The Jerusalem Shuffle
Can * nois * suer ( kan' us sur' ), n. one competent to render critical judgement on the qualities and merits of cannabis
"The most amazing property of cannabis is its ability to fog the minds of those who do not use it."
Heads Up: We were somewhat surprised to see an upscale cannabis club open its doors no more than fifty feet from one of our old favorites, Re-Leaf, 1284 Mission @9th, San Francisco, a small down home dispensary that has been serving the neighborhood for years.
Sparc, 1256 Mission Street, between 8th and 9th, is a full service patient resource center
that is to Re-Leaf, what Whole Foods is to your boutique grocer.
Riding the economic wave sweeping over from Oaksterdam, Sparc follows the Harborside, Medathrive model, in fashion with new clubs. One enters a two story building with an understated facade, registers at the front desk after showing ID at the door, and is issued a plastic club card. The main room is large, with high ceilings. The wall behind the counter area is made up of wooden drawers holding various buds, in the manner of Chinatown herbal shops.
There are three stations at the counter, displaying the strains available, as well as an overhead menu. (Their web page is especially well-done with a precise run down of what strains are available at what price. ) On the far side is a bank of vaporizers available for use. All in all, their operation is well planned, well executed and should serve the city well. Senior and veteran discounts are available. And their member handbook is an excellent patient guide.
A distinctive feature is their Strain-of-the-Day policy. Each day a different strain is offered @$28 (plus tax) the eighth. Our first in-store choice, Bubba Kush, proved to be an excellent buy at 30 bucks. However over the next couple of weeks the strain featured on Sparc's on-line menu was not available when we arrived. The first time we settled for a pricey gram of J-27.
But the second time it happened, we decided to wander over to Re-Leaf.
There we found a strain called Bio-Chem. This fragrant sativa comes with hashy underflavors and lights up the mind as it elevates, making it ideal for depression or lethargy. It generates a long, cosmic arc that ranges from spiritual to inspiring. Well cured, it has a nice burn, and at $50 an eighth, it is definitely the deal of the year.
We are grateful that San Francisco offers us a choice.
The Jerusalem Shuffle: 1965
The drive to Damascus was short and uneventful. However, on arrival it was clear that unlike Lebanon, the citizens were wary of strangers. The sense of repression was palpable as we walked the streets. We did some light shopping but the photo ops were few. Damascus was gloomy, and far from charming back then. Early the next morning I went out into the square in front of the hotel, which was piled high with tires, who knows why, and found a taxi driver who would take us to Jerusalem. The price was $15. On the way to Jordan, Lady M and myself were happy (to leave Damascus) and smooching in the back seat. Whereupon the driver sternly advised that it was against the law for couples to kiss in public. This advice served us in good stead. Lady M had the goods in her cosmetic and underwear bag, and when we reached the border the guard was reluctant to search a woman's personal belongings. It was considered unmanly in the mid-east macho bible. However he did ask her, "would you kiss him?" Lady M frowned, wagged her finger, and said "no, no, no," and he waved us through. Safely in Jordan the driver kindly took us to the site of the magnificent Roman ruins for snapshots, then on to Jerusalem. Now we were due to meet our ship in Haifa, Israel in a week, but the law required every traveler to remain in Jerusalem three days, before going to Israel. Of course three days weren't enough to take in the full impact of a city that has been so crucial to mankind for centuries. From the Wailing Wall to Via Dolorosa, to the Temple Mount on the Dome of the Rock, every alley was seething with history. On the third day we took a cab to the Mandlebaum Gate, which was the doorway to Israel. At the time i had joked that Mandlebaum was probably a tailor who's shop was in the wrong place, and later found out that was pretty much accurate. As it happened we we passing on the eve of Rosh Hashana, which meant that everybody needed to be off the street by sundown. The Jordanian cab driver contemptuously dumped our bags on the street and left us there. Because of the New Year, Israeli customs rushed us through, and we managed to find a Tel Aviv hotel that had a vacancy just as the sun hit the horizon...happy new year.
Next: A New York State of Mind
Recommended Reading: Citizen Zero by William Gibson
