Tonight was my second visit to Botanic Alternatives, and my first impressions of it have been…read moreconfirmed--it's great. I'd previously visited a few CBD/vape shops in Chicago, but most of them had either a stoner, haphazard or indifferent vibe. (One in my neighborhood, which shall go nameless, was disorganized, had staffers more interested in chatting, smoking and hanging out with friends, carried more bongs & pipes than actual products, and weren't at all knowledgeable about types of CBD nor for what they were appropriate--the very young clerk had to phone her boss at home for answers, and I still didn't feel adequately advised).
But Botanic Alternatives is a gem! Unlike the other stores, it is devoted mostly to CBD (with a smaller section for nicotine), and carries a variety of the most reputable CBD products (I know because I've vetted many brands online), with no gimmicky or faux-stoner stuff (such as those Weed World truck scam candies). Owner Tom, and associates Marissa & Jeffrey are friendly, patient, professional and extremely knowledgeable. Both times I shopped there I had extremely specific questions about which CBD products would fit my precise health concerns, and they explained exactly why they recommended some products for me and steered me away from some others. I also sought Jeffrey's advice for how to transition my husband from cigarettes to vaping (a work in progress). There is plenty of literature on hand to educate consumers.
The layout is modern, brightly-lit, streamlined and very well-organized. Tinctures, edibles, tablets/capsules, vapables/concentrates, flower and even pet products are in their own sections of shelves and eye-level display cases. Jeffrey was able to advise me as to how to customize & combine amounts of products to best fit my needs (e.g., sleep, pain relief, anti-anxiety), and even integrate them with supplements & foods I have on hand. There's even a comfy lounge area with sofas & tables. (Those other shops mentioned in the first paragraph didn't even have a single chair on hand, and felt like "corner-store-meets-head-shop").
The only downside for me is location: Logan Square is trendy, but it's far from my north lakefront 'hood, difficult to reach by public transit (at least the CTA line that serves my area), and parking is a crapshoot at best. But that's not their fault--they are well-suited to the surrounding upscale millennial demographic (though even as an unhip aging-boomer I nonetheless felt welcomed, valued and comfortable). Besides, rideshare services have made driving & parking a non-issue. Hence the full complement of stars!