PPhoto by Mr. Ubetchakoff. This piece involved a shitload of research every day for months. The sacks are more appetizing when full but I smoked all of my last batch from them before I remembered to take a picture.
EDIT: Following an extended closure, the club is open again. I have had three visits in early 2022 and the door fee structure is the same, and so is the quality of the weed produced. There are no strains under 30% to be found even in their cheapest line of house brand. I still recommend it.
I first visited the Mission Hills location of Cannasseurs Club in early 2019, seeking a high quality pre-roll for a concert that night by an arty progressive noise band, and what they offered did indeed send three experienced stoners into “oh shit” territory. At the time, I found it to be well-stocked and fairly priced, with a good variety of house-grown weed and vape carts. It was more a high-end “Apple store” as opposed to “hippie health food store” vibe. They also had a VIP Room that you passed upon entry, where you could imagine rappers negotiating for pound quantities while doing bongloads and getting a lap dance.
The North Hollywood location became one of my go-to spots. Their introduction of “Wholesale Wednesdays” on which you could buy their consistently high-quality house bud in quarter-ounce increments for under $50 after tax, made it into a place with a line out the door, even though there are weed shops on every corner of North Hollywood.
However I was skeptical of their announced plan to introduce “membership programs” earlier this year – a business model involving separate payments of a monthly membership fee, a per-item door fee, and then wholesale prices on the actual product. Even if I could make the math work out, I was leery of paying any amount in advance to buy weed later. How many shops have been suddenly shut down with no warning? A lot. I started seeking out alternative spots and brands.
But a couple of months ago, something told me I should look at the CC again, and see what was going on there. I learned that they had ditched the membership fee, and were now allowing customers to buy everything in the shop under the previous wholesale terms. You pay a door fee based on the number of items you wish to purchase, ranging from $10 for one item to $25 for four items. Then you pay your budtender the wholesale price for the items you choose off the shelf, which in my case is almost always their house weed.
House eighths from the “Private Reserve” shelf are $15 each after tax. This means that for $85 – a $25 door fee plus four $15 bags – you can walk out the door with a half ounce of very fine marijuana. This works out to $21.25 per eighth out the door. I don’t know of any other shop in California that is selling quality weed for that price.
Let’s take a closer look at two of this week’s offerings, an Indica called King Stash (22.2% THC), and another Indica called True OG (25.2% THC.) At first glance, it’s not easy to tell them apart. Both are fresh and fragrant, harvested less than a month ago. Both are coated with frosty trichomes, pleasantly bright green with thick orange hairs, and a distinctly citrusy aroma which I rather like. Some weed jars lately smell like you just peeled some fresh fruit, which is a trend I welcome. Close visual inspection reveals King Stash having some more dark green highlights.
They smoke equally well, too. Both produce a pleasant physical effect, a signature Indica characteristic that this brand really shines with. Both have an extended lingering effect that makes them ideal for summer use. The head is more relaxed than restless, good for staying in one place for a while, in my case with the portable AC aimed at my face and a bag of ice between my legs.
I will say that True OG having a higher THC percent is making it cut through a little more today, though that effect will be lessened by the third day of having the jar open. I’m becoming very aware of tolerance lately, and my preferences are leaning toward more like 20% THC bud, and less like 30%. I do like strong things but, too much 30% weed seems to have the effect of dampening everything. By the time you have the tolerance to overcome THAT, it’s like you can’t get high any more. I’m finding it better to keep some high end bud for a special occasion, and live somewhere closer to 20%.
Should you decide to lean toward the indulgent rather than the practical, the eighths on their “Connoisseur” shelf priced at $25 and change are just that much nicer and more beautiful. THC counts on these tend to go higher; the batch of Khalifa Kush I picked up a few weeks ago tipped the scales at 31.2%. This week, Cherry Sherbet, at 28.7% THC, is back. My last experience with this strain from this shop was memorable, one of those weeds that really WAS something to write home about. A month and a half later, it’s still nice.
A half ounce of this stuff will set you back $129, which works out to just over $32 per eighth – less than last year’s state average of $34 – for what tends to be rather nice, gourmet weed. Some of the bags I have been sold in this category could sit on the $50 shelf with ease.
