CCA has stepped it up again. This last batch of meds I picked up are seriously potent and really, really good. Maybe the best so far. Since I've always liked the kind of "checklist reviews" of specific strains and I've never done one myself, I think I'll do it regarding the last few strains I got at CCA. So, here we go. Diesel Looks: Like dank haha. Pale green, almost olive-colored buds with only slightly darker green leaves. Trimmed well, not too leafy. There's a few light orange hairs here and there and an abundance of tiny crystals. It looks really good. Smell: Kind of bizarre, actually, but in a really good way. Pungent. Funky. Complex. Rotten fruit; skunk; mentholated gasoline, but not right away. I had to stick my nose in the jar repeatedly to pick it all up. An hour later, I smelled it again and was picking up on new scents. Finishes with a hint of lemon-y funkiness. The first thing my girl said when she smelled it was,"Bacon!" and I can't disagree with her. It does have a weird, salty meat smell to it, in addition to the "menthol/diesel/rotten fruit" smell. After smoking so many OG's lately, I have to say that there's definitely OG elements to the way this Diesel smells, but it's really nothing at all like an OG. It's really not anything like Sour Diesel, either. I mean, it IS, I can definitely see how they're related, but this is waaaaaaaay funkier. I know I keep using the word "funky" to describe the smell, but it really is like that. All kinds of shit going on with this one. Taste: This is where I can see the Diesel name being appropriate. There's a definite delicious gas-y taste to it, but it also just tastes like dank. Like the smell, the flavor is very complex. Delicious, though. High: In a word? POWERFUL. In two words? Surprisingly powerful. I'm still shocked every time I take a bong rip. One big bong rip is all you need for this one. The high is super-pleasant, relaxing but definitely functional. I can work out on this, cook dinner, run errands, all that shit. No couchlock at all, despite how strong it is. Overall: 9.5. One of my new favorite strains. This is very, very good weed. The only reason I wouldn't give it a ten is because I really wanted it to just have a piercing, pungent fuel smell and it didn't. I mean, there's a hint of fuel, but there's also so much more going on. One of my favorite things to do is open up a couple of jars of other strains, smell them and then open up the Diesel jar. It's like,"Whaaaaaat????" Such a weird and funky smell. Vortex Looks: Really, really amazing. Slightly looser buds with light green buds and darker green leaves. There's actually a lot of purple in there, too, but I have a feeling that that's because of the grow room temps. Nothing I've read about Vortex mentions any kind of purple coloration. Still, it looks amazing, whatever the reason for the purple. The nugs are pretty fucking frosty, too. Super-fine crystals. Smell: A little spicy, maybe pepper, hint of sour fruit with a tangy finish. Honestly, I wasn't blown away by how this weed smelled initially, but after sticking my nose in the jar a few times, you really start to pick up on all the subtle hints of fruit and spice and pepper. Taste: Being a nerd, I always google strains that I come home with or am planning on coming home with. I like to have a reference point to help me formulate my opinions about specific strains. Sometimes I agree with the info I find, sometimes I completely disagree. I pretty much agree with everything I read about Vortex regarding the taste. It's very impressive. It tastes like it smells but a million times stronger. Spicy pepper mixing with sour fruit. The way it finishes is what got me, though. Fifteen minutes after my first bowl, the flavor was still lingering and evolving. It finishes with a really tasty sour and tangy flavor. Delicious. I should also mention that this bud tasted great right down to the last hit and the flavor kept changing the more I smoked of it. The first hit had more of the "pepper" flavor, while the last hit was full of sour fruit. Fucking awesome. High: Very interesting. When I googled this strain, a lot of people mentioned that over-indulging could make you "stupid." I wouldn't say it made me stupid, but it did make me a little space-y. Like, I'd open a beer, take a few sips, read some article or something online, forget that I had an open beer sitting in front of me and get up, go to the fridge and open another beer. Having said that, I also felt extremely focused. So focused, in fact, that I was forgetting shit like I have an open beer in front of me. You know what I mean? I don't think this weed makes me stupid at all, it just makes me so focused on one thing that I kind of forget about everything else. This one's pretty strong, too. One bowl out of my bong and I'm good for 1.5 hours or so. Overall: 8. I've read a lot of good things about this one and I'd have to say it lived up to its reputation. I'm a Sativa guy and this one is definitely a Sativa. A lot of times, people think of Sativas as that kind of heart-racing, super-up type of high, but this one is more of a focused yet relaxed high. Certain Sativas can make one space-y, for