Local Herb Collective is not a fancy shop. If you want some sort of grand retail experience, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. If you want to buy medicine from people who care more about the meds than the presentation, you're at the right place.
I travel past this dispensary regularly, it looks really nice on the outside, and they had a good website.
On the day of my visit, the dispensary was as nice to visit as it was to pass by. The grounds were well maintained with lush grass, pruned plants, and a cute fence. My service dog really enjoyed the trees and lawn.The waiting room was clean and large enough for a half-dozen people to wait comfortably, if necessary. The receptionist was friendly, efficient, and polite. She made me feel welcome and at ease.
Nectar was cash only at the time (and may still be), though the signage made it seem that might be a temporary condition. There was no ATM, but the receptionist pointed me toward two. One was easy walking (two blocks).
The shop was nice, with lots of room to wander and look while others are being helped. Even though I was the only one there, I asked for a moment to look around before asking for help. Here's where things got weird.
The guy helping me was either clueless, misinformed, or deceitful. First, he tried telling me that high CBD is for pain, indica is for everything else, and sativa is for recreation. What!? When I called him on it, he didn't acknowledge what I said, but then started showing me sativa products. Then, he kept calling strains, "flavors." In his sales pitch, the only difference from one strain to another is flavor and you should pick the one that tastes the best. Then, he sold me vape products that didn't work together. I didn't think they would, but he promised and I was tired of fighting him.
They didn't work, which pissed me off a bit, but it also gave me an excuse to go back and see if it was the shop or just him. When I went back, I was greeted warmly and sent back. There were three different employees behind the counter, but all were helping people. That was fine until the door opened and the guy from the day before came out to help me.
He was totally confused about the vape. When I asked him the best way to solve it, he just looked at me. I suggested we swap batteries, which he agreed to. He didn't think it would work, but it was a good first step. I asked him if there was a price difference or if it was an even swap and he just looked at me. At this point, I knew they had to be within $5 of one another, so I just put it in my bag and asked him if we needed to do any paperwork. He shook his head and waved, so I walked out.
In choosing a dispensary to frequent, I am looking for the following:
1. Cleanliness, comfort, and professionalism of the space
2. Courteous, professional staff who understand their product and can help make recommendations
3. Compassionate, conversational staff who understand medical purchases can carry extra weight
4. A focus on medicine, not recreation
In the above four areas, Powell House met or exceeded expectations. I had a great first trip to a dispensary. I will definitely check their online menu, first, but I will return and expect this to be a primary dispensary.