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Capitol Hill weed delivery co-op gets early jump on retail pot

winterlifeMeet the Raccoons, your friendly neighborhood marijuana delivery men. At least for now. They’re a rotating group of seven entrepreneurs who will bicycle recreational marijuana to your Capitol Hill home, no medical card required.

The Raccoons are part of a larger cooperative, known as the Winterlife Co-op. CHS had been watching things play out across the Capitol Hill social network. Then the co-op’s founder was featured in a KOMO story Wednesday, prompting the group’s Craigslist ads to now rightfully promote their services “As Seen On TV.”

Screen Shot 2013-10-10 at 9.29.50 PMGerm, as he asked to be referenced in this story, is the dispatcher for the Raccoons, which run Winterlife’s Capitol Hill operation. Three other sub-groups include the Opossums (north Seattle), Lone Wolves (northwest Seattle), and the Otters (south central Seattle). According to Germ, Winterlife started their business immediately after I-502 was passed to make home deliveries primarily to working and disabled people.

“Our customers are law abiding Washington citizens who just want to relax after work,” Germ said. “And I-502 doesn’t help people who can’t leave their homes.”

Some recent examples from the Winterlife menu

Top Shelf:
Bubba Kush ~ A very sweet, earthy strain that is almost pure Indica. Bubba Kush provides an intense and relaxing high that starts in your head and moves down into your body. It is a cross between the two popular strains Bubble Gum and Kush, and distinct enough to earn it’s own name. Lovely Aroma and a Delicious Finish!!! AAA+++
$220 oz, $120 half, $70 qtr
***Special Blowout***
Green Crack ~ Great Smelling Top Notch Buds!!! Those peop’s who are looking to find a potent strain that will still support and even encourage productivity need look no further than the cannabis sativa “Green Crack”. Envelope yourself in the blissful aroma of this sweet and fruity bud while experiencing complete euphoria and joy. AAA+++
$200 oz, $110 half, $60 qtr

 

Intermediate Varieties:
Orange Kush (new) ~ This is much more potent OK than the last midgrade batch! Orange Kush was bred by Green Devil Genetics and is the child of Orange Bud and OG Kush. It has been described as a “strongly indica orange” with a sweet and tangy citrus flavor and has long dense buds with many orange hairs and THC crystals. The THC content is approx 23% Top Notch Indica!!!
$200 oz, $110 half, $60 qtr

 

Delicious THC Infused Chocolate Bars and Truffles!!!
Milk Chocolate 50mg THC $10
Dark Chocolate 200mg THC $25
Truffles 20 mg THC $5

Marijuana delivery has been around for years in Seattle — forever, some dealers might argue — particularly following the passage of the state’s medical marijuana law. But Winterlife appears to be the only group currently advertising their services for any adult in the city, making getting pot as easy as ordering a home delivered pizza.

Like the medical marijuana industry has done over the past decade, Germ says the group is operating in a legal gray area and pushing the boundaries of how legal marijuana will work in Seattle. The State Liquor Control Board had considered allowing for pot delivery under voter approved marijuana legalization, but decided against it.

Sean Whitcomb, spokesperson for the legal cannabis-friendly Seattle Police Department, said marijuana continues to be the lowest priority for SPD, but noted that it remains illegal to sell recreational marijuana at this time. “No one has a license to grow or sell,” he said.

According to Germ, the group only charges for the delivery service and not the marijuana itself, which is all grown in Seattle.

The Raccoons run their bicycle delivery operation out of an undisclosed office in Capitol Hill. Germ said the co-op runs similar to a taxi service: calls come in, the delivery person at the office with the least number of calls that day gets the order. Cyclists are paid per delivery, with a small amount going back into the co-op.

Cyclists only carry one order at a time and require customers to provide exact change so they don’t have to carry additional cash. In order to remove incentives for stealing, fights over territory, or altercations with customers, Germ said cyclists are paid no matter what happens during the transaction.

“Weed is not worth a physical altercation,” he said. Germ also said the co-op also has strict rules about not selling to minors or shipping marijuana through the mail.

Despite the co-op’s apparent success, the service is still illegal, according to liquor board spokesperson Brian Smith.