sure, and I'd say that this is definitely one of those kinds of Sativas. I realize that I'm kind of contradicting myself in describing it as "space-y yet focused" but that's really how it is. Good weed. Fire OG Looks: A little different from Fire OG's I've gotten in the past. Don't get me wrong, at a glance you can tell that it's an OG, but the buds are a little looser than most Fire OG's. Grow room temps may have gotten a little too warm, maybe? Still, I like the fact that the buds aren't as dense as usual. It means you get more haha. And anyway, they look fucking great, lots of crystals, nothing to complain about at all. Fire OG! Smell: Like heaven haha! Stereotypical stinky OG smell. Lemon, fuel and Pine-sol. Some OG's have this wonderful finish that I love and this one definitely has it. "Rich" is the only word that ever comes to mind when I notice it. It's like a skunky vanilla citrus, but rich. "Rich" isn't exactly the right word, but it'll have to do for now. One of these days I'll figure out the right word. Taste: Again, stereotypical OG taste. Just like the smell. Lemon fuel. So fucking good. High: Like the Diesel, this one is super-strong. Another one-hitter-quitter. The Fire OG stone is really perfect, in my opinion, and one of the reasons why it's one of my favorites of all time. While some OG's knock people on their asses, I've always thought that Fire OG definitely has more than a little Sativa in it. After smoking this one, I tend to get up and sweep and mop my apartment, work out, cook an elaborate dinner. I find it motivational. Uplifting, without a hint of paranoia. Overall: 10. Fire OG is the shit and this particular batch is a damn good representation of it. Pure OG Looks: Like really good weed haha. Tons of orange, almost rust colored hairs. Olive green buds with a few darker green leaves here and there. This one was manicured very well, there's barely any leaf at all. Very crystal-y. Sparkly. Awesome. Smell: Not as much of a pronounced "OG smell" as other OG's I've had, especially when you compare it to something like the FIre OG. This one's a little more earthy, but there's still more than a hint of that pungent, nostril-burning, chemical-y OG funk to it, as well. It smells good. Taste: More distinctly OG than the smell, but also a kind of thick hashiness to it, too. That may be because I didn't smoke this one out of a completely clean bong. Whatever the case, it tastes really good. High: I'm gonna sound like a broken record here, but this one, like the others, is very strong. The high is more "up" than I expected, which is fine by me. I've smoked Pure OG in the past and it was way more of a lethargic stone than this particular batch. I really like this one. Perfect for smoking right before I cook dinner. Or right before I do anything, for that matter. It's relaxing, but it doesn't make me just want to sit on the couch or anything. Overall: 9. I've always liked Pure OG and this one is even better than the Pures I've smoked in the past. Woody OG Looks: Bigger, pyramid-shaped buds. Olive drab, barely any leaf at all, a few orange hairs here and there, super-small crystals, but lots of them. It looks really good and frosty. Smell: Very unusual. Not OG-ish at all. Well, not initially any way. Earthy, skunky-sweet, possibly a hint of pine, ever-so-slightly astringent. Hint of chocolate or coffee or something in there, too. Not what I expected at all, although it's not unpleasant or disappointing. Once I broke it up, it had a much more pronounced OG lemon fuel smell to it. Nice. Taste: Hash-y. Earthy. It's not an overpowering taste, nor is it one that stays with you, although that may be because I can't stay awake for more than 30 minutes after smoking it haha! It tastes good, though. High: Like I said, this one knocks me on my ass, which is fine. I always have one or two "sleepy time" strains around and this one fits the bill. If you like heavy Indicas, this'd be the one for you. I know some people don't think the Woody's THAT heavy and maybe it's not, but for a Sativa and Sativa-heavy hybrids fan like myself, this one is plenty Indica-ish for me. And it's strong, too, just like the others. Two hits had me hella baked and smiling like a fool. What's weird is that sex is really good on this one, despite the fact that it makes me lazy in all other regards. Honestly, I think this one would be good if you have erectile dysfunction, in addition to aiding sleep and appetite. Overall: 9. Very good, very strong meds. I'd probably give it a 10 if I was an Indica-heavy hybrid fan. Okay, so there it is, my little "strain checklist" review. I gotta say, CCA just keeps upping the ante. All of these strains are exceptional and pretty fucking impressive. If you haven't been to CCA before and you're one of those people (like me) who gets disappointed when they look at a dispensary's page on weedmaps and see a smaller menu, DON'T BE. What CCA lacks in quantity, they make up for big-time with quality. And all of those dispensaries with like 80 different strains on the menu really only have like eight strains worth picking up anyway. Pretty much everything at CCA is worth picking up. Check 'em out!

