20 September 21 - 27, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER contents | shopping & services | Arts & entertAinment | Food & drink | sports & recreAtion Best Place To Get a custom Piñata ABC Party Do you dream of beating your ex with a bat, but don’t want to get arrested? ABC Party has your back. The party superstore in Oak Cliff makes custom piñatas easier than ever. Simply send in a photo of your worst enemy and ABC will make the papier- mâché version come to life. According to management, the store is proud to have never turned down an idea, no matter how big or small. Of course, you can always opt for one of their fan-favorite piñatas, which include political figures like Donald Trump or “fiesta-themed” options such as beer, liquor, taco, donkey and sombrero-shaped designs. 1414 W. Davis St. 214-943-5588, facebook.com/AbcPartyHq Best SalvaGe Yard for Home ProjectS Orr-Reed Wrecking Co. Founded in 1946, this atypical architectural salvage yard is proud to offer the public all types of unique DIY treasures. Here you can find everything from antique lumber and doors to funky light fixtures, flooring and fencing. Next time you’re poking around Pinterest and thinking of renovating the guest bathroom a 10th time, skip the Sunday lines at Home Depot and spend your day exploring this local institution instead. We (and every other handyman and interior designer in town) love Orr- Reed because the company takes pride in preserving the architectural heritage of Dallas and recognizes the benefits of upcycling salvaged materials. 1903 Rock Island St. 214-428-7429, Orr-reed.com Best Place To BuY Native PlaNtS Redenta’s Garden There are numerous benefits to filling your backyard with native Texas plants, which is why we love Redenta’s dedication to selling them. Founded in 1992 by Ruth Kinler, Redenta’s is committed to sustainable and organic gardening. It also hosts informative workshops and sells a variety of succulents and cool containers at the “potting bar.” The knowledgeable and friendly staff are always around to help you choose the perfect gift or plan your own edible garden. Redenta’s variety of perennials, herbs, hard-to-find annuals, shrubs and trees makes it the best garden center around. 2001 Skillman St. 214-823-9421, redentas.com Best Spot for CoNtemporarY FurNiture aNd artwork Neighborhood Located in the Design District, Neighborhood is the coolest spot for finding mod furniture and other chic home décor from dozens of local and national artists. Carefully curated artisanal goods such as Oaxacan ceramics and textiles, candles, incense, books and lamps are all for sale online and in the showroom. The featured furniture brand, Gus Modern, uses high-quality materials and offers creative and contemporary designs. You can find everything from bar carts and media stands to larger pieces like sofas and beds. Neighborhood also occasionally hosts swanky art openings in its gallery space. 2532 Converse St. 214-943-5650, neighborhood-store.com Best NostalGic Book SHoP Lucky Dog Books Step back in time when you enter either of Lucky Dog Books’ two locations in East Dallas and Oak Cliff. The shop originally opened in downtown Mesquite in 1974, and while it has preserved its nostalgic vibe throughout the years, this beloved shop has also evolved to offer a variety of different services and community events. Grab a snack and browse books of every genre and language as well as magazines, audiobooks, comics and sheet music. Lucky Dog even partners with local musicians to host guitar and songwriting classes. Next time you’re there, ask about the trade- in policy, which allows you to exchange eligible items for an in-store discount. 911 Jefferson Blvd. and 10534 Garland Road 214-941-2665, luckydogbooks.com Best art Supply store Paper Arts Owner Terri Thoman has been in the business for more than 40 years, and her shop near Deep Ellum is more than just a place to find paper goods from all over the world. Visitors can see artistic demonstrations (like origami) and participate in workshops at this artisan, nontoxic printmaking studio. From party- planning parents to scrapbooking queens and kings, this spot has a little something for everyone looking for the kind of high- quality artisanal materials you won’t find at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. 118 N. Peak St., Dallas 214-828-9494, paperartsdallas.wix.com/ paper-arts Under the Influence Kathy Tran Clearing the Smoke darYouSH austiN Zamhariri aNd the texaS caNNaBiS Collective aim To clear Smoke oN caNNaBiS lawS. T he Texas cannabis industry could use some clarity. Most recently in Garland and Little Elm, small entrepreneurs who thought they were operating legal CBD and cannabis businesses under the state’s hemp laws have found their goods seized, their businesses shuttered and themselves threatened with prison time by law enforcement agencies following a different playbook. Daryoush Austin Zamhariri, founder of the Texas Cannabis Collective, wants to change that. The first step is to educate. “What used to be considered marijuana is not necessarily marijuana now,” Zamhariri says. “… The narrative is changing, and it’s changing radically, and it’s changing faster than most people like to admit, and people are having a hard time understanding.” In 2015, he visited Colorado, where he was impressed by that state’s legal recre- ational marijuana program. He returned to Texas in 2016 and founded the Texas Can- nabis Collective. The original goals were to increase understanding of cannabis’ potential health benefits, bring clarity to the law and advocate for full legalization. “I fell in love with the scene in Colorado and thought, ‘How hard can it be to legalize in Texas?’” Zamhariri says. Very damn hard, it turns out, in a state that doesn’t allow for voter initiatives to change state law and with a hardline conservative Senate. While the collective’s website, txcannaco.com, remains a go-to site for news about cannabis in Texas, its activism have grown substantially. “In 2022 we really dove in headfirst,” Zamhariri says. “We joined forces with several local organizations that were trying to decriminalize at a local level.” Volunteers collected petition signatures to support successful city-level initiatives to decriminalize marijuana in Denton, San Marcos and Killeen and today are providing support to similar efforts in College Station and Lubbock. While Texas’ 2019 hemp law legalized CBD products and the growing of hemp — cannabis that contains no more than 0.3% percent delta 9 THC — legislators provided little or no funding to support and educate law enforcement about the new laws, leav- ing dispensary operators to the mercy and understanding of local police. “There’s no education behind what hemp is, what marijuana is, from the state level,” he says. “It’s really incumbent on each county. … I’m getting concerned to the point that the state doesn’t know what state law is.” Texas Cannabis Collective wants to use its influence to change that, town by town, county by county and, if necessary, lawmaker by lawmaker. The effort seems to be pay- ing off, with a solid majority of Texans supporting liberalized cannabis laws. Education is winning, Zamhariri says. “It’s a wall that’s slowly crumbling down.” - PATRICK WILLIAMS
