Make a joint decision
Budding cannabis aficionados welcome at T.E.R.P in Lincoln City
By Linda Turner Griepentrog
For the TODAY
Coming into Lincoln City from the Valley, one of the first things people might notice is the brightly colored, rather unique sign for the T.E.R.P. Collective, and its easily identifiable green cross. The cross is an international symbol for cannabis, but what in the world does the rest of the name mean? The T.E.R.P. portion actually has small “Goonies” skulls between the letters, and stands for “The Elephant’s Recreational Pot Collective.” The name is also a take-off on terpenes, a compound found in cannabis.
According to manager Jeremy Pflaum, the store opened first as a Medical Marijuana store in 2015, offering people help with pain relief, anxiety relief, insomnia and inflammatory issues.
Today the store offers products for both medical and recreational use. In Oregon, people with Medical Marijuana cards can purchase larger amounts of cannabis, up to eight ounces, without paying the 22-percent tax levied on recreational use, which is also limited to two ounces.
If you’re a recreational newbie entering the store, one of the first things the budtenders will ask you is what you’re looking for. Do you want an energetic high or do you just want to slow down a bit? After that feedback, the knowledgeable folks can direct you to sativa for the first, or indica for the second — both unique strains of the cannabis plant.
All the store’s stock is grown in Oregon, as no interstate sales are allowed. Fresh product is delivered direct from the grower or via an exclusive cannabis delivery service.
“It comes with a mountain of paperwork, detailing its origin, all other stops the driver has made, etc.” Pflaum said. “Every flower is totally traceable.”
So, what will you find in the store? Cannabis products are offered in several forms — flower, aka buds, concentrates, edibles and topicals. Each offers different use options — flower can be smoked, and can be purchased loose or as pre-rolls; concentrates are available as cartridges, similar to an e-cigarette, or dabs, which are also smoked. Pflaum likens dabs to “drinking a shot of whiskey” with a relatively quick reaction that’s “pretty heavy duty.” Smoking is the quickest way to get the high many customers are seeking.
Edibles take longer to affect the system. Look for jellies, butters, drinkables and tinctures, which can be placed under your tongue for a slower dissolve.
Topicals such as oils, lotions or bath salts go onto the skin only and not into the bloodstream, although some oils can also be consumed or used in cooking. Pflaum says a popular offering among customers is a product called RSO, Rick Simpson’s Oil. People use it for arthritis pain, joint pain and skin cancers.
When choosing products, note that two compounds in cannabis are suited for different purposes — CBD is used to treat inflammation, while THC is used for pain relief and can also have psychedelic responses.
“Most customers have a focus when they come into the store,” Pflaum said. “The staff can direct them to the right product.”
He also notes that CBD products are widely available in mainstream stores, including grocery stores and online, but that customers should carefully note the ingredient listing to see exactly how much of the helpful compound they might be getting, as compared to purchasing a similar product at the dispensary.
T.E.R.P. offers very competitive prices, especially on flower, and Pflaum estimates that more than half of their customers are seniors. The store offers a senior discount (which staff prefer to call an “experienced smoker” discount) to those over 55 years old, and also touts the largest veteran’s discount of any coastal dispensary, and those savings can be combined. The spacious, well-displayed store has budtenders who are constantly training to learn about new products and new scientific research related to cannabis. There are lots of repeat customers, as well as visitors, and the staff knows many of the clientele by name, along with their product preferences. Watch social media (and the big sign out front) for special events like vendor days, food trucks and daily specials. Daily promotions include Munchie Mondays, Doobie Tuesdays, Wild Wax Wednesday, Therapeutic Thursdays, Flower Fridays, Shatterday (referring to a concentrate that looks like rock candy), and Super Bowl Sunday (flower day).
T.E.R.P. Collective is located at 4355 NE Highway 101, Lincoln City, and is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm. For more information, phone 541-614-1711 or go to terp-collective-llc.business.site.