Goddamn, I love me some sticky-ass weed. I really do. Seriously, if I come across some meds that don't look great, or maybe they don't smell great, whatever, but the buds stick to my finger when I press down a little firmly, I'm over all other disappointing aspects. I forget that I don't like the lack of crystals. I forget that it smells like fresh lawn clippings. I forget that some lame-ass dispensary is charging $60 for an eighth. Luckily, I don't have to worry about any of that with CCA's Ultra Sticky Og. It's perfect in all regards. The first thing I want to mention, before I forget, is how GOOD this weed tastes. This is what an OG is supposed to taste like. Super-tart, sour sour lemon taste. Being a Sour Diesel fan, I love the flavor. It's surprisingly similar to the way Sour Diesel tastes. Delicious. Plus, it lingers. I love it when I'm just kicking it, an hour after I smoked a joint, and then, all of a sudden, I realize that I can still taste the joint I smoked a while ago. Anyway, yeah, it looks perfect, too. If there was a picture for "OG Kush" in the dictionary, there would be a picture of the Ultra Sticky. Prototypical OG nugs. I love the way real OG looks. Such a weird bud structure. This one is COVERED in a very fine layer of crystals, the way all well-grown OG's are. They look incredible. Smell is exactly what I look for in an OG, too. Pine-y, lemon-y, tart. Not getting a whole bunch of "fuel" smell from this one, but that's okay. The buds smell amazing. I love CCA haha. The buzz is a little on the Indica side for me, although not THAT lazy. After smoking this, I'm okay with sitting on the couch, but I still know that I'd rather be up, cooking or something. I could totally get up and do something if I needed (or wanted) to, but at the same time, I'm just really okay with watching Season 3, Episode 11 of "The Office" on Netflix for the eighteen-billionth time. Oh, shit, before I forget, too, this weed really lives up to its namesake. It's STICKY as FUCK. My fingers were covered in a thick-ass layer of oily, oily, sticky resin for an hour after I broke it up. I rolled a joint and then, because I'm a nerd, sat down to play some Madden and ended up with a playstation controller hanging from my pinky. Seriously, it's super-sick, fucking sticky as shit. I had to throw in a bunch of cuss words on the "stickiness description." It really is some of the stickiest weed I've ever seen. Anyway, yeah, yet another in a long line of exemplary meds from an exemplary dispensary. I love CCA.

