Today we're visiting Spaced Out DC's new I71 storefront in Mt. Pleasant! FYI, the Gentleman has decided to hold off on his plan to escape reality in an UP-style balloon house. It sounded fun at first, but I gotta get all my helium from Ivory Coast pirates now that those short-sighted jerks that hate innovation at the FAA have cut me off from domestic suppliers, it's a whole thing, I don't wanna get into it. I mean, can you imagine if the Wright Brothers had to- no. Nope. Diaphragm breath. Eyes closed. Leaf in a hurricane. So, you gonna stand there or give me a hand with these tanks, sailor?
Shopping at Spaced Out DC
Spaced Out DC's new location is off of Mt. Pleasant St. (just north of Irving) amongst a row of shops, bars and restaurants. Whenever visiting a new shop in the District, my first question is “will I be able to find this place?”—especially given that many of them are hidden within wonderful warrens of DC's iconic row houses. On this expedition I did not have to work hard! You can spot Spaced Out’s sandwich board from across the street, which features a cheery little alien dude pointing you towards a beige building with their sign. A glowing, blue neon Saturn hangs beneath a neon OPEN sign in the store’s window.
When you walk into the shop, you’re greeted by a bright graffiti mural that says “Spaced Out DC” on the wall in front of you, wrapping around to the adjacent wall to the head of our familiar alien friend. The benediction “Have a Nice Trip” is a kind addition at the exit. Near the front window is an area with comfy chairs, a glass coffee table and Spaced Out's branded tee shirts. The walls are adorned with fun, trippy art and the fireplace, though out of use, lends a cozy and welcoming vibe to the space.
Spaced Out's Menu
Spaced Out has a series of display cases to show off all the vape cartridges, concentrate, flower, tincture and edible gifts you can get with the purchase of their art prints. Each flower variety is displayed in plexiglass cubes with the magnifying lens at the top to give you a better view of the trichomes, and the employees are more than happy to let you take a look at anything that catches your eye. They've got strain-specific pre-rolls, too, and I was especially interested to see the "DK Pre-Rolls," which are rolled with a blend of indica flower and a heady mixture of distillate and kief. They also have a wide, enticing selection of edibles, including 1000mg bottles of THC tincture!
I have a great experience with Spaced Out DC's customer service team as I did my thing, asking questions, snapping photos, discreetly carving chips of paint from the wall to snack on later- a growing boy's got to eat, after all! I also met a retired couple who described themselves as “regulars” and seemed pleased with their purchase, as did the large group that arrived afterwards and placed intricate, individual orders. But I do have a few notes! First, it'd be cool to see some the menu up on the wall- chalk, digital, whatever, I'm Gumby on the deets. Second, the flower menu on the website is a little clunky, since you have to click on the photos or a generic thumbnail to see the name of each strain. That could be easier to view. And If I could place a pre-order online, even better!
Graded: White Gushers
This week’s White Gushers flower was packaged in a mylar bag with a transparent window into the bud on one side and Spaced Out’s very rad circular logo sticker slapped on the white back. A strong sweet and fruity aroma emanates from the bag, beckoning towards good times ahead. its calming, sedative effects combined with the fruitiness of the flower suggests the presence of lanilool terpenes.
Oh! Did I mention that White Gushers are really pretty? The buds are dark purple, verging on black, with bright green calyxes busting out of the bulbous dark-mauve mass and glisten with little trichomes that aren’t yet totally mature, but lend a gorgeous sheen to these nuggets nonetheless.
Spaced Out DC's White Gushers provides very chill and relaxing stone. You could call it “hot tub weed”. Having a real bad day and want to tune out comfortably for an evening? Try this strain. I've been known to overdo it on caffeine a bit, especially in the late afternoon, and today was no exception. The very first puff of Spaced Out’s White Gushers knocked me back a gear or two. I could feel myself slipping into a mental bubble bath and letting Calgone take away petty concerns like, uh, taking out the trash, dammit.
The potency was impressive. The zoomers might say this strain “slaps,” or it “fucks,” but never "slap fucks," that's a different kind of party, which it looks like your Gentleman is running late for! So, next time you’re looking for I-71 cannabis gifts in NW DC, be sure to stop by Spaced Out. They also have a brand-new location in Richmond, VA!