When Southern Arizona Integrated Therapies opened in December, it was a bit of a letdown.
The cannabis dispensary had limited meds for sale, and they were seeing patients by appointment only. It seemed like a bit of a hassle to have to call ahead of time, make an appointment and then pick up a limited amount of meds. For the first week, they weren't open at all—they just took appointments. It was a pretty soft opening.
All that has changed.
The dispensary, at 112 S. Kolb Road, now welcomes walk-ins and it has a HUGE selection of meds, most of which can be had to the legal limit of 2.5 ounces every two weeks. Integrated Therapies is tucked in a strip mall off East Broadway behind a Macayo's restaurant and the Gaslight Theatre, so it's easy to find and parking is easy. You can spot the place by the security guard sitting out front waiting to check your medical marijuana card. There's a buzzer on the door to get inside.
The simple but tasteful lobby feels kind of like a doctor's office (their stated goal), and the clerk's window reminds you of a pharmacy. The space includes a few books about cannabis and a couple of chairs for waiting, which weren't really necessary at midday. I suspect there could be logjams when three or four patients show up simultaneously. Integrated Therapies is on the small side, tiny even. Check-in was familiar: Hand over medical card and ID, wait a few minutes to be checked against the state database to see what I've bought lately, then another buzzer to get to the med counter.
Operations director Steven Shochat—a local chiropractor for nearly 30 years—was behind the counter when I went in. Integrated Therapies has pretty significant medical chops. It's comforting to know the man selling me meds is a doctor concerned about giving me what I need. Integrated Therapies' medical director (not on site) is an M.D.
The small inner sanctum of Integrated Therapies is a wonderland of cannabis selection. The day I was there last week, they had 20 strains for sale in three price levels per gram, eighth and quarter: $15/$40/$75, $20/$50/$90 and $25/$70/$130. They also had huge jars of many strains for larger purchases. They had sativa shake for $240 per ounce and trim for $225 (for edibles or making yourself some hashish). They had a few strains discounted for having seeds—a welcome nuance for folks looking to save a few dollars or to grow a few plants.
Steve suggested a sativa-dominant hybrid to ease my pain without the incapacitating rainbows and unicorns in my head, and I like it. It's tasty and dulls pain and doesn't fuck me up so much I can't write this right now.
The only negatives I can think of about Integrated Therapies are prices and space. If even a handful of people show up at once, someone has to stand while waiting. And because there is only one space at the cannabis counter in back, everyone would have to wait a while to be served. They also do not yet have edibles or tinctures—kind of a huge hole in their services. They also don't sell any smoking supplies, opting instead to carry a small selection of more health-conscious vaporizers.
Overall, though, as with any dispensary, it's a convenient, safe place to get some meds. It's easy to find, the service was quick and friendly, and the selection is beyond compare in Tucson.
Mr. Smith approves.
