“Best Buds”…not a new daycare in Magnolia

February 6th, 2012 · 51 Comments

From behind bullet-proof glass, co-owner of Best Buds Co-op Summer Mitchell buzzed me inside to take a look at the newly remodeled space. Magnolia’s newest medical marijuana dispensary opened last week. Located at 2112 Thorndyke Ave W, Best Buds will serve patients 18 and older suffering from ailments ranging from cancer to Multiple Sclerosis.

Summer’s husband Quinn grew up in Ballard, and has suffered from Crohn’s , a debilitating bowel disease since he was 8 years old. He struggled through multiple surgeries and severe pain with little to no relief. That is, until he was introduced to medical marijuana as an adult. The treatment allowed Quinn to work and be productive, virtually pain-free. The couple, former restaurant owners, opened Best Buds to be able to legally offer the same relief to patients going through similar health struggles.

Patients enter the building through the mud room. There they present their WA state ID and recommendation form (similar to a prescription) from their primary care doctor. They are then buzzed into the lobby. After filling out paperwork, they are introduced to the “Bud Tender”- an expert on different types of marijuana. This person knows which strains help different symptoms. Patients can then choose from various forms of marijuana, from drinks, to lollipops to medibles (medicated edibles), or plain old weed. The entire process (minus the time the patient spends “shopping”) takes less than 15 minutes. All products are from state licensed suppliers.

Front desk

Best Buds has a state of the art security system- the entire 2800 square foot building is monitored by live feed video surveillance. They are only allowed to have a couple of pounds of product in the shop at any one time, and there is no cash or marijuana left overnight on the premises. Everything is wireless- their patient information is not kept on-site. Safety and privacy are of utmost importance to them.

Medibles

The Mitchells don’t anticipate that Best Buds will impact the neighborhood negatively. Their client base is people who are suffering from extreme illness and disease, They say neighbors need not worry about people hanging out and smoking pot on the street. In fact, patients are not allowed to consume their meds in or around the shop- including on the premises or parked in their car.

The couple looks forward to being a productive part of the Magnolia community. Summer says they are here to “provide safe, secure and affordable access to medical marijuana, and support our surrounding community.” They want to be good neighbors and welcome any complements or complaints at bestbudscooperative@gmail.com.

Best Buds Cooperative

2112 Thorndyke Ave West

9:30am-7pm, 7 days a week

Tags: Uncategorized

scooter

Welcome to the neighborhood.
BicycleJoe

Welcome neighbors. Thanks for opening a business that actually provides a needed service-product. In my house we wish you luck and sincerely hope you will prosper in this location. Your place looks professional, safe and secure.
BicycleJoe

Gee, I expect that never crossed their mind. Silly chaps.

billybibbet

They never thought of it, because they have been using a bit too much of their own product.

scooter

Correct. Marijuana should be legal.
Eternal23x

Welcome to the neighborhood.
Dwbowers

why are these special shops required? drugs should be dispensed from a pharmacy.
http://www.11togo.com/q-yrXEvsPF-0.html 实木门

明天的这个时候壬辰年(龙)正月十七 2012-2-8我还来顶你zp9vl9
Bob36

Dope: You are what you use.
Snarkbark

Welcome!!!! And Marijuana should be TOTALLY legal like cigarettes and booze…..
Jimbo

May have been some unnecessary info written in the article… Good luck and be safe
BicycleJoe

Soap: You are what you use.
Priscilla

As I was looking for somewhere to accept a Fed EX package to Europe yesterday having made a stop at Magnolia Mailbox and Staples and been turned away I headed to Ballard. I laughed thinking there were three places to buy pot within a mile of each other in Magnolia and Interbay but no where to send a Fed Ex package, or that I could find. I found this oddly ironic.

We need three pot outlets? I’m all for legalizing it but this seems over the top almost like the overabundance of banks and dry cleaners…

Catmagic1

Well, they could limit the number of dispensaries in your area but that just means all those displaced patients will be coming to your neighborhood for their meds.
John Trouble Smith

A lot of sick people suffering from the munches apparently

MichaelRWolf

“They are then buzzed into the lobby.”