“This clearly defies the state law,” Smith said. “I-502 sales are to be done only at retail stores.” Smith added that the licensed infrastructure allows the state to regulate the industry and keep it safe.

Germ says that dispersing marijuana sales creates a safer marketplace, as opposed to having areas of concentrated retail outlets, as some expect will occur under current retail marijuana zoning rules.

“You pack all the stores into one block with people coming pockets full of cash into buildings full of weed,” he said. “A criminal wants a big grab and they could do that all day long at 23rd and Union.”

In addition to providing customers with a much appreciated service, Germ said one of the biggest rewards of the co-op is seeing workers sustaining themselves and their families.

“People are staying in homes, making money, paying bills, eating healthy, calling their parents again because they’re proud to be a part of something,” he said. “I’m taking people who thought they couldn’t be part of the marketplace and showing them they can.”

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Paul on Bellevue
Paul on Bellevue
10 years ago

Calling Mr. Nice Guy…..

Max
Max
10 years ago

Careful, Amazon Fresh will be delivering marijuana soon and steal these folks’ business model. They already deliver alcohol, Benadryl and Golden Grahams.

calhoun
10 years ago

Am I missing something? I thought recreational pot sales would only be possible once the retail shops open next year, after those shops obtain a state license. At present, it’s illegal to sell pot, and it’s laughable that the Raccoons claim they are only charging for delivery and not for the product itself.

How is this business different than a drug dealer selling down at the corner? How are they getting away with this?

Eckstein
Eckstein
10 years ago
Reply to  calhoun

Well, after this article, they probably won’t. BUT, wouldn’t you say it’s safer to buy from a delivery service that some random dude on the corner? I would.

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[…] Capitol Hill weed delivery co-op gets early jump on retail potCHS Capitol Hill SeattleAccording to Germ, Winterlife started their business immediately after I-502 was passed to make home deliveries primarily to working and disabled people. “Our customers are law abiding Washington citizens who just want to relax after work,” Germ said. Read More […]

Matthew Segal
10 years ago

Raincitymedical.com if u want legal access to medical cannabis…this delivery service is illegal under state and federal laws and is putting its customers at risk…this delivery isnt legal and is operating in the black market.

Janet
Janet
10 years ago

Buy cannabis from Gen’ral Malaise and krew? I don’t think so.

Eckstein
Eckstein
10 years ago

I’m really curious to see if anyone has tried this yet. Anyone out there?

bob in ballard
bob in ballard
10 years ago
Reply to  Eckstein

“I’m really curious to see if anyone has tried this yet. Anyone out there?”

i did, so did a friend. not impressed–the opposite. these guys have a creepy vibe, they’re more like low life meth or crack dealers, not the [usually] benign vibe i associate with cannabis growers and users. and i’ve bought from dozens of people thru the years. won’t buy from winterlife again. and i’m suspicious, it’s like they want to grab as much cash as possible as quickly as possible. and their product? about average quality for a home grow–definitely not high end medical quality, there’s much better herb available. don’t believe their hyped descriptions in their ad.

my suggestion: stay away. they sell only quarters and more. so you can get stuck with crummy swag and you’re out 70 bucks.

calhoun
10 years ago
Reply to  bob in ballard

Well, OF COURSE they are like drug dealers, because that’s what they are. They are acting illegally, and they know it. Why is the city allowing them to continue?

Geoff
Geoff
10 years ago
Reply to  calhoun

Pot is lowest priority now for SPD right :-)

Actually who cares if this goes on? SPD should only investigate this if they have have no other crimes to investigate.

Let the feds go after these guys if they care.

jonathan
jonathan
10 years ago
Reply to  Geoff

“Pot is lowest priority now for SPD right :-)”

Not the point. The Seattle Police are the least of their problems.

The problem is, like room-temperature-IQ criminals always do, “Evan” badly miscalculated. By choosing to be so high-profile, he’s poking a stick in the eyes of too many police and regulatory jurisdictions–federal, state, and city.

“Actually who cares if this goes on?”

Fed–DEA, IRS
State–Liquor Control Board; State Dept. of Revenue
City–Police; Seattle Licensing & Tax Administration Enforcement Division

Although Seattle Police might not be interested, the other agencies are.

