Pubdate: Thu, 30 May 2013
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2013 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J.M. Smith
Column: Medical MJ

SOLID PRICES, LOW-KEY

If You Are Willing to Travel Just North of Irvington, Earth's Healing
Is a Welcoming (and Affordable) Dispensary

It's a problem I wish I'd had two years ago-dispensaries popping so
fast I can't get out fast enough to visit them all. Another one opened
last Monday on the southside-Earth's Healing Pain Treatment & Wellness
Center-so here's a glimpse of what they offer.

The dispensary is in a great location. Where do you want to be when
you walk out with $500 worth of meds? How about on Benson Highway
within sight of the Pima County Sheriff's Department headquarters?
Earth's Healing is also within easy reach of a big chunk of the
southside, giving the city a kind of ring of protection around the
east, south and west sides.

It's clear when you drive up that this is a working man's dispensary.
First off, Benson Highway ain't La Encantada. But even if the
commercial box looks a bit like a former used-car office, the decor is
new, spotless doctor's-office utilitarian. It has a modern vibe, but
not upscale. The TVs in the waiting room are normal size, not Big
Greedy American size. We pay largely for our experiences in the modern
retail world, and a lot of people would rather not pay for an upscale
cannabis adventure.

I'm a dive bar guy, mostly, and ultimately I'd rather have cheap meds
than expensive couches. You can't smoke stainless trim and custom tile.

There's no buzzer on the Earth's Healing door, so you can walk right
into the waiting room. There's a TV on the wall and ubiquitous
cannabis mags to browse. I don't know what's in any of these; I've
never had time to browse a magazine at a dispensary. Hehe.

Everyone smiled when I walked into Earth's Healing. It seemed very
laid back and inviting, with the staff wearing matching polo shirts.
That seemed friendlier than medical garb as they took my card and
paperwork through the pharmacy-style window.

A step into the cannabinoid wonder chamber reveals an armoire-sized
display of glass pieces and other smoking supplies on the left and
another case full of meds on the right. They had more than a dozen
strains, with a typical range of sativas, indicas and hybrids of every
stripe. All the meds are lab tested and labeled for THC, CBD, CBN and
molds.

At least one Earth's Healing grower works the counter, because I
bought some of his Sour Diesel. I like buying directly from growers.
Um, because then if I knew anything about growing, he could, you know,
answer my intelligent questions about nutrients and shit. Just sayin'.

They claim the best dispensary prices in town, and without a direct
comparison (stay tuned), I wouldn't argue. Their two price tiers are
$45/$90/$180/$360 and $55/$110/$220/$440 per eighth/quarter/half/ounce.
Don't be hasty, though. Comparing dispensary prices is risky because
you are inevitably comparing apples to entirely different kinds of
apples. Dispensaries get meds from scores of growers, so I might be
willing to pay more for one Sour Diesel than another. In any event,
Earth's Healing meds top out at $55 per eighth. Tumbleweeds Health
Center is the only other local source that can boast of that.

Earth's Healing also gets props for cookies and brownies ($12) and
candies (various prices), seasoning packets ($25-blackened, Southwest
and taco). They even have hot sauce. All the edibles come from Green
Halo's kitchen until Earth's Harvest gets its operation up and
running. I bought a $12 brownie and ate the whole thing. Yow. It was
clearly three doses for me. Pace yerself.

So Earth's Healing gets a huge Mr. Smith approval, largely for
workaday prices, friendly experts behind the counter and a wide
selection, including hash and edibles. I took a newly certified friend
there for her first-ever dispensary trip. She was smiling a lot.

I think she liked it.

[sidebar]

Earth's Healing Pain Treatment & Wellness Center

2075 E. Benson Highway

373-5779

Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Pluses: Eighths topping out at $55; edibles; very laid back; next to
Sheriff's Department

Minuses: Not upscale, if that's your thing; next to Sheriff's
Department; no price breaks for quantities
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MAP posted-by: Matt