Dispensary Profile: Canna-Daddy’s

With a selection of between 60-80 different strains in large, glass jars all along the back wall, the massive collection of buds is a sight to be seen at Canna-Daddy’s dispensary in southeast Portland.

“Variety is the spice of life,” says owner Brad Zussman. “In a couple weeks we will have close to 100 strains with all the outdoor coming in.”

This rich variety is a product of the Oregon cannabis industry, fueled by generations of professional growers — a fact not lost on Zussman, who was once a grower providing medicine to dispensaries. Zussman has watched the market evolve both below and above ground in the Pacific Northwest. As Oregon looks to legalize recreational use of cannabis by ballot initiative this year, excitement is high in Stumptown, especially at Canna-Daddy’s, which has big post-legalization plans.

Canna-Daddy’s stocks a wide variety of locally-produced topicals and edibles like the award-winning Empower Oil topical ointments, cannabis-infused jello shots from Lunchbox Alchemy and cannabis-infused gummy robots, “Sour Bhotz,” which contain 75mg each of THC. They also carry veganically-grown joint 6-packs and a mouth-watering selection of the finest extracts Oregon has to offer.

The most eye-catching item on display is the propane hash oil (PHO). PHO is the newest, most delicious trend in cannabis extracts. However, unlike butane hash oil (BHO), PHO is extracted using n-propane rather than butane as a solvent. According to Canna-Daddy’s resident Budmaster Luke McKinney, this process is cleaner and more akin to traditional pharmaceutical grade food-extraction.

Although PHO takes many shapes and colors, the top-shelf PHO featured at Canna-Daddy’s is made by Mad Farmaceutical Extracts and looks something like the fluffy orange-yellow stuffing that oozes out of disintegrated furniture from the 1980s. The smell varies by variety, something McKinney says is due to the fact that PHO preserves a lot more of the terpenes and flavanoids lost in the production of traditional BHO.

McKinney says his favorite product at the moment is the Acapulco snap-taffy extract, which he says has incredible flavor, uplifting effects and melts beautifully as a dab or even in a bowl on top of some flowers. The extract is thick and will stretch and snap as a user tries to separate a dab from the wad in cold temperatures.

Budmaster McKinney doesn’t exclusively use extracts. He says he is still a “flower child” who prefers the full saturation of extracts, edibles, topicals and smokables equally. When asked about his favorites, McKinney’s face is pained as if he has been asked to choose a favorite child. He loves them all.

Although the selection is both exciting and maybe overwhelming, the staff at Canna-Daddy’s make the experience personal for every patient that walks in the door. Zussman says he looks forward to legalization, so they can make the dispensary experience better for everyone.

“If legalization passes I will definitely jump into the recreational market,” says Zussman.

Oregon voters will have the opportunity this November to approve recreational legalization via Measure 91, a voter-backed initiative. If it passes, Zussman says they will expand their medical dispensary to further customize the experience for the patient by providing focused one-on-one interaction with patients and staff and the ability to spend time in an on-site resource library.

“We begin with the illness and work our way backwards,” Zussman says. “We don’t want to send [patients] out the door with just any medicine, we want to make sure it is the right medicine.”

Patient-research and consulting will be further enhanced by the recently-established “Project Green Team,” a research-based group working with both available research and the dispensary’s patients to help them make more informed choices. Zussman says recreational legalization will allow him to separate this high-need consumer group and allow him to cater to both markets’ needs better.

“The nice thing about Oregon is we are preserving our medical side,” McKinney says. “Having the medical side preserved is what will give integrity to the rec side.”

Canna-Daddy’s is a true cannabis connoisseurs’ paradise with an unrivaled selection and affordable, high-quality products. Top shelf grams retail for up to $14 while standard fair (which is still better than your average bud) retails for as low as $6 a gram. While some ounces are always offered for prices as low as $150, every Friday that price drops to $125.

Oregon residents with a medical card likely already know about Canna-Daddy’s and frequent the shop for its excellent selection and knowledgeable customer service. But for out-of-staters who plan to make the migration when legalization goes into effect, Canna-Daddy’s is a must stop shop on the victory parade through Portland.

Canna-Daddy’s
16955 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97236
(971) 312-9394