But I always do! I mean, sometimes it only lasts for a few weeks, sometimes it lasts as long as two or three months, but no matter how long I've been gone, I always, with my head down and racked with guilt, come back to the fold. It's those goddamn huge menus that dispensaries post online and their shitty first-time patient gifts that you KNOW always always ALWAYS suck but still draw you in anyway. I get lured in by them and their promises of five gram eighths and supposedly "fire" meds for ridiculously low prices that make you go,"Man, there's no way their meds are that good for that cheap." And they never are! It's so stupid because you know that pretty much every dispensary only has like maybe ten or twelve strains worth picking up if you're lucky, no matter how large the selection. It's so stupid because EVERYTHING on CCA's menu is good enough to leave with. It's so stupid, too, because I pretty much get treated like a first-time patient every time I come here. CCA always hooks it up, no matter how long you've been coming for. This past time, I was away for two months or so, maybe longer, and I gotta say, the quality of the meds at CCA has improved even more in those two months. Or maybe I just forgot how good they've always been. Maybe that's why I stray. Like when you break up with a girl and then, six months later, she calls you up "just to see how you're doing" and you inevitably meet for drinks, get drunk, go home with her and you remember how good the sex was. I guess that's why I do it. In any event, I used to ONLY consider CCA's $50 strains and their Special Reserve strains for $60 (which aren't listed on their online menu and are always fucking FIRE), but man, their $45 strains and even their $40 strains looked really, really good. In fact, the Sour Diesel that I happily purchased was only $45. When I asked why it was so cheap, Sahak (dude who runs the place) told me it was because he got it cheap. THAT is one of the myriad reasons that separates CCA from pretty much every other dispensary. If they get it cheap, you get it cheap, no matter how gorgeous the buds are. There's no shady behavior here at all and that kind of attitude is palpable from the moment you walk in the door. I've always loved the attitude and energy in CCA. Speaking of that Sour Diesel, the only real complaint that I've ever had about CCA is that they very rarely have it. And when I say rarely, I mean I think I've seen Sour Diesel here maybe four times in the three or so years that I've been a patient. I HAVE to have Sour Diesel at all times. The few times I have seen it here, it's never met my unreasonably high standards, so I've always passed on it. I gotta say, though, this Sour Diesel is very, very impressive, particularly for only $45 an eighth. If you've been to CCA before and seen their Blackberry Kush (some of the frostiest and most beautiful weed I've ever seen), you should know that this Sour D is from the same grower. Apparently, this is their first run with it, but it came out damn good. Not quite as sticky as I'd like, but what it lacks in the feel department, it makes up for in the looks and taste departments. Really good-looking nugs, pretty well manicured and sparkly. Strong, strong Sour Diesel flavor, like sour lemon, and it sticks around forever after you've smoked. I can still taste it and I smoked a joint about an hour ago. Honestly, I really hope that this grower continues to work with Sour Diesel and keeps CCA stocked, because I've seen the magic they did with that Blackberry and there's really nothing at all to complain about with this batch of Sour Diesel. I can't wait to see how the Sour D turns out after a few more grows (and yes, that was an incredibly thinly veiled ass-kissing and a plea to the grower to keep it coming, if you happen to be reading this)(doubtful haha). One thing I've always really noticed about the meds from CCA, especially after having been away for a few months and smoking meds from other dispensaries, is just how obviously well-grown and flushed they are. My joints always stay lit, even if I sit there for a minute or two and zone out. Like a cigar, after just a few puffs on it, it starts smoking perfectly again. No need to re-light at all, ever. I have a feeling, too (and this is probably big-time wishful thinking on my part), that because there's no shady behavior from the staff and management at CCA, they tend to not deal with shady vendors or growers. I don't know about you, but I'm a pretty big believer in the energy of the grower affecting the plant. Good energy around a grow environment creates better medicine. I know that sounds super-flaky and new age-y or whatever, but I believe it. I've always noticed that no matter what strains I pick up from CCA, they always get me "happy high", even if it's a heavy OG or something. Not necessarily "up" or anything, because obviously a strain like Romulan or White Widow isn't gonna get you up no matter who the fuck grew it. But there's never even a hint of paranoia or weirdness when I smoke CCA's meds. Now, that could be because their meds ARE so clean and well-flushed, but whatever the reason is, I dig it! Oh, before I forget, I also picked up an eighth of their Skywalker OG, which is always the shit. In fact, CCA is the first place that I got bomb-ass Skywalker from and they continue to impress me with it. This particular batch doesn't look quite as good as I'd like, but it's sticky and strong and gooooood. I fucking love it when I have a hard time getting weed off of my fingers and it's kind of a bitch to roll a joint. I always get super-disappointed when something isn't as sticky as I'd like it to be (except, of course, for the Sour D that I got here, which made me really happy, sappy-sticky or not). The Skywalker OG is fucking phenomenal, as always. Anyway, I said it to Sahak last night when I stopped in, but I'll say it again right here online: I'm sorry I strayed. I really am. I'll do it again, of course, because I always do, but y'all know that I'll always come back. And to anybody who hasn't been here before, don't let the smaller menu and affordable prices here fool you. Everything here is worth buying, even those $40 strains. Couple the really high-quality and cheap meds with the kick-ass energy in the building itself, along with the amazing staff, and y'all might as well forget about all those other dispensaries you've been wasting your time and money at. PS Start accepting credit cards haha!