Nice word play!
BicycleJoe

I think this place is great when we can inject humour and rib each other.

I didnt know there were 3 outlets in Magnolia already. I wonder if our sleepy little neighborhood can support all three? We’ll… here’s to givin’ it our best shot!
Serpy

I know lots of people who have scrips for medical marijuana. Not a single one of them is “sick”. The current system is so rife with abuse it’s ridiculous. For this place to setup shop in such a family oriented area is a real pisser. I live two blocks away and I am concerned about the type of people that will now be in the area because of this place. They are outright lying to say all of their clients are ill. I am for legalizing but not like this. Last time i drove my i saw some gang banger looking fool standing outside. Not someone who would normally be in this area.

http://twitter.com/Nerolus Nerolus

I live less than two blocks away and I welcome this place coming here. It’s a nice place, with nice people. Who cares what your opinion on Medical MJ is? Don’t be such a closed-minded prude. To generalize someone as a gang-banger just because of how they look is disgusting and you don’t deserve to live in such a welcome and diverse area. For shame, neighbor…

Serpy

I never claimed that you or anyone was required to care about my opinion, obviously you did though. This is a public forum for posting and you are simply bashing me for using it as such. You blast me for using my mind to interpret what my eyes see and draw a conclusion based on personal experience and reason. Let me guess, you have either lived your entire life in Seattle, or your came from the mid-west? You would prefer I live making no judgements and NOT letting my life experiences teach me about the world around me or how to make logical assessments based on the information available to me. Sounds brilliant.
John Smith

Magnolia is diverse? What are u smoking?
Helpfulneighbors

If it looks like a gang-banger, it doesn’t matter if he IS a gang-banger. He/she looks like one. High alert. Shady. I’m not sure someone with a grill and a too-rag is going to get a job at the local elementary school.

Helpfulneighbors

excuse me “doo-rag”

Tom

Gosh, you know lots off people who cheat the system? You ought to turn them in. But you don’t, because all you want to do its gripe. I’m not impressed.

Serpy

Turn them in for what genius? Medicinal marijuana is currently living in a GREY area. The system is broken as it stands, so having a legitimate scrip is not cheating the system. Anyone can get a scrip and that is part of the problem. Who should I “turn in”? Let me see what I can do in my infinite free time. Either put it in an actual pharmacy and make it harder to be prescribed or legalize it already.

Helpfulneighbors

Hilarious response! Just get the webcam out. It IS federally illegal. Start turning these people in! You know…Vets, wheelchairs. Puh-lease! Make em sweat it out. The potheads are out of control. I think the idea of marijuana being legal is a great idea, but right, when it comes to getting a “card” or ”prescription” coupled with a dispensary opening around the corner, no one is going to like it in their neighborhood, or next to their business. It’s ghetto and bring down the value of the neighborhood.

nwgreenresource

This facility is clean, professional and they have great staff. NW Green Resource would definitely suggest patients to this facility since our safe access points are needed. http://www.nwgreenresource.com

Serpy

It’s clean and safe now because of the wonderful neighborhood its in. So please don’t refer your “patients” here. Seriously.. I live like a throw away and these people are not sick.. unless needing to get stoned in your 20′s is an illness. Thaaaaanks..

Iluvpoodles

Joke. What are you so afraid of Gramps?
Woodsy

Wow you must be the greatest Dr. that ever lived. You can diagnose peoples ailments by just looking at them!!

Unbelievable!

Pottergpa

Which strain is best for bull? We decided to let people get stoned without as much hassle. No big deal, but let’s at least call it what it is. I also think it is pretty well established now that you can find a doctor to write a prescription without any real ailments, so why bother with that step at this point either?
Wildernessbarbie

”By advertising that MJ is not left on premises is inviting an assault
on the owners when they arrive or leave with the product…” I had the exact same thought. Why bother dealing with a “top-of-the-line” security system when you can just go after the weak link… someone entering/exiting their car with the product?
WildernessBarbie

If it’s a pharmacy, what type of training/certificate do the “technicians” who are dispensing this “medication” have? A basic pharmacy tech requires a minimum of 520 hours of on the job training… getting hot boxed in your friend’s car doesn’t count.

