Better options

I started my series of City Pulse dispensary reviews in February with a local shop called Pure Options. So much has changed there, so that I thought I would end the year by reviewing the shop again.

The location has not changed; it is still in the same small plaza near Pet Supplies Plus at the corner of Miller Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. I've heard that many patients drive by with no idea there is a medical marijuana store in that plaza. The shop has no flamboyant signage or markings and great smell control — you might never suspect they sell odoriferous marijuana inside.

I entered through the front door into the lobby, which is nicer than most, and I rang the buzzer at the service window. A young lady checked my cards and buzzed me into the back. There was one patient ahead of me, so I took the time to scope out the shop’s repurposed snack machine, now stocked with cannabis products. Pure Options is where I first encountered a marijuana vending machine, but I have found a few others since then.

When the patient ahead of me finished, I was waved up to a bar counter with two display cases — one for flowers and one for extracts — and a back wall stocked with various edibles. When I reviewed the shop in February, it didn’t carry edibles or extracts. I’m glad to see it offering a wider variety of products for patients.

I asked several questions about strains and products.

On my February visit, I was disappointed that some product information was not available. On this trip, the budtender was able to answer all of my questions except one — but she did take time to go find the answer. That gets an A in my book. You can't know everything; being honest and able to find the right information makes all the difference.

I appreciate that Pure Options has made improvements this year, especially in product knowledge and selection. It is a change that many patients can benefit from.

I looked over the shop’s expansive prerolled joint section, comprising 16 different varieties ranging in price from $5 to $10 each. There were over 30 strains of flower to choose from, including Sativa (known for stimulating effects), Indica (known for sedative effects) and hybrid strains — a mix between the two. The shop also offers a high-CBD/low-THC strain that provides several medical benefits with little or no high. With so many options, it can take a few minutes to peruse — especially if you like to smell the jars.

I counted at least 10 types of medibles and over 10 different extract options. The shop also carries pre-loaded cartridges for vape pens, cannabis-infused drinks, topical creams and seeds.

I chose a gram of Forum Girl Scout Cookies ($20) and a $50 half gram of San Fernando Valley OG dry sift — a product created by extracting the oils from a marijuana flower without using a solvent.

I also went to the vending machine to get a gram of Super Lemon Haze ($10). I know that buying marijuana from a vending machine is a dream come true for a few of my readers.

The shop packed up my goodies in a discreet white paper bag, and I was soon on my way to try the new products. Once back in my smoking den, I twisted up the Super Lemon Haze. This was my third time using a marijuana vending machine, and this was some of the best vending machine pot I've ever purchased.

I was anxious to try the SFV OG, a solvent-less extract created by Incogni grow Farms. I was very impressed by this product, both in clarity and taste. I saved the Forum Girl Scout Cookies for the next morning. It made for a pleasant start to my day; I paired the clean burning joint with a steaming latte.

Steve Green, who writes this column every two weeks, uses marijuana to prevent seizures. He has no business ties to any dispensaries or products.

Pure Options

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday 6030 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Suite 8, Lansing (517) 721-1439, pureoptions.com