First of all, I have to say that I waited until they ran out of this particular strain before I wrote this review because I wanted it all for myself haha! However, this strain is typical of the kick-ass meds that CCA usually has and I'm sure the Sunlake OG will be back soon enough (I hope). First thing I noticed was the way these buds looked. Even through the container, I could see that they were really pretty. Nice combination of light and dark green, with an abundance of gold-ish, reddish hairs and all of it completely dusted in a really fine layer of sparkling trichomes. Once the container's lid was removed, I could tell how powerful this strain is. My nose was instantly filled with that awesome OG smell: Big-time fuel and a nice whiff of pine. But if you keep these nugs in a jar for a few days or a week (like I have), they start to develop a really wonderful, pronounced sweetness that I thoroughly enjoy. Like sugarcane, fuel and pine all mixed together. Soooooo good. I'd put this strain in my all-time top three based on the looks and smell alone. As soon as I got in the car, it reeked, even through the container and the bag. Once I got home, I started to break it up to roll a joint and all I could say was,"Wow." I know I say it all the time, but these nugs were STICKY. I guess I keep saying it because CCA keeps offering super-sticky nugs. Anyway, you know how, when you roll a joint, sometimes there'll be a little too much in the middle or somewhere and you have to kind of tap it down with your finger to even out the weed before you actually roll the joint? I tried that with the Sunlake OG and the part I tried to tap down stuck to my finger and when I lifted it up, the while joint came with it. It's sticky like that. Sticky like flypaper. Or tape. Amazing. It tastes as good as it smells, although slightly different. Along with the overwhelming OG fuel taste, there was also a hint of berries, which I thought was weird, albeit delicious. Turns out (and this was later confirmed by CCA) Sunlake OG is a Skywalker OG pheno. And probably the best Skywalker OG pheno I've ever come across, period. The high is soaring but relaxing and not Indica-ish at all. I had plenty of energy to get up and turn on some music, have a couple beers and spend two hours cooking jalapeno cornbread and jambalaya for me and my girl. I realize that that doesn't take too much energy, I'm just sayin'... Probably the most pleasant high outside of Sour Diesel I've ever experienced. When I smoke this one, everything is ooookaaaayyyyyy, maaaaaaann..... Seriously, if you have anxiety, depression, weirdness or the blues, this one will cure it. I usually smoke joints ONLY, but I've been smoking this in a bong in order to conserve it until it comes around again, which I don't really like doing. It's just too good to not have at least a little bit around. Also, I went out of town for five days and couldn't take any meds with me, so I had to leave this in a jar at home. When I got back, the Sunlake OG had gotten stinkier and stickier. I also got some Headband from them about three weeks or a month ago that I've been keeping in a jar to cure for a bit longer and it's waaaaayyy stickier now than when I got it, too. A testament to the quality of the meds at CCA. As long as they're stored properly, they don't dry out, like most dispensaries' meds. They get stronger. All I have to say is: Goddamn, CCA just keeps getting better and better. I bought an eighth of this initially, but after half a joint I knew I had to go back and get more. Unfortunately, I'm broke, so I could only get another quarter of it, but I'd have spent every bit of disposable income I had on this one if I could've. This is special, special weed and, although they're out of it right now, CCA always has some kind of amazing, kick-ass meds like this (okay, not quite THIS good, but better than pretty much everywhere else) that makes a visit to them a must. PS Yeah, I know I've reviewed CCA a lot. No, I don't work for them and I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I just like this dispensary and want them to do well. They're doing their patients well, you know?

