Portland is one of the US of A’s most weed-friendly cities; you’ll even hear it referred to as New Amsterdam. Since recreational marijuana was legalized on Oct. 1 of last year, dispensaries have been springing up around town like, well, like wild flowers.
But I’m not here to give you a history lesson. I’m here to help you find a terrific Portland Vacation Budget-Friendly Deal on herb. There are a lot of factors to consider, so let’s get started. Soonest begun, soonest you’re enjoying day two of your vacay in the Rose City while feeling super groovy.
First thing to note: there are a ton of weed dispensaries in Portland. You have your pick of everything from tres chic boutiques to bare bones basic shops. This being Frugal Portland, however, I’m going to showcase two dispensaries that garner points for being: 1) inclusively affordable (they’ve got great deals); and 2) purveyors of social justice, put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is activism. Making them part of a trifecta of awesomeness, they are both located within 30 blocks of each other on historic Sandy Boulevard, which means you can hit them both up in one morning or afternoon and be on your Mari way!
Panacea, 6714 NE Sandy Blvd.
Woman-owned and featuring a gallery of art adjacent to its storefront, Panacea has a reputation as one of the friendliest dispensaries in town. By that, I mean the budtenders are knowledgeable without being pretentious or snooty, and helpful without being pushy or trying to upsell you beyond your budget. Frankly, this can be an underrated quality – no one likes being made to feel like a jerk because we won’t or can’t spend more money than what we walked in the door with. Panacea carries all manner of flower, edibles, and whatnot, and dig this: They give 100 percent of their profits to social justice causes. So, if part of the appeal to you of a Portland vacation is having a hand in what makes this city great, consider a stop-n-shop at Panacea.
Nectar, 3350 NE Sandy Blvd.
Nectar has three locations in Portland but their Sandy site is my personal go-to for all my flower needs and desires. In fact, this location and the people who work there inspired me to write this piece. Besides having the most accessible hours of operation I’ve yet to encounter, the budtenders are incredibly friendly, in an actual, for-real friendly way, not just I’m-being-paid-and-so-I-have-to-be-nice kind of way. And Nectar is affordable. They have deals. Honestly, every dispensary has deals, but these folks have DEALS. Specifically, two-for-one quarter ounces of flower every Sunday. As their quarters are already incredibly bargain-priced at about $55-$65, you could pay that pittance and walk out the door with a half-ounce of beautiful goodness, a more than ample quality to fulfill all your Weed Vacation Fantasies.
A Word About Smoking Paraphernalia
So now you’re wandering around New Amsterdam with a giant bag of weed and no way to enjoy it. What to do? Most to all of Portland’s ubiquitous Plaid Pantry convenience stores sell rolling papers and lighters. That’ll do ya. But, if I may, how about a visit to House of Pipes on Northeast Broadway? Sure, you could go get price-gouged at any number of fancy glass bong and pipe palaces, but who needs that? At HOP, you’ll find an abundant array of smoking devices in all materials, for ALL budgets. Plus, friendly, non-jerky staff who seem to sincerely like helping you find the right fit for your smoking needs. Check ‘em out!
I hope you’ve found this information helpful, educational, and fun. Welcome to Portland and remember: Smoke, smoke, pass.
