Smokeless In Seattle

February 3, 2014 1:41 PM

How does one go about navigating the new marijuana culture of Seattle?

I lived in Seattle for 2 years (loved it) and I'm flying into town tomorrow for the first time since legalized weed became a thing. I want to partake once or twice while in town, and I want to make sure I do it right.

What do I need to know?

- We'll be in Belltown/Lower QA, but we'll also have a car... so I can venture if needed.
- I'm not regular smoker of any kind... once or twice a year for both marijuana and cigars.
- If there are pot brownies or other food options, I'm also up for those.

Help me not to fuck this up.

posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)

I don't believe any recreational pot is yet for sale in Washington State, unlike in Colorado where recreational shops have already opened for business. So if you want to partake without a medical card you'll have to buy it from a dealer (though possession of personal-use quantities is, I believe, now legal).
posted by killdevil at 1:53 PM on February 3, 2014

Well, the current status of the law is that possession (and by extension the attempted possession, i.e., the purchase) of less than an ounce is legal, but unlike in Colorado, the State has not yet issued licenses to recreational marijuana retailers. So unlike in Colorado, you can't just walk into a shop and buy any. Not yet, and probably not until the summer at the earliest. There are of course medical dispensaries all over the city in large numbers, but to get a medical card you have to be a WA resident. I'm not sure what the state of enforcement on those rules are these days. I do know the state is looking to crack down on the medical shops as essentially de facto recreational sellers, so take that into account. In Seattle, police enforcement of marijuana laws is pretty lax, so my understanding is a perusal of craigslist could be useful to you. Distributing pot without following the licensing process is still a felony under WA law (not to mention federal law), so anyone doing so is taking some risk, regardless of the enforcement level. Not sure if there's state or local criminal exposure to buyers of less than an ounce, but it's a gray area at best.
posted by bepe at 1:59 PM on February 3, 2014

Had some friends visit last month and they were staying in Belltown as well. They, too, wanted some weed, so they just basically walked around until they found someone selling it. They ventured two or three blocks from their hotel, if I remember correctly.
posted by kindall at 2:37 PM on February 3, 2014

This was in The Stranger recently: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/01/08/i-got-pot-delivered-to-my-doorstep-without-breaking-any-lawsby-an-otter-no-less
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 3:04 PM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've used Winterlife Co-Op a couple of times now (the subject of the above-posted article), as have several friends and family members, and have heard and given nothing but rave reviews so far. There's a regularly-updated menu on their website which does include some edibles, and I can vouch for the truffles personally. The way it worked for me the first time, I called the number on the website and set up a rough delivery time/location, then a driver ("Wolf") texted me to firm things up. I believe they prefer that you've already decided what you want, but in my experience there's usually time to talk about options and current inventory/sales. So far I've always met the driver in a quasi-public place, but I'd have no problem inviting them into my house; the whole experience is about as shady as ordering a pizza. Which is to say, not at all.

Feel free to Me-Mail me with any questions you don't want public.
posted by bizwank at 4:11 PM on February 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

If you can't or don't want to visit a store, I recommend Craigslist. Search MMJ and you're golden. I have... a friend... who had their hands on some really good quality weed in a recreational-legal state using Craigslist within an hour of landing. Be ready to show ID to prove that you're of age. The right Craigslist vendor will be an existing grower who is willing to deliver to you. See what strains they have and browse Leafly for details on each. Have fun!
posted by theraflu at 5:41 PM on February 3, 2014

Several of my friends have used Winterlife and have had nothing but positive reports. That's what I'd recommend to a visitor with no personal connections to the black market.
posted by Mars Saxman at 7:21 PM on February 3, 2014