The “Winterlife” plan is to grab as much cash as soon as possible, then scurry back into their ratholes. They won’t be around long. Which should be a warning to buyers: “Winterlife” will dump alot of bogus bunk weed onto their customers–note the quantities they sell–and when buyers complain about the ripoffs, “Winterlife” will tell them to flake off, or possibly even threaten them.

So buyers beware–your delivery person could soono be under surveillance. DEA, IRS, and the State and City agencies listed above, do not like to be made fools of. And incidentally: they have the law on their side.

Potential buyers: buy from a local grower–see craigslist–or just rest your lungs and wait a few months for the stores to open.

To bob in ballard: consider yourself lucky.

Geoff
Geoff
10 years ago
Reply to  Geoff

re: jonathan.

>Not the point. The Seattle Police are the least of their problems.

it is the point. the post I was replying to was asking why the city isn’t doing anything about it.

Seattle authorities don’t care. I think most Seattelites don’t care. Only downside I see here is they’re on their ‘honor’ to not sell to kids.

I don’t think potential customers need to worry too much because this will be pretty easy for state or federal officials to shut down. To catch them, they would just have to make an order.

Potential customers, there may be some debate over their quality but this doesn’t seem inherently risky to order from to me.

calhoun
10 years ago
Reply to  Geoff

The policy of the SPD is to give low priority to POSSESSION of pot, which now is actually legal (up to one oz.). It’s a very odd situation, where possession is legal but buying/selling pot is still illegal. Therefore, the Raccoon operation should be shut down. It’s called “rule of law.”

k.thayil
k.thayil
10 years ago
Reply to  bob in ballard

It’s a brave new world my friends. I have bought from these guys a few times. Good people.

I got some good stuff and the deliverer wasn’t a scary meth head. Yeah he was skinny, but he was a cyclist so that figures. Dude was very polite, friendly and very knowledgeable about his stuff. We sat for like 5 minutes discussing weed. Sure they don’t look normal. Who does? I don’t judge on appearance.

The weed was ok. Yeah not grade A medical shit but hey a person came to my place and delivered it to me. Pretty cool. I wish them luck.

Magical!
Magical!
10 years ago
Reply to  Eckstein

I used it. It’s great. They were super nice, I don’t know what Bob considers to be a “creepy vibe” but they were nice to me, on the phone and the delivery person. They’re not techies in polo shirts if those are the only people you’ve interacted with.

It was fine weed – it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but probably better than most I’ve had over the years. Equal in quality to some of the medical stuff I’ve tried that cost the same. Good price. One weird thing is they just took down my cross-street and didn’t come up to my apartment. I’m not sure why that is, but I just met them outside.

You don’t need a steady hookup, a medical card, or bother your friends looking for someone to get you weed. You just call a number and a random person “legally” (at least for you) deliver weeds on a bike to your door in 30 minutes. We’re the only people on the planet who can do that. How is that not 5 stars and magical? Proud to live on Capitol Hill.

calhoun
10 years ago
Reply to  Magical!

It is NOT legal to sell pot now….only next year when the retail stores open. You’re delusional if you think this “business” is a legal operation. Oh, and by the way, you are committing a crime by buying their product.

k.thayil
k.thayil
10 years ago
Reply to  calhoun

Relax man. I think I got my hall pass on me somewhere. Here hold my joint while I look.

real deal
real deal
10 years ago
Reply to  calhoun

we have been buying weed illegally for 90 years, whats that matter and this law is a sham. Its people like this who push the boundaries, that make laws change. Please support illegal outfits like this and help continue to change this horrible law. Nyquil fucks you more than pot and I drive worse with a pot of coffee in me than a toke of a joint.

jonathan
jonathan
10 years ago

These guys won’t be around long.

I have the misfortune of having known several of the guys involved. They have criminal backgrounds. And I don’t mean victimless crimes.

The idiot running things, Evan, seems to think his only worry is the marijuana law, under the jurisdiction of the Liquor Control Board.

From the KOMO story:
Evan and his partners are willing to push the boundaries of the new law and believe the same voters who legalized recreational pot want the right to have it delivered to them, no matter what the state says.

