If you have never been to a medical marijuana dispensary here are 7 things you can expect when you go.
1. Bring your Medical Marijuana ID Card every time
I can’t stress this enough. It’s not like going to the local bar or club where the guy behind the bar knows you and waves you through. You must show your ID every time you go in to make a purchase. Forget your card then you are out of luck.
2. Bring Cash
Marijuana dispensaries take cash only. Something to do with banks not wanting to be complicant in breaking federal drug laws. If you don’t have cash on you there is an ATM available to use, but who wants to pay all of those extra fees banks charge when you don’t specifically use their ATM to take money out.
3. Expect security
No it’s not like the TSA where you’re going to get an invasive body cavity search but since dispensaries deal in cash and marijuana there will be a metal detector and an armed guard will be present.
4. There are limits to how much marijuana you can purchase at one time
If you think you’re going to go in and buy a 5 gallon bag of marijuana, think again. Each state has a limit on the amount a person is allowed to purchase at one time from a dispensary.
5. Budtenders are not pharmacists
Sure your budtender (yes that’s what they call the clerk behind the counter) can give you some guidance and direction about the different types of cannabis available but there are no medical regulations and guidelines because of the whole it’s not exactly 100% legal thing (thanks to the federal government). Good thing we live in the age of the internet so you can research what works for other people with your medical condition to get a general starting point if you are new to the world of cannabis.
6. Not all Cannabis strains are created equal
With clever names like Alaskan Thunderfuck, Girl Scout Cookies, Blue Dream, MK Ultra (a name I find disturbing for so many reasons) and more it can be easy to fall into the trap that all dispensaries that use the same name for a strain of marijuana they are selling are giving you the exact same product. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case since there is not one main source for marijuana and factors such as how it’s grown, etc can vary from dispensary to dispensary.
7. Don’t get too attached to one cannabis strain
It’s like when McDonald’s only carries the Shamrock shake in March or Starbucks only has their Eggnog Latte during Christmas. Strains will come and go so be flexible and find a few that work for you rather than sticking to only one.