By Mashum Mollah
You did your time, waiting patiently for cannabis prohibition to end, before bothering to be interested in the bud. Now that your state has finally passed recreational regulations, you can take your first legal toke.
However, there are some things you probably need to know before you will feel comfortable in a legal dispensary. For example, you might be wondering…
Do I Need To Bring Anything To The Dispensary?
Yes! Cannabis is not available to everyone; even in states that have “legalized” weed, the drug is only available to users aged 21 and older. Just as you would need to show your ID to buy alcohol at a liquor store, you need to show your ID to enter and make purchases from a dispensary.
If you are a medical marijuana patient visiting a medical dispensary, you will need to bring your valid license as well as a photo ID. You might also want to bring along any information from your doctor about the medical condition qualifying you for cannabis treatment. This will help the budtenders at the dispensary recommend the right products to help manage your condition.
Finally, you will want to bring cash with you to the dispensary. Few financial institutions are willing to work with dispensaries, which technically operate illegally under federal law. As a result, most dispensaries cannot take card payments because they lack the financial services necessary to do so. Though some dispensaries have ATMs on-site or limited card processing capabilities, most charge extra fees for this luxury. It is the fastest and easiest to make your purchases with cash.
What Should I Expect To See On The Shelves?
Your state law determines what type of products are available in dispensaries. Some states are extremely restrictive; for example, for years Texas law constrained medical dispensaries to products with up to .5 percent THC by weight — which is hardly any at all. Other states merely outlaw a single type of product, like edibles. To know ahead of time what is going to be in a New Jersey dispensary, you should look into New Jersey law or else check out the dispensary’s website, where the company is likely to post its cannabis menu.
In general, here are a few types of products that could find in recreational and medical dispensaries:
- Flower. This is the smokable part of the cannabis plant, usually dried and cured into chunks called nugs.
- Concentrates. When the excess plant material has been removed from the fats and active compounds, you get concentrates. These have a much higher cannabinoid content and are usually not recommended for beginners.
- Edibles. Edibles are food or drink products that contain cannabis compounds. You might find candies, popcorn, teas, mints, chocolate bars, and more.
- Tinctures. Any herbal solution dissolved in alcohol is a tincture. You can administer these under your tongue or mix them into food and drink at home.
- Topicals. These are products you apply to your skin. They provide targeted effects and are unlikely to make you feel high.
Can I Sample The Products In The Store?
It depends, but usually no. Most states only permit cannabis consumption in private spaces away from public view. Dispensary owners, afraid of losing their operation licenses or incurring steep fees, aren’t likely to encourage on-site consumption if state law prohibits it. In most cases, you are allowed to look, touch and maybe smell, but you aren’t allowed to consume.
However, this is steadily changing. Increasingly, cities are allowing their dispensaries to open cannabis lounges, in which patrons can partake of their pot without interference. In plenty of places, lounges encourage weed tourism because it gives travelers a safe and legal space to get high. You can look into whether any dispensaries in your area are operating lounges if this is of interest to you.
What Am I Supposed To Do Next?
Enjoy your weed! If you aren’t sure how to use the product you purchased, you can ask a budtender at the dispensary for help. Budtenders tend to be welcoming and helpful to beginner cannabis users, so you shouldn’t feel intimidated asking any question that comes to mind. If you can stick around and consume your weed in an on-site lounge, you might feel more confident with hands-on instruction from a budtender. Additionally, cannabis can be an incredibly social drug, so you might be more comfortable consuming it with other enthusiasts around.
You are only a first-time dispensary visitor once. Though you might be scared to step foot in a dispensary, every trip will give you more experience until you feel right at home buying legal bud.
More Resources:
