Pubdate: Thu, 31 May 2012
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

LEGAL DEAL DESERT DAWN CAREGIVERS DELIVERS MEDICAL MJ DIRECTLY TO TUCSONANS

J.M. SMITH Chemdog from Desert Dawn Caregivers. Desert Dawn Caregivers

What: MMJ delivery service. Desert Dawn advertises smokable meds,
tinctures, edibles, clones and mother plants. Selection is limited for
the time being, since Desert Dawn is between harvests. Look for a
broader selection soon, including plants for getting in one more harvest
before dispensaries open, and growing becomes illegal.

Why: Delivery convenience that's hard to beat. Good prices-I paid a $50
donation for an eighth, which is less than other local collectives.

Why not: Very limited selection. No secure brick-and-mortar location,
which might make Desert Dawn seem a little sketchy to some folks not
used to buying meds on the street.

I once met a guy in a parking lot in the projects in Augusta, Ga., to
buy a bag of pot.

It was a drive-by street purchase of the most-stereotypical variety,
made through the window of my buddy's beat-down truck in the middle of
the night, in the shadow of the seediest public-housing complex in
town. I used to go to a van in the same parking lot to buy diapers and
laundry soap with food stamps, which is a different story, but it
tells you the kind of place I was dealing with.

It sucked.

The caregiver, so to speak, thrust a folded piece of paper into my
friend's hand and snatched his cash-then someone smashed a bottle in
front of his truck. Our new friend told us we'd better split before
the crowd at the, er, dispensary got out of hand, so we did. We sped
off, only to find the paper stuffed with crumbled-up leaves. The
skinny white kids didn't go back for a refund-it was a lesson learned.

Things have changed.

Now I can call Desert Dawn Caregivers, a collective run by a local
caregiver and his patient-wife, and have my meds delivered anywhere I
need them-without broken bottles or the threat of arrest or violence.

Desert Dawn's caregiver, Brian, met me in a coffee shop, but he
offered to meet me anywhere I found comfortable. He will come to your
home or meet you in a park or whatever. He was very quick and met me
within an hour of my phone call.

It was a little surreal purchasing meds over a table in a coffee shop.
What we did was completely legal-it was a patient-to-patient transfer
with a donation for costs. Nonetheless, it was a little hard to shake
that old familiar Don't-Let-Anyone-See-Us vibe from back in the day. I
got over it quickly.

Brian brought out a backpack with the meds-all he had at the time was
Chemdog-and I kinda surreptitiously slipped him a cash donation for a
small, pink bottle. (Brian was apparently wrong about this strain,
which I have never had, being an indica. Most other sites across the
World Wide Internets call it a sativa-dominant hybrid.) He is growing
for himself, his wife and one other patient, for the time being, and
offering his extra meds for other patients. He was between harvests
when I met him, which left him a little short on variety, and he
recently had some mold issues in his grow room and had to destroy
several plants.

I found Brian to be a nice guy, if a little nervous. You can't blame
the guy, since he is meeting strangers who know he is carrying MMJ and
possibly cash. Interestingly, Brian did not ask for my MMJ card,
taking my word for it instead. Neither did I ask for his card,
preferring instead to see how it all played out. There was no
verification in either direction. I appreciate his willingness to help
a stranger connect with meds at risk of life and limb, which sounds a
little dramatic, but is true.

Overall, despite the lack of variety, I give Brian and Desert Dawn
several thumbs up. I know I only have two, but they deserve several
for convenience and the awesomeness of buying meds anywhere I want for
a decent price. Go Brian.

Mr. Smith approves.
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