I’ve been eyeing the billboards about Blue Sage Cannabis for a while now, waiting to see if they’d ever actually open. A friend posted about the grand opening this weekend, so a couple Buds and I made a visit to check it out.
The location’s interesting. There are already two dispensaries right nearby—Good Day Farm faces the highway, and Codes is a few minutes up the road at Sam’s Club. Blue Sage is tucked back off 58 Hwy, completely hidden from the main road. It’s not exactly set up for foot traffic, but if they offer good enough product and prices, the draw might be there.
When we walked in, the store still felt brand new. Clean floors, echoing walls, no weird customer stories baked into the corners yet. If you’ve ever worked retail, you know that weird warmth a place gets after it’s been lived in a while—this wasn’t that, at least not yet.
We got in just before the Illicit rep was packing up and scored some stickers and swag, which took me right back to my days as a budtender. Rep visits were the best. They couldn’t bring samples, but they always brought something. One day I’ll do a full post on employee samples. If you’re over 21 and looking for a job, a dispensary is worth looking into.
So, What Is a “Deli Dispensary”? It’s not about sandwiches. It means they’ve got jars of flower out, and you can ask to see or smell what you’re curious about. There were about 15 to 20 jars behind the counter. You can’t touch the flower—or the jars—but the budtender will bring them over to you.
I instinctively reached for one and immediately felt that panic-jolt when you remember you’re not supposed to. I put my hands behind my back for the rest of the interaction like I was looking at rare artifacts. It’s not a huge deal, but it highlights the strange space this industry is in—trying to invite trust and interaction while still operating under tight restrictions.
We asked for something indica with a decent terp profile. The budtender brought out Rainbow Rootbeer and Cherry Sorbet popcorn. Both looked and smelled amazing, but we decided to go with prerolls. Honestly, I’ve been sticking with prerolls, carts, and gummies lately. Less mess, easier routine.
What We Bought Everything was 25% off for the grand opening, and they’re offering 10% discounts for veterans and industry folks on regular days. We left with:
(2) Sinse Frosted Cooler 3-packs (.5g prerolls)
(1) Vivid Fruit Gusherz x Florida Kush infused preroll (1.25g)
(1) Jelly Roll Orange Creamsicle infused 5-pack (.7g each)
Since we were early enough, we also got a Blue Sage Gooey Butter Cookie (20mg) for a penny and a 1g Buoyant Bob “Great Aunt’s Secret” preroll for free.
Tech Frustrations Their app needs work. I downloaded it at the store and used the referral link to send it to one of the Buds with me. His link led to a 404 page. Then I clicked the Instagram link in the app, and that was also a 404. Looks like they changed their handle after publishing the app but didn’t update the links.
These are the kinds of things that get noticed. Especially by people like me who do click the QR codes and do follow the links. Don’t ship broken links on launch day.
Final Thoughts I like what Blue Sage is trying to do. The deli model introduces transparency, which is badly needed. The industry doesn’t allow for refunds or exchanges, and most flower is a mystery until you get home and open the jar. When I was working retail, I hated not being able to fix a customer’s disappointment. I could empathize, but I couldn’t do anything.
The deli setup at least gives customers a chance to see and smell what they’re buying. I just wish we were allowed to handle the jars, or get close enough to really inspect the flower. I don’t see us getting a cannabis version of a cigar lounge or bar anytime soon, but maybe that’s a longer-term goal.
Right now, I’m just hoping that having three dispensaries in such close proximity means better options for consumers. Good weed, good prices, less guesswork.
Product reviews to come.