Ftr, I believe there is a place and a genuine need for medical marijuana, I just don’t believe all of these places can survive on selling it only to people who are truly ill.
Ogrish

I am all for legalization. I am not all for the various people I have seen lurking about in front of this Co-Op. Dispensaries are not the best argument for responsible MJ usage, eventually this place like so many others will be investigated by the DEA and raided like so many others in California have already experienced. I believe that this dispensary was started with good intentions…I also believe that the road to hell is paved with the good intentions of good people. The amount of graffiti in the local area has increased, there are dirty needles to be found and more homeless wandering the area since this place opened.

Rouge

Dirty needles and homeless people have nothing to do with mmj co-ops. I highly doubt the two events are related….

sudosudosudo

Of course there are dirty needles. How else would the pot addicts shoot up their reefer?

Rouge

Dirty needles and homeless people have nothing to do with mmj co-ops. I highly doubt the two events are related….
Iluvpoodles

I would bet money that graffiti hasn’t increased since they moved in, nor needles to be found and more homeless. Ridic.

Helpfulneighbors

Let’s just call a spade a spade. This is straight drug dealing. The legalization of marijuana should not allow people with zero medical expertise to be dispensing anything. Since when do we smoke anything to help with cancer, MS or Crohn’s? And where does one get such a “green card”. Legalize it, but only allow medicine to be dispensed through licensed medical professionals. You know, MD’s, OD’s, ND’s, Pharmacists. Don’t forget, regardless of state level legalization, it is still federally illegal people.

Etaylor

Othets will take you to task for the logic and research problems with your post, so let me just say that “spade” is racist and out-of-date. If your language is both hostile and antiquated, it explains your biased opinions on both medical pot and basic courtesy.

Helpfulneighbors

oh please. i’m sure they’ll be taking me to task. HILarious! I’d be more worried about getting your op shut down. That’s what you have? Racism? Give me a break. Distractions from the real issue, as per usual.

Helpfulneighbors

Dear Maggie Bluff, How do you know about retail vs. street pricing for marijuana? There’s all sorts of pricing for weed. If it’s the chronic, sticky-icky, people will pay double what it’s worth. It works the same, just like any other product.
Kippyabby

I live across the street up on Crockett from this place. There was no discussion by the city allowing this in a residential with mixed retail. To have this right down across the street explains the weird traffic I see. I am not happy. It will be only a matter of time before the “ill” become another kind of customer. Put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig.
Kippyabby

I live across the street up on Crockett from this place. There was no discussion by the city allowing this in a residential with mixed retail. To have this right down across the street explains the weird traffic I see. I am not happy. It will be only a matter of time before the “ill” become another kind of customer. Put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig.

Iluvpoodles

Weird traffic? How come I don’t see anything WEIRD?

Kippyabby

As a former federal prosecutor, yes drug dealers pay taxes. They wash their money to keep the authorities off their trail.
Kippyabby

As a former federal prosecutor, yes drug dealers pay taxes. They wash their money to keep the authorities off their trail.
Iluvpoodles

I too live right down the street from this new business, walk by 2 – 3 times a day with my dog and drive by…I’ve NEVER seen “low life” type people hanging around out front or any kind of problems. My guess? Most of the complainers in this forum are old people making a fuss about nothing or “low information” types fear-mongering. It always astounds me why people can get so upset about marijuana and think alcohol is just fine because it’s legal. Joke. Alcohol has ruined millions of lives and still does…pot is not near as destructive! Get a grip people…
Stevenordair

If the Drug Enforcement Agents or Feds these places selling pot will be shut down, the people running the places will be arrested!doesnt matter about state laws.
Ballard Jesus

This is one thing I approve of. Total decriminalization. Get over yourselves nay sayers. Jesus smoked dope yo!
Commenter

This is GREAT! There will be more security, actual security, around that neighborhood and illegitimate street dealers will be shut down! Good job Magnolia and keep up the good work Best Buds. Good luck!