“I would challenge them on that,” Evan said. “I would be happy to challenge them.”

The guy is a moron. He thinks *that* is his main concern?

What does he plan to say to:
–The IRS
–The WA State Dept. of Revenue
–City of Seattle Licensing & Tax Administration Enforcement Division

Bye, bye “Winterlife.”

Janet
Janet
10 years ago

I don’t have a dog in this fight but I do have opinions based on the players involved. I haven’t exchanged money for cannabis in over 20 years but I understand that’s not typical. My words of caution, to anyone listening, is that these bulbs are perhaps not the brightest in the box. Seriously. I’ve watched some of these clowns over the last couple of years, and yeah; some of ’em look hella sketch, and that’s because some of ’em are hella sketch. Not a judgment, just something some people might wanna know. For the record, there have been times in my own life when I’ve been hella sketch myself. This is not one of those times. Also, the publicity and notoriety these folks crave is over-the-top, and in turn it’s impossible to know when the hammer is going to fall on “Gen’ral Malaise” [Evan, CIRCA Salish/Sauer Hillbilly something or other…]. I’m just an olde lady, but I’ve learned over the years to just say no to clowns. Anyone following recent Seattle protest history might feel the same way, but I dunno…The others in the krew are about as smart as a box of rocks, so if that’s your thing, go for it, and have a nice day.

bob in ballard
bob in ballard
10 years ago
Reply to  Janet

judging from janet’s and jonathan’s comments, looks like my instincts were correct. so these guys are the same vandals and criminals who pose as “anarchists”? i had no idea…potential customers, watch out, don’t be made a fool of by these sociopaths…got a very bad feeling about this…don’t think it’ll end well.

Leanne
Leanne
10 years ago

I get service from the north end fairly often and have been for some time, Evan and (now) “the wolf” have been nothing but kind and polite to me. I get helpful and knowledgeable information that helps me make the right choice for my tastes and they’re always getting new stuff. The weed is all good, some is really good and is priced right, especially considering delivery and no medical card being required. While they aren’t necessarily guys I would hang out with, I don’t get a creepy vibe at all, just kind and helpful. Dunno what happened with Bob and Janet but I would recommend them to anyone!

Janet
Janet
10 years ago

Nothing “happened with Janet” [please note second sentence of post]. I have no opinions on the quality of the product or how nice they were/are. I’ve seen many of the players in action for a long time now and many can be quite charming when it suits them. I don’t call sketch on people very often but I stand by that comment. Still, whatever floats your boat, and now I’m finished with this conversation.

Scott
Scott
10 years ago

I used them and they were professional, easy to work with, fast, fair and friendly. I’m in Queen Anne and there is/was nothing creepy about our delivery guy. Get over yourselves! First time I’ve had a delivery like this and I LOVED it!

Jane Fader
10 years ago

When I ordered from Winterlife, the delivery man didn’t come to my door. Instead, he parked a block away on Pine in front of R Place and called me to say he had arrived and describe his car.

I walked up to the car and he didn’t get out! He gestured for me to move around to the passenger’s side. Then HE TOLD ME TO GET IN! I was like, “I’m not getting in your car!” It made me feel like I was doing something illegal like buying weed. (Wait a second….)

The guy was super rude with me throughout the whole process–from the several times he called me asking me for directions to put into his GPS, to not remembering my order, to giving me the WRONG ORDER. Plus he was like 30 minutes late and didn’t even acknowledge it.

If I was that Justin Raccoon street artist I’d be pissed that my power animal was being associated with this business.

Random citizen
Random citizen
10 years ago

It’s funny how many people leaving comments on this forum know absolutely nothing. I’m not sure how some of you people classify top tier medical grade products, but I’m here to tell you – winterlife has top tier high grade stuff. The non threatening twenty something kid who delivered my stuff was polite, informative and delighted to be doing what he was doing. (Can’t blame him!). Soon the law will change again when they realize just how much better it would be to offer delivery and keep stoned people at home. In front of a tv or xbox.

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[…] ban: The Capitol Hill-focused early wave of pot entrepreneurs providing marijuana delivery are probably not long for the gray market. Washington is likely to ban delivery of […]