I’ve developed the routine of getting three Private Reserve shelf bags and one from the Connoisseur, which sets me back just under $100 for a quality half ounce. Even with a little indulgence involved, that’s still a great price, under $25 an 8th for a juicy haul.
Having spent roughly three months with this as my main spot, I have been through around fifteen of their house strains. There has been only one I would probably avoid buying again, and only because of the taste- Purple Tangie. It just wasn’t the most pleasant, though I had no problem finishing the bag, a high-potency sativa with a restorative effect, energetic weed that says “let’s do dishes!” (I’m not sure if that is a great endorsement or not, I’m just speaking the truth of my experience.) Their Lemon Tart sativa offering from earlier in the summer was a much better taste experience.
Having been through a good amount of the stuff, it feels like a good and consistent product to me. I recommend it. I will go so far as to say, their Private Reserve shelf is the best deal on weed in the Valley right now.
I will note that only once have I gone in and found the $15 Private Reserve bags completely sold out, so I bought just a small amount of the pricier stuff to tide me over. On my next visit, the $15 shelf was well supplied again. This temporary outage of the cheap bud was actually reflected on their Weedmaps menu when I looked at it later, so if the bargain selections are important to you, it’s a good idea to check there before making the drive.
They do carry other jar weed, edibles, and the usual weed shop contents at prices that more or less resemble other shops in the Valley. But with house weed of this quality at this price, it’s not that tempting. Do keep in mind that the most economical thing is always to buy in multiples of four items, and as far as I know an 8th is always considered “1 item”; ie buying a half ounce bag would require a four-item door fee, not a one-item fee.
The door fee thing is a little wacky but, so is the tabacky. Bear with it. Once you walk out with a fat sack of sticky herbs for a little bit of money, you will take it home, twist one up and light it, and then suddenly, it will all make sense to you, brothers and sisters, I promise.
Perhaps its worth taking a loot what it is happening there now. I too was very happy with the door fee and great pricing. But this is where vic and cannaseurs really falls short- They have an issue with being honest and upfront, even though its their motto. For example- out of nowhere, maybe 1-2 months, they started to charge Tax at 35.5%. Now i always asked for a receipt which they texted. When i asked why the prices were so high now, instead of telling me the taxes went up, they attempted to first tell me that it has always been like that. Basically they treied to make an idiot out of me. When i shoed them the receipt, the first thing he said was “where did you get that?” He then proceeded to walk back his earlier claims. This was the 1st issue.
Now the 2nd issue- They raised their at the door per item pricing and when asked abt it, they used the same strategy they always used, “this has always been this price”.. I think this is precisely why so many have issues with Vic and cannaseurs. They have a great prices but i dont understand the need for the underhanded tactics and lying.
Dear friend. This is Vic replying to your comments. I’ve been in this business for over a decade. I too am very upset at what this industry has become. I’ve been through all the highs and the lows. For some reason people aren’t up to date with what our government has done with all the unreasonable taxes, inflation, lack of people that have become dependents on a system that is driving them towards poverty and economic slavery. Cannasseurs Club is the pioneer that years ago until today is keeping its promise to give people INEXPENSIVE good product. That is mainly due to me as the owner/grower NOT BEING GREEDY like most store owners are. Taxes have always been included in the prices. At one point I decided to separate all the numbers so the consumer can see exactly what they’re paying for, but I guess people like the IDEA that they’re not paying tax. Even though all of it is buried in the one price they pay. Just because the price doesn’t come broken down , doesn’t mean there’s NO TAX. If I didn’t charge the taxes, with the little profit the store makes to keep me in business will be no loner. The important thing is a person should know a little math and have some common sense, to calculate, regardless of the door fee and then adding the wholesale price WHAT HE OR SHE IS SPENDING WITH THE PRODUCT IN HAND AND OUT THE DOOR. I go above and beyond what most store owners do for the community, and to be frank. If the consumer doesn’t see that , I can put more effort in trying to explain and brake down the process for them. Beyond that, only so much a person could do. EVERYONE BUYING MY FLOWER OR WHATEVER I PUT MY LOGO ON SHOULD COMPARE WHAT QUALITY THEY’RE GETTING FOR WHAT PRICE. Almost Always, my quality is far surpasses the price I sell it for. Guarantee. Thank you an kind regards. VIC