readers who feel that way, please understand the following: 

I'm just taking care of my friends (aka patients).  We are private people and don't need attention from the wrong sorts.  It would be very easy for law enforcement to message me, ask who I am, and then come for me with a warrant and give us all kinds of grief that we don't need.  I'm sure you can understand my cause for concern.

Second, a few other people have asked if I can take more patients.  So here's the best I can do.  I have a trusted friend who can be a primary caregiver for no more than five (5) people. If you're interested in home (or work) delivery of your medicinal MJ, send me a personal message on my Facebook page (not my personal page please, they'll get lost), https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raise-Your-Bong/210671389053437 and while you're at it, go ahead and give my Facebook Page a Like.  :-)

And btw - Father's Day is SUNDAY!  If your Dad is a camera dude or if your Dad's an asshole and YOU are a camera-loving dude, maybe its a good time to get a gift, for your Dad or yourself (if your father doesn't deserve such a thing).  It should be called Dad's Day instead of Father's Day.  Pretty much any sperm donor can be a father, it takes a GOOD father to be a Dad.

So Cheers to all you DADS out there!

/inhale - and comment /inhale if you're with me on this!

On Specials and Combos

"Specials" or "Combos" with some providers just means repackaging the product in a way to promote something or get rid of whatever's not been selling or is a bit more exotic by putting items together in an exaggerated way that only saves you a nominal amount, like 10 cents. That's what most fast food places do. "Get the combo, you'll save 50 cents off your $15 order!"

The provider can honestly tell you that the price for all the items together is more than what they'll charge you, but its kind of a hollow truth because they omit how much you'll save exactly. The value of the discount doesn't jive with the big deal they're making about it.

Now, this misuse of the idea of a Sale offends me.  The transaction scenario as intended is that a disabled person comes to the provider to get their MJ to help them with their particular affliction.

This may be a person new to using MJ, who is still suffering from effects of their disability(es) and is nervous and trying their best to navigate through the information being given them, and he/she is trying to make an informed decision about which of the strains might hopefully give them relief.  So I'm saying you have someone whom you could, if so inclined, take advantage of, either by misleading him/her or having cloudy unclear information about  your MJ.

Some providers are generous and will overweigh the scale for you, either intentionally to be generous or because they're just happy to give you what you agreed to buy and a little overage isn't a big deal and they're not going to waste your time finessing it just because they dropped in a nug that was a little (we're talking maybe half a gram when buying 1/4 oz) over.

But for some providers, they set their acceptable overage very low, like 0.2 grams.  They'll drop in and take out a dozen buds so they give you as little overage as possible. 

Now, that's their right as the provider. You wanted a 1/4 and they're going to give you your 1/4, but they'll spend 5 minutes trying to get the scale to balance just right even though they have other patients waiting for their turn while you start to feel impatient.

I don't want to feel impatient with my MJ provider.  I want to feel like we're in this together, cooperating to let me acquire a product for a fair price and we can mutually appreciate having a pleasant interaction.

If a provider wants to be picky about it, then don't be lazy and prepare appropriately.  Do like SoCo MMJ does and have it all pre-weighed in containers, then you can package it in a way that is more sanitary for patient and as a bonus and you minimize your overage while not wasting the patient's time or looking like a cheap bastard.

Just giving some info and my constructive criticism.  To the providers, don't take any criticisms personally.  My desire, if you read my words about you, is that you take my opinion, evaluate it, and if its something you'd like to fix, then at least I've brought your attention to something in your operation that could be improved.  I'm a free consultant for you, so please don't take anything personally.

D.I.A. from Broadmoor Wellness

So, I walked into Broadmoor Wellness and they had a special:  1 oz. of D.I.A. (Denver International Airport) for $140.  At that price, I'll try anything just to see how good the deal is.

So I woke up this morning, clear-headed from a good night's sleep and med-free since I can't medicate myself after 8pm or I *will* be up all night, body tired, wanting to go to sleep, but with an edginess that my brain wants me to get up and do something productive.  Long story shorter, I'm a good lab rat for getting a clear impression of MJ strains since I stick to one strain per day.

So about that D.I.A.  It's fairly decent.  I'd say decent potency, no serious cerebral "high" with it, so for medicinal purposes, it's a very decent choice, especially for that price. 

It's definitely giving me a body high.  I don't like the term "fluffiness."  I prefer to be more specific about the body high.  It's making me feel smoother, meaning I'm feeling more coordinated. 

Not as much energy as some other strains give me.  I wouldn't want to be on this while I was trying to be productive because the high is fogging up my brain a bit, but if you're down for some relaxation time or if your body's giving you a difficult time in the muscle spasm or pain departments, this would be a good strain to convince your body that it doesn't have to be at war with you.  And really,just say to your body, can't we all just get along?  On this D.I.A., I think your body parts will be responding "yeah, man - it's all good".

As for Broadmoor Wellness, there was no information presented openly on which strains were sativas/indicas/hybrids. I really like for a place to have the approximate percentages posted on the jars, or on a wall board or something.  The guy there was helpful in a general way when asked about their different strains, but he seemed tired or like he was having a bad day.  I really don't like describing an operation as "lazy" or "disinterested", but Broadmoor Wellness does seem to give that impression.

Furthermore, giving MJ in a sandwich bag is seriously old school in a bad way.  Their 1/8 containers are neat, but not airtight. 

Also, I really like to see providers give a notice of what products were used in growing their MJ.  None of that was available.  The description stickers were just stuck to the receipt, not the individual packaging, which seemed kind of thoughtless to me.  I mean, I appreciate having the stickers on the packaging so that I can be easily reminded of the exact name of the strain that's in there.  I'd review the 1/8 I bought, but I can't remember what it was called and with no sticker on the cool little 1/8 container and their website out of date as to their menu, I really have no way of tracking that info down aside from going back there in person and seeing if they still have that strain (I kind of remember that it was a 3 word name that started with B).

And scrawling DIA on the sandwich baggie, while good for reminding me of the name, isn't exactly what I'm looking for when providers are labeling my purchases for me.

Where are we? Why are we here? Who's flying this thing?

I am essentially a personal shopper for medicinal marijuana.  I have five (5) friends with more money than time (or apparently without the sense to comparison shop for themselves).

I started this blog to state my subjective opinions of strains from Colorado Springs MMJ providers and see if other people agreed with me, disagreed with me, or trolled me and called me names.

Trolls will be shot.

I love Pink's song Raise Your Glass, so in wine tasting tradition, cheers!




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