California Caregivers Alliance is now offering a strain they're calling Special Reserve and I just wanted to comment on it, as it's causing quite a stir over on another website (I'll chime in over there, too) due to the fact that they're asking $60 an eighth for it, which is $10 more than their $50 "cap." True to the coolness of the people over at CCA, they started a thread on weedtracker asking their members how we would feel about offering this strain at a higher-than-usual donation. I have no problem with it. I feel like the more variety any dispensary has to offer, the better. But how nice is it of CCA to even ask us? This is just one of the many, many reasons I love this place. Their kick-ass meds don't hurt, either. Before I go on with my review of Special Reserve, I feel that I need to make it clear that I didn't actually buy any of it. Most of the people over there know that I'm a Sativa fan and they really emphasized the fact that the SR is a heavy, heavy Indica (boy, is it ever). But they wanted me to check it out, so they hooked me up with a nug when I was in there buying some Third Eye (sick, sick, sticky, powerful Sativa goodness) and some Headband (which we all know and love). Also, if you decide you want to check out the SR, be sure to ask the budtender for it. It's not on the menu and you have to ask for it by name. I'm assuming the reason behind this is because they do have a $50 cap and don't want to offend their patients who may have a problem with one strain that costs more (get over it). Like The New, the Special Reserve is another "mystery strain" that they're not divulging the genetics of. However, one smell and you know it's got a lot of OG in it. The nugs are nice and crystal-y. It's really well grown and perfectly cured. Definitely flushed well, too, because this is some of the smoothest herb I've smoked. It doesn't make me cough at all, no matter the size of the hit I take. I mean, I suppose if I took some kind of gigantic, over-the-top bong rip, I'd cough, but I haven't so far. One thing I noticed right away is that it's SUPER-strong. Two bong rips is one too many for me. I've been smoking it right before I get in bed, so that may have something to do with it, but I can't keep my eyes open for more than 20 minutes after I smoke it. And that's only because I force myself to stay up and watch a little "Reno 911" or "Encounters At The End Of The World" or something (by the way, if you haven't seen that documentary "Encounters At The End Of The World", y'all need to check it out, it's pretty amazing). My girl, who's also a patient, has a way higher tolerance than I do, and she took two bong rips and looked stoned-er than I've ever seen her: Eyes at half-mast, a shit-eating grin on her face, and ten minutes later, BOOM, she was out like a light. If you have insomnia, this will cure it. I have to say, too, I'm just so impressed with CCA's growers and these new strains that they're coming up with. First, The New, now this Special Reserve. Someone over there knows exactly what the fuck they're doing. Every time I go in there, their meds are looking better and better, getting stickier and stickier and stronger and stronger.... And they had some pretty amazing meds to start with. So, yeah, Special Reserve is worth checking out. I don't think $60 an eighth is too much to ask for this, especially when you take into account just how strong it is. One eighth will probably last you as long as a quarter of some other strains. Kudos to the breeder/grower on this one, this is some seriously powerful herb. Now if they'd just come up with a mystery Sativa...

