Best of Cannabis 2016 

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Best 215 Physician

I have a primary care physician. Her name is Eloi Hoopman and she's wonderful. And, in the (luckily) rare instances I've had to go see a specialist, he or she has also had a name.

So it was with some confusion that I looked at our Best of Humboldt listings, curious to find out who the county's most popular medical cannabis physician is, only to find the honor going to MediCann. Who is this Dr. MediCann, I wondered. Is this a real physician or some 'scrip-writing robot?

It turns out, in an industry of puppy-mill style prescription services that see a steady line of patients Skype with some out-of-area doctor for a few seconds before getting licensed to buy legal weed to treat whatever ailments they may or may not have, Medicann stands apart. According to Jason West, the company's outreach manager, Medicann has been in business for about a decade, providing medical cannabis consultations in "an authentic medical setting" with real, live doctors who actually, you know, inhabit the same physical space as the patients they are evaluating.

Additionally, West said, Medicann's physicians are prepared to spend time with their patients to discuss symptoms, side effects and potential impacts of taking cannabis in concert with other medications. In fact, West said, the company is transitioning toward providing primary care. "We're more than a gatekeeper" to prescriptions, he said.

Reader's Picks:

BEST 215 Physician
MediCann
2365 Harrison Ave., Eureka; 442-6808
www.medicann.com

BEST Cannabis Collective
The Heart of Humboldt
601 I St., Arcata; 822-9330
www.theheartofhumboldt.com

BEST Cannabis Festival
Cannifest
www.cannifest.com

BEST Hybrid
Blue Dream

BEST Indica
OG

BEST Local Cannabis Product
Space Gem Candy
Instagram: @space_gem_candy

BEST Medical Marijuana Dispensary
The Humboldt County Collective
1670 Myrtle Ave., Eureka; 442-2420;

BEST Sativa
Sour Diesel

BEST Seeds
Humboldt Seed Co.
www.humboldtseedcompany.com