Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting a Dispensary 

Those who have acquired a medicinal marijuana card for the first time need to watch out; There are several common mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary. These mistakes tend to involve not using the proper manners or not knowing the policies of the marijuana dispensary. Breaking the rules once might only get a warning, but as dispensaries have to be very strict about the rules to avoid being shut down, they can and do stop selling to a few certain customers. This is not to say that dispensaries aren’t nice places to be; The employees tend to be very friendly and genuinely interested in helping their patients. Also, the weed and edibles they have for sale are absolutely fantastic and of very high quality. As long as you are aware of mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary, you will enjoy your visits and not have any problems.

Don’t Go to Just One Dispensary

Although this depends on where you live, in most areas there are many dispensaries nearby for you to choose from. Be sure to visit various dispensaries before settling on any particular one. Compare prices of certain products; You will see that some dispensaries overcharge for certain items. Also make sure you find a dispensary that offers special incentives, like extra marijuana thrown in with a purchase of a certain amount or other deals like that. There are a lot of dispensaries out there and your dispensary should be competing for your business. The quality of the marijuana also varies from dispensary to dispensary and it may take a while to figure out which ones are best and which you should avoid entirely. You can consult online reviews to see which local dispensaries have a good reputation, but reviews are not always accurate and you still need to check them out to see for yourself.

Don’t Try to Get a Lower Price

Consider the dispensary to be like a grocery store where everything already has a set price. Trying to haggle with the person selling you the weed is a waste of your time; It won’t work. This is not a drug dealer you are dealing with. It’s a business with a lot of expenses and they’re not likely to give you discounts just because you ask. A person working at a dispensary is an employee and doesn’t get to decide how much people pay for the products. Often there are other people waiting to be served and you should spend your time asking only the important questions so as to be polite and respectful to others. There are special deals that many dispensaries have such as throwing in a free joint with a purchase of a certain amount, or free marijuana on your birthday. However, unless there is some kind of a sale going on, you will not get discount marijuana at dispensaries. The best way to save marijuana when buying from a dispensary is to buy in bulk. Buying in grams can get expensive quick, but buying eighths or quarter-ounces can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a few months.

Never Forget to Bring Your Medical Marijuana Card

Out of all the mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary, this is probably the worst one you can make. Medical marijuana dispensaries can be SHUT DOWN for selling to someone who does not have a medical marijuana card with them at the time of purchase. These dispensaries will not sell to you if you don’t bring your card. If you forget your card, you will not get any weed. There may be occasional exceptions for long time patients but I wouldn’t count on it happening to you. That card is the only reason they are allowed to sell you marijuana so make sure to bring it with you every single time you visit a dispensary. Be aware of when your medical marijuana card expires and be sure to go see a doctor to have it renewed at least 30 days before the expiration date to be on the safe side.

Don’t Assume You Know Everything!

You may know a lot about weed but as for the particular weed the dispensary has in stock, they have more knowledge than you possibly can. One of the mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary is not learning about the wide range of products available. Be sure to ask them questions about the effects of different strains; Chances are they will have plenty of useful information. If you’re new to medical marijuana, ask an employee to tell you which kinds of marijuana are good for solving which problems. There are strains bred to address particular issues, like headaches, anxiety, loss of appetite or insomnia. The same way there are different brands of medicine for different illnesses in a pharmacy, there are different strains of weed in a dispensary. It is highly recommended that you ask many questions about what the dispensary has to offer so that you don’t miss out on a great strain. The staff will most likely be very knowledgeable and happy to help.

There Is a No-Return Policy

Many times medical marijuana patients will start to smoke some of the weed they purchased and will decide that they don’t like that particular strain. One of the major mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary is assuming that you can just return weed like you would other products. They are not legally allowed to buy back weed from you. However, they may allow you to exchange your weed for other strains, but there are plenty of dispensaries that will not allow you to do this either. It is recommended to buy a small amount of any new strain first in order to test it out before buying that strain in large quantities.

Never Judge the People at the Dispensary

Many of us still have some prejudice against marijuana somewhere within us, thanks to propaganda and the way that some people use marijuana or act when they use it. When you first enter a medical marijuana dispensary, leave your preconceptions at the door. You can know that any marijuana dispensary you go to is helping people with serious pain live a higher quality life and that it is helping cancer patients endure chemotherapy. There are serious illnesses for which marijuana is one of the best medications available. There are people who just want to get high; you shouldn’t judge them for that either or even assume that any particular person isn’t in need of medication in the first place.

Don’t Be Overwhelmed by the Wide Variety of Products

When most people walk into