If you're one of those people who was freaked out about going to Go Green Bear or any of the other "shady" dispensaries downtown, quit reading now. CCC is right smack dab in the middle of skid row, which doesn't bother me any, but I remember seeing people complain about homeless people in their reviews of GGB, so I thought I'd mention it. Having said that, parking's really easy. I parked right around the corner on... can't remember the name of the street right now, but it was on the same block as CCC, just east of it. You can't park on 4'th between 4pm and 6pm, so it's easier to park on a side street, where there also aren't any meters. Verification was really fast, like less than two minutes, and the girl who verified me was nice enough and cute, too. I have to say that the interior of this dispensary, both in the waiting room and the meds room itself, is hella nice. In fact, it's one of the nicer dispensaries I've been in, and a pleasant contrast to the neighborhood outside. Big flat screen TV on the wall, comfy couch, nice hardwood floors and they had the air conditioning cranking, too. They had a good selection, probably more Indica dominant strains than Sativas, but their Sativa selection was ample and more than most dispensaries, that's for sure. I really wanted to get the Chemdog that they had listed on their menu, but they were down to mostly shake and popcorn nugs when I got there. What was left looked good, though, and I almost bought some. But I still wanted to check out what they had. The Super Sativa they had looked very good. The dude helping me (who was also friendly enough) didn't know the exact genetics, but I still almost ended up getting that. I settled on their Sour Diesel (what else would I be buying right now?), mostly because I wanted to compare CCC's Sour D to the Sour D I've been getting from another dispensary and also because it was the best looking Sativa they had. Not to say that their other Sativas didn't look good because they did, but the Sour D looked the best (I really hope that I get off of the Sour Diesel kick that I've been on soon, if for no other reason than I think I could be more objective in my reviews haha!). I also looked at their Bubba Kush, which looked okay but might've been kiefed or something. It didn't look as crystal-y as I wanted it to. Took a look at the Master Yoda and it was pretty impressive. I kind of wish that I had picked up a gram or an eighth of it now, though, because it was probably the best looking and smelling meds they had there. I can't remember anything specific about it (yeah, I'm a little medicated right now) but I remember being super-tempted by it. I hate being on a budget... Anyway, I'm not really an Indica fan at all, but I'll probably end up heading back over to CCC in the next few days to pick some of that up. So... yeah. I'd been wanting to check this place out since I found out about it a few weeks ago and I'm not sorry I did. They have a good selection and nothing looked bad at all. I think I could've ended up walking out with any of their meds and been happy about it. Even their $35 an eighth Super Skunk looked good enough to buy and that's the first time I've ever thought any dispensary's more low-cost meds looked good. Not all of CCC's meds may blow you away, but you're not going to open a jar and look at some nasty shit and say,"No, thanks," either. Every single strain I looked at looked tempting. The only "bad" thing is that they don't have price breaks on half or full ounces, but I don't think a $45 cap on eighths can be complained about. This place is definitely worth a visit.

CCA is offering a new strain called, simply, "The New" that I thought I'd let y'all know about. Apparently the grower wouldn't divulge the genetics, which kind of made me leery, but I'm a curious guy, so I figured I'd get an eighth anyway and see what it was all about. First of all, there's a lot of purple in the buds. I thought that maybe that was a result of the grow room temps rather than the genetics, but after smelling and smoking some, I'm fairly certain that one of the parent plants is a Purple something. The buds themselves are looser than one would expect from an Indica (and I'm certain that this is an Indica-dominant hybrid, if not a pure Indica). The smell when broken up is pretty amazing: lots of grape bubblegum with a hint of perfume-y lavender. Really sweet and mouth-watering. A joint tasted pretty much just how it smelled, which is to say delicious. The high is what got me, though. I usually smoke Sativas and went to CCA looking for a nice change-of-pace Indica to help me fall asleep and "The New" is definitely that. The first twenty minutes (or was it five? Or thirty?) were a little overwhelming. I couldn't get off of my couch, although luckily my girl could, because I got the the munchies HARD. After the initial wave wore off, I couldn't stop smiling or eating and the couchlock wasn't as severe as it was in the beginning. I mean, if I had to, I could've gotten off the couch. But why do that? The whole buzz started off super-strong but evolved fairly quickly into a reeeeaallllyyyy laid-back, conversational stone that was perfect for eating dinner on the couch in front of the TV before going to bed, which is exactly what me and my girl did haha! All in all, "The New" is a really good and heavy Indica, perfect for those dealing with insomnia and appetite loss. I've been smoking it every night before bed and sleeping like a rock for like eight or nine hours straight, which is unheard of for me. Just don't smoke any during the day, unless you want to do absolutely nothing.

