Now that weed is legal in more than half the nation, millions of people have the luxury of stepping inside their friendly neighborhood cannabis dispensary to stock up on a wide array of concoctions from the mad science minds of marijuana. It’s a veritable candy store for the red-eyed aficionado, a lengthy departure from a time when procuring pot meant needing to know a guy who knows a guy who knows someone who buys from this dude down in Miami, and then waiting around by the phone all weekend for the one guy to call. No, a cannabis dispensary is a much better deal. They have set hours, they’re clean and nobody gets mad if you call past 10 pm.
Yet, while these retail shops are precisely what the cannabis community has spent decades trying to achieve, there’s some anxiety, a twinge of awkwardness, if you will, involved in visiting one for the first time. It’s not like sitting around a dealer’s living room making small talk while he weighs out an eighth. It’s more like an Apple store, and just as intimidating. All told, nobody really knows what they’re doing, especially the unseasoned shopper. And while the adventure is half the fun, not understanding how to navigate a dispensary properly can result in a less-than-pleasant experience.
Prepping for Your First Cannabis Dispensary Visit
In the interest of helping the cannabis customer hit the legal market with confidence, we talked to dispensary patrons across the nation in hopes of uncovering critical details that they wish someone would have told them before their first time. The results were enlightening.
Everyone knows by now to bring cash and a legal photo ID if they’re expected to be let through the dispensary door. Or maybe, much like Dylan, a 23-year-old from Louisville, they don’t. “I wish someone would’ve told me this before I went,” he says. “Instead, I paid an arm and a leg to pull cash out at their ATM.”
Beyond the need for cash and proper identification, the uncertainty that lies beyond the gates of ganja is enough to induce heart palpitations and a panic attack. An anxiety-riddled consumer might even liken the occasion to that one time they stopped by a local microbrew and were made to feel dumb by a crew of hipster beer snobs for not knowing anything about double-hopped IPAs. Listen, this type of insecurity-driven arrogance is the worker’s problem, not the consumer’s. Those spending money aren’t supposed to be experts, the staff should (must?) help educate.
Fortunately, a dispensary is typically a friendly environment. If it’s not, go somewhere else.“If you don’t like the vibe, you should leave,” Nate, a 30-year-old from Pueblo, CO, says.
Cannabis dispensary offerings.
Don’t Be Shy; They Want to Help
Budtenders, the men and women behind the vast displays of flower, vapes, edibles and concentrates, are paid to ensure the consumer gets the most from their visit. They’re there to assist, and they want the customer to
