About Us

Our Mission

Herbal Alternatives’ mission is to promote and provide natural cannabis solutions that enhance the health and well-being of registered patients in a safe, open and caring environment designed and dedicated to respecting the rights of the individual and our community.

Our Process

We welcome, value and rely on the diversity of people, cultural experiences and perspectives. We learn from one another. Through our daily interactions with patients we refine (and sometimes redesign) solutions that promote a better dispensary experience and elevate our patients’ physical, emotional and psychological wellness.

Why we do what we do

As individuals, each staff member has a personal history that makes them advocates of the medicinal benefits of cannabis. We understand how the symptoms of a medical condition can negatively impact both personal and business relationships.

Daily we witness medical cannabis positively impacting patients’ lives. We fervently hope formal research into the human endocannabinoid systems and their relationship to both the individual and collective chemical compounds found in cannabis will escalate and provide clinical documentation for what today is still primarily anecdotal evidence.

The Alternative

Products

Cannabis products may be used to supplement traditional pharmaceuticals or as a natural alternative. In either case, your physician should be consulted and kept apprised of your progress and usage. By hovering over the tiles to the right, you will see our definition of each product category. Clicking the “View” on each tile, takes you to the specific menu page. If no items are currently available in a category, no menu will appear. The “Full Menu” link below directs you to Herbal Alternatives’ full menu.

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  • Flowers
    Flowers

    Flowers refers to the dried and cured calyxes harvested from the colas of the female plant and are the most familiar form of cannabis. Calyxes contain the majority of the resin production glands (trichomes) which produce the cannabinoids and terpenes. Flower strains are normally categorized by sub-species (sativa, indica or hybrid).

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  • Pre-Rolls
    Pre-Rolls

    Pre-rolls are flowers that Herbal Alternatives has ground and conveniently pre-packaged (rolled) in natural, unbleached paper. Trim may be used to reduce the cost of pre-rolls or kief may be used to increase the strength of the pre-roll. Herbal Alternatives’ pre-rolls are generally prepared in ½ gram to 1 gram weights.

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  • Medibles
    Medibles

    Medibles are ingestible items (edibles) that have been infused with cannabis. Most commonly commercially available as baked goods, drinks, and candies. Tinctures, cannabis infused oils, concentrates and trim are frequently used to make any type food or drink into a “medible”.

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  • Concentrates
    Concentrates

    Concentrate is an umbrella term which refers to any product extracted from flowers into something cleaner and more potent. The term includes any type of: hash (water, pressed, or dry ice), kief, shatter, wax and oils (BHO, CO2, and rosin).

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  • Topicals
    Topicals

    Topicals are cannabis-infused lotions, salves, balms and other transdermal methods of delivery that are applied directly to the skin. Different topicals have different benefits depending on the way they are processed and the ingredients that are used.

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  • Accessories
    Accessories

    Accessories covers our inventory of non-cannabis products such as vaporizers, pipes, bubblers, oil rigs, bongs, papers, rollers, stash jars, grinders, one hitters, smoke buddies, glass and pipe cleaners, dabbing tools, etc.

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News
& Events

Keep up to date with the latest industry information and Herbal Alternatives events.

FAQ’S

Are there limits to how much I can purchase?

Yes, your 30-day limit is four ounces or 113.4 grams. This is a rolling limit. Your available balance on any given day is calculated as the limit (113.4 grams) minus the total of all purchases within the past 30 days.

Is there a supply shortage in DC?

Yes, and no. Currently Herbal Alternatives has an ample supply of dried flowers with high THC profiles but the supply of strains containing high quantities of other cannabinoids (such as CBD, CBG and CBC) is limited. Some dispensaries may still restrict the amount you can purchase on any given day or of a specific strain. Some will not. (Herbal Alternatives is not currently limiting purchases).
The real shortage is in the variety of products (such as edibles, capsules, cartridges, topicals, etc.) and the minimal number and type of concentrates available.

Are the cannabis products sold by dispensaries in DC lab-tested?

All cannabis products are tested by the cultivators themselves and not third party, independent laboratories. Cultivators are only required to provide THC and CBD profiles. We strongly recommend you contact your DC council person and ask them to push for regulations that require third party laboratory testing and full profiling (all major cannabinoids and terpenoids) as well as potency, microbial contamination, aflatoxins, residual solvents, and pesticides testing.

What is vaping?

Vaping is a method of delivery that currently relies on one of two types of heating mechanisms that release active ingredients from the cannabis, converting them to vapor. Cannabinoids begin to vaporize around 284°F, with combustion beginning at around 446°F. Vaporizers apply heat between those temperatures. Vaping does not burn the product and is considered a safer method of delivery than smoking though the effects from the cannabis are almost as immediate.
Vaporizers (vapes) come in all shapes and sizes ranging from large, more stationary vaporizers to portable vape pens. Stationary vapes have two types of delivery systems: whip-style and bag-style. The “whip” is the tubing that connects the vaporizer to the mouthpiece. “Bags,” or “balloons,” attach a food-grade plastic bag to the heating chamber which, when activated, is filled with vapor. Portable vaporizers either preheat the cannabis material or heat “on-demand” as the patient draws on the mouthpiece to activate the heating element.

What forms of payment do you accept?

Currently we accept cash. We have an ATM on site as well.

Who is permitted inside the dispensary?

All DC registered patients and caregivers are allowed inside the dispensary as well as medical cardholders from 16 states. The list of acceptable states changes. Please call Herbal Alternatives to verify whether your state is recognized by D.C. Your registration card and photo ID must be presented for every visit. Companions may accompany patients to the dispensary floor but are not allowed inside the dispensary unless registered as a caregiver.

What is Pre-ordering?

When you are in a rush, or simply know exactly what you want, you may contact Herbal Alternatives ahead of time to let us know what you would like prepared for pick-up. We will package and invoice your order so that when you arrive you need only present your registration card and photo ID and pay for your purchase. Pre-orders may be phoned in, emailed or completed on-line. Emailed and on-line requests will receive an email or text confirmation when the order is ready. Pre-order requests should be submitted at least 30 minutes before opening.

How can I transfer dispensaries?

Patients and caregivers may now enter any licensed DC dispensary and no longer need to transfer.
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Contact

Say Hi

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in the dispensary soon.