Mary Jane. Chronic. Weed. Kush. Maui Wowie. Grass.
Marijuana has a lot of names, and in Westwood Village, there are two places you can legally get it ““ assuming you have a doctor’s recommendation.
Westwood also boasts Smoke Spot, a brand-new place to buy pipes, hookahs and bubblers. For tobacco use.
The Farmacy at 1035 Gayley Ave. and Westwood Caregivers at 10966 Le Conte Ave. both sell medical marijuana. You can buy it in the classic flower form, but it’s also available in brownies, cereal bars, lotions, dissolvable strips and chocolates, among other things.
The Farmacy ““ which is also a “global medicine store” with different types of holistic medicine ““ has the widest range of “enhanced” medical products out of the two stores.
“We have many forms of medical cannabis, such as edibles, tinctures, beverages, gelatos and sprays,” said Susan Leahy, manager of The Farmacy.
Westwood Caregivers opened eight weeks ago. They sell about 20 different strains of medical marijuana, but also offer edibles and a new product called Med-strips, which are small green squares infused with THC that melt on your tongue (similar to Listerine strips).
Most people assume marijuana is always smoked or eaten, but many people who require medical cannabis need it in a different form. Adeel ““ a medical marijuana user and dispenser who requested to be identified by his middle name only ““works at Westwood Caregivers and said cancer patients going through chemotherapy need a product that won’t irritate their lungs or stomach.
“Lung cancer patients can’t just smoke,” Adeel said. “They don’t want to smoke. They can’t eat. They just pop a strip.”
Also, a lot of medical marijuana users aren’t stereotypical stoners. Adeel said a lot of the shop’s patients are older than the student demographic, and do not want to smoke marijuana.
The Farmacy offers edibles and lotions for the same reason, Leahy said: “So there’s alternatives for people to medicate other than smoking.”
In order to get medical marijuana products from The Farmacy or Westwood Caregivers, you have to have two things: a California-issued ID card and a doctor’s recommendation. Adeel said there is no such thing as a “prescription” for medical marijuana. At both dispensaries, they have lists of doctors who will evaluate patients for a medical marijuana recommendations. The flier for Pacific Support Services, Inc., which is recommended by Westwood Caregivers, says, “If you do not qualify for a recommendation, your visit is free.”
Leahy said they provide a list of doctors, but do not guarantee anything.
“We don’t say, “˜Oh, go to this doctor, and he’ll give you …’ It doesn’t work that way,” Leahy said.
Though The Farmacy has a licensed herbalist, nutritionist and acupuncturist on staff, none of them will give marijuana recommendations to patients.
Evan is a commercial real estate broker who gets medical marijuana from Westwood Caregivers. He said he suffers from chronic migraines that weren’t helped by traditional medicine.
“I look at this and think, “˜This is natural,’ “ Evan said. “Honestly, the medicines that I would get from the doctor, I don’t like the way they make you feel.”
He said his migraines have decreased in severity since he switched to medical marijuana.
A lot of people go into both stores looking to obtain medical marijuana without a recommendation, Adeel and Leahy said. Those people are asked to leave. Adeel said the store is there to provide for patients, many of whom rely on medical marijuana to function normally.
“It makes me feel better about myself to know that I’m helping people. It’s not a joke,” he said.
To enter Westwood Caregivers, a visitor has to ring the doorbell and be admitted. There are strict rules for being there, including no cell phone use, no cameras and no smoking on the premises. They kick out anyone without a recommendation, as well as the people who come in and try to bribe them. Adeel said that since they are open until 2 a.m., they occasionally get drunk stragglers asking them for marijuana.
To be admitted into the back room, where the supply is, you have to show valid state identification and an original doctor’s recommendation.
In the back room is a treasure trove of marijuana products. They sell pipes and glass jars for marijuana, and even have a marijuana vending machine for shy or rushed customers.
Everyone is welcome at The Farmacy, which sells holistic and herbal medicine, gelato, T-shirts, crystal jewelry and other products that do not contain marijuana. UCLA students can show their BruinCard and get a 10 percent discount card.
Anyone can get a 5 percent discount if they come in wearing a Farmacy T-shirt. Unlike Westwood Caregivers, The Farmacy does not sell or give out rolling papers, pipes or any other smoking paraphernalia.
Students who are looking for products to satisfy their smoking needs can go to Smoke Spot, which just opened four weeks ago under the ownership of Mushegh Hakobyan. The store sells lighters, glass pipes, jars, cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, bubblers and vaporizers, along with soda, beer and energy drinks. Pipe prices start at $6.99, and bubblers start at $24.99.
“All the stuff we have, it’s for tobacco use only,” Hakobyan said.
He said if people come in asking for marijuana or how to contact a dealer, he has to kick them out.
Mico Pulice is an 18-year-old Santa Barbara resident who stopped by Smoke Spot. He left with a new glass bubbler. He said he liked the selection and the customer service, as well as the “good vibes” in the store.
But some are in the business for more than just the vibes. Adeel said after watching his father suffer from cancer and endure chemotherapy in the mid-1990s, he really got behind the cause of medical marijuana. He compared the current political attitude toward medical marijuana use to prohibition in the 1920s.
Leahy said The Farmacy, which has sister stores in Venice and West Hollywood, has benefitted the neighborhood.
“We bring traffic to the street,” Leahy said. People without insurance are still welcome to see the staff herbalist and acupuncturist.
At the beginning of every quarter, Leahy said, parents stop by to check out The Farmacy as a place for their children to get natural medicine. She said the staff assuages parents’ fears that their kids will get marijuana there illegally.
“We tell (parents) that they can’t get marijuana without a prescription, and that we’re not soliciting students,” Leahy said.
Overall, the Farmacy, Westwood Caregivers and Smoke Spot offer options for Westwood residents with smoking-related needs. Each shop boasts knowledgeable customer service, resources and a wide array of products. Adeel said more people should be open to alternative medicine.
“Prescription pills and marijuana don’t even compare,” Adeel said.