I used to go to this place exclusively, but quit when dispensaries offering comparable meds for $50 an eighth or less started popping up all over LA. I recently found out that CCA instituted a $50 cap so last Saturday I decided to stop by. It was as good as I remember it. First of all, the energy in this place is amazing. I don't know if it's because this was the first dispensary that I really, really liked going to or what, but CCA has a definite "warm" vibe that makes me feel super-comfortable. It feels calm there, without a hint of the shady energy that I associate with the majority of dispensaries that I've gone to. I didn't recognize the budtender, but she was very cool and a definite improvement over a lot of the 'tenders that they used to have working here (excluding Jessica, of course). I can't remember her name, but she was super-helpful and enthusiastic. They had the meds out in jars, which is different from the last time I was here. I love that. I hate having to ask to see every strain, it's so much better when i can just pick up whatever and look at it as many times as I want. Anyway, they had around twenty strains, a bunch of which looked very good. CCA always has a few strains that you don't see in very many other dispensaries and this time was no exception. I'm broke right now and could only afford one eighth, which was irritating considering the fact that there were like five or six strains that I wanted to pick up right then and there. Oh well, next time.... Anyway, I decided on the Chocolate Thai and was super-happy with my choice. Obviously, this isn't the Thai you read about that was really popular in the 70's or anything but it is really unique cannabis. The whole eighth was just one golfball sized nug that was dark green with lots of orange-ish/brown-ish hairs. You could feel the density when picking up the bud. The smell was amazing: super-dank, with a pronounced musky chocolate nose, like coco powder or something. It made me want to just pop the whole nug in my mouth and eat it haha. And it was beyond sticky. The best way to describe it is "goopy." Almost TOO resin-laden, I actually thought it wouldn't burn in a joint, but it did, perfectly. And being of Thai descent, the high was wonderful. Really "up", with no paranoia at all and no burnout, either. I want to go get more right now. So, yeah, I'm really glad I decided to go back to my first favorite dispensary. If you haven't been there before, parking's easy, the vibe is good and the meds were as great as they've always been, but cheaper. Plus, it's right down the street from me, so no more driving all over LA just to try and find a decent dispensary. So... Friendly staff, great and unique meds and a $50 cap? You can't really beat that.

This was the first dispensary where I ever felt like more than just a customer. The staff is hit-or-miss, which is why I gave it a 4-star staff rating, but Jessica, who usually works Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, is AWESOME. If they had a bunch of Jessica's working there, I'd give it ten stars. However, if you have somebody else helping you, you're likely to just get two- or three-word answers like,"It's very nice," in response to any query you may have regarding their meds. So, if you can, go when Jessica's working. She's super-friendly and generally knows a lot about the meds on hand. Speaking of the meds, they usually have at least 20 different kinds, sometimes as many as 30, and they're almost always really good. And you can look at all of them, so if you do end up with something that you don't really like, you'll have nobody but yourself to blame. Plus, all their meds are priced accordingly, i.e. if it's not that good, it's not gonna cost you that much. They also seem to have a lot of outdoor grown meds, which I think is kind of cool, considering a very large majority of cannabis is grown indoors. Anyway, they usually have a lot of the standards (Strawberry Cough, Jack Herer, lots of different kush varieties, etc) with five or six more exotic strains sprinkled throughout their selection and, like I said before, they're almost always really good. I picked up a Sapphire OG here a while ago that was really friggin' good: super-potent, super-tasty and, without a doubt, the smoothest smoking herb I've EVER had the pleasure of sampling. Honestly, I could take hits of this that were twice the size of anything else I've ever smoked and it never made me cough. Parking is a breeze. However, they're located on the second floor and I don't think there's an elevator, so anybody who has trouble with stairs may want to go to another dispensary. Having said that, if you DON'T have trouble with stairs and you live in the area, like I do, you should check this place out. Good, high quality meds and one really cool girl helping everybody out. The only drawback is the prices, which are a little higher than I'd like to pay. Usually eighths are no more than $65, with some as little as $35, although I did once pay $75 for an eighth of the sickest looking and smoking Cotton Candy Kush I've ever seen. Honestly, it was some High Times centerfold-type weed, covered with more crystals than I've ever seen any cannabis covered in. It looked like someone rolled it around in sugar and was well worth the $75. But $75 is definitely not typical of their prices. You can easily get meds that'll make you very happy for like $55 or $60 an eighth. Lately, I've been going elsewhere, but I'm planning on paying them a visit soon, if for no other reason than I feel kind of like a traitor for going any place else but the first dispensary that treated me like family and made me feel like I was home.