DISPENSARY
MEDICAL & RECREATIONAL
Alternative Solutions
Portland, OR
4.1(174 reviews)
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174 Reviews of Alternative Solutions
4.1(174)
4.2
Quality
4.3
Service
3.9
Atmosphere
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August 18, 2016
I've stopped by this place a couple of times because I thought I was getting a good deal, but the product , area, and shop are extremely sketchy . The product comes in crappy black plastic bags. The product is extremely dry, and I was shorted on my 1/8 by .5 of a gram so my 1/8 only weighed 3 grams. Last I looked an 1/8 weighed 3.5 . Just the start of it, when I pulled up last time the owner of the shop was getting into a physical fight with a customer he claimed sold pills too his girlfriend in front of the shop : WTF ??? I had too wait and watch the whole crap happen before anyone acknowledged that I was there to buy something - never again !! Too many places to go too- don't waste your time !!
December 21, 2018
Probably the worst weed shop I’ve ever been in. Zero stars would be more appropriate. Rude and sketchy af. Now idea how this place is in business
May 31, 2016
Worst dispensary I've ever been to sketchy vibe rude uncaring people dark and dingy and all the bud looked terrible I got an eighth for cheap but it was the worst bud I've smoked here in Oregon. Don't ever go here waste of money!!!!
March 17, 2013
Honestly I cant say enough good things about this collective. Searching for quality where there's no pesticides or medicine issues has finally ended. I just wasn't expecting to find the top shelf variety and I did. Fair reimbursement and they didn't act conceited. Pro staff and gardeners will keep me coming back. Impressive actually.
June 20, 2013
I have recently started going to dispensaries, and so far this place has made me feel very comfortable. I found medication I couldn't find anywhere else (everyone else was out), and they spent time talking with me making sure I was happy when I left. I will come back here again and again. They also have a great selection, and are able to teach you things about your medication you may not know!
May 4, 2019
Rip off, they don’t pay growers for their products even with contacts.
We are suing them, contact us if they ripped you off! Let’s put stop to this shady dispensary!
April 24, 2016
Not impressed. First time here, I see lots of good reviews but I bought was underweight. The grams put in tiny dope bags look small anyways, I questioned about this and they said it was super dense. .88 doesn't = a g. Even being short these bags are so tiny I cant imagine fitting much more in them anyways. Was a few very small nugs, they could have got closer (or possibly got real bags or bottles like everyone else). Most shops weigh in front of you, I suggest they start doing this. So many other shops to go to, I wont be back. Not organized well either, boo. Smoke wasn't bad! I'll give them that.
May 31, 2016
So I've come to this shop many times before and had no issues, but today I went in and selected the strain I wanted and when I get home the 1/8th I paid $31.25 for was nothing but shake. It looked nothing like the display did. The bag I was given should have only been used for pre-rolls. I will not be back.
March 24, 2019
Absolutely worst customer service I have ever seen. The Asian guy that has been working there for years is hands down the worst person I have EVER seen in customer service. I will NEVER spend my money at this place again. I wouldn’t recommend this place if it was the last weed store in Oregon. Disrespectful, arrogant, and RUDE.
July 5, 2016
real bad customer service. stem bags. all low quality, I even tried to get one of their most expensive stuff and was still very bad quality.
March 10, 2016
Bought an eighth over half was shake and the buds tasted like mildew.
June 9, 2016
Their specials are priced at 15 an 8th for a reason, but even then it's not worth it. Borderline moldy.
June 29, 2016
well. put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig! sweaty black bags. The people that work, now seem a little burnt out and out of touch. The pre-roll I got, POPPED like popcorn!
May 29, 2016
This is a little hole in the wall place next door to a strip club in a sketch neighborhood BUT, they are typically always very friendly and I can ALWAYS find a cheap deal. I won't lie, they sometimes get the order wrong. Sometimes the bag is not always what it is supposed to be, but hey, sometimes it's something better so I'm good to gamble! If you want top shelf, primo dank, then don't go here. You will be dissatisfied. If you want a decent bag at a great price or if you want a really nice selection of
pretty good weed at mid range prices then check these guys out!
May 30, 2016
I went in to check out their Jager, which I had bought at a place on SE Division twice before. Their Jager looked and smelled completely different from what I expected. Dude said this was normal, but I've bought Blueberry from three different places (not here) and it was the same each time. The online review of Animal Cookies said it was good for insomnia so I bought a quarter ounce of that, plus the price was low, $30. However, I think $30 is a lot for a quarter ounce of dried herb. So it's less than half of the illegal street pricing before legalization, I still expect a moderate level of quality. No, this Animal Cookies is full of stems, is almost odorless and is weak. It should be $10 per quarter ounce. In my opinion, all weed in a dispensary should be quality weed. I thought pricing was based on availability but apparently it is based on quality. We're still in a very early phase of retail marijuana, I expect prices will moderate and quality will increase over time.
April 1, 2014
Went there for clones. They make this big deal about how they test for mold and bigs etc so I figured it would be a good place to go for new strains.
Came home with 6 clones. Went to put them in 7 gallon smart pots and found that only two of them had decent rootballs. Two of them had only the rockwool cube with a few scraggly roots when I went to transplant.
Look - when I donate $15 per plant, I expect rootballs. I expect a plant healthy enough to go into my veg tent in a big pot. Right now.
I think we all do.
I don't know who they get their clones from but if you go there for clones tell them you're concerned about root quality. I myself would never consider putting clones up for rimbursement in the condition that some of these were in.
As I said I'm very happy with a couple of the 6 that I reimbursed them for. The other 4...
May 28, 2014
This will be my second review. The first one I had written about a month ago. I had went in the first time. Service was great. Flowers were great, I remember getting "Hillbilly Kush" and it was top grade. I also got a canna cola. I asked before I left about leafly perks, most dispensaries have them. The young man that helped me said they do have a prize for writing a review on leafly. The review I wrote was great, most people over exaggerate, I said it was one of the few places here in portland that I felt comfortable at. I called the next day on a sunday, I stated that I talked with one of the employees and he mentions there is a prize for filling out a review, and the person on the phone (owner) did not know at the time, said to me " don't try and blame my guys for blah blah blah" I was shocked and felt awkward, I explained to him I was just finding out when is the best time to come in and redeem said prize. He said "first of all, we only do that on mondays, we have other things to do around here, and second we pick what strain" After that, and him stating he was the actual owner, I was, and obviously still so upset about this. Am I not a patient?do I not deserve respect, I donated money at that place, it's not like I was asking for a handout......I don't discourage any patients from visiting, just keep in mind my testimony and what critical errors in patient/dispensary etiquette.
March 11, 2016
Bag I got had seeds. The fighting in the back was entertaining.
April 26, 2014
have been pretty happy with this collective except i called about some top shelf obama that they had to make sure before i drove 40 minute. owner said yes we got it then i show up n its a different B grade. feel alil dishonesty vibe coming from that place
June 20, 2015
My visit to this location was concerning. It happened to be at a very busy time and there was only one person working however we were let in to the dispensary without having our ID and OMMP cards reviewed. The person working seemed to be highly medicated themselves. This isn't a shop I would feel comfortable visiting again.
July 25, 2015
budtenders aren't very helpful, they have no clue when it comes to strains and what they are used for medically.
I shop here only if I cant get a ride to another shop.
November 30, 2013
I visit different shops hoping at each visit to find another medical dispensary to write a positive review endorsing them as passionately as others have done. I cannot do this with Alternative Solutions ... best to say is this place fits the description of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!" The Good, flowers appear to be top shelf, (unfortunately a magnifier for viewing was not provided/displayed on the counter so I had to wait until I got home to inspect under an electronic magnifier and I found the two 1/2 ounce flowers to be good ... not excellent!) Additionally, another "great" feature of the dispensary is that they offer all flowers for $25 an 1/8 so if you are someone who purchases amounts under an ounce this is a great buy for you. Another positive, the two ladies working the counter were friendly and willing to show any product.
The Bad, well the menu was not available - no way to know suggested donations and I thought I was purchasing bud recommended by the owner at the same price as the bud I was purchasing (price memorized from Leafly) and found at checkout, my mixed ounce (two strains), purchase resulted in only a savings of $20 vs. most dispensaries nearby and in NE. I also found trying to read the strain names written on top of the jars in marker difficult and perhaps if the menu had been available I would have known my choices better.
Which brings me to the Ugly ... location, location, this area is very sketchy!!! There isn't a waiting area, (perhaps the dispensary doesn't get so busy that they can handle the one to two visitors at a time) I have no way of knowing how many people can be accommodated and as only one buying customer came in while I was there, perhaps waiting isn't an issue. I left a male friend/patient in my vehicle while I went inside and he informed me upon my return that he wouldn't be coming back to the area based upon some incidents in the parking lot he had witnessed. I am a female and I too won't return, however, if you need to save up to $50 per ounce on limited strains or you can only buy by the 1/8, shop in the mid day it is safest.
I purchase anywhere from 3 to 4 ounces per month so affordable pricing and top shelf quality is a must for me, I recommend that if you don't live near this dispensary, try out a few others, suggested donations may be $10 - $50 be higher per ounce, however, if you become a regular customer or you are on a fixed income most will provide you with discounts and/or free products/gifts as thank you's for visiting bring your end costs to near the same.
A few other negatives for me were the limited selction of BHO, no Kief and limited display for medibles.
January 25, 2015
Followed a referral for great deals on edibles, but I was told that they will be trying to get away from them. Place needs some organizing, and decor to brighten things up. The inside matches the neighborhood.
November 9, 2013
Ever since this place ever popped up, they've been rockin' it! Since day 1, 25$ 1/8ths all day no matter the strain! Who could be mad at that? Staff is extremely kind and educated on their products. Quality never seems to be an issue, especially with the signature Blue City Shatter. I would recommend this place a thousand times over. This facility gives you a good feeling you can tell they are in it to help the public and not just trying to make a quick buck which is alot more than I can say for alot of facilities. They even were extremely patient and caring when I was in there throwing up do to my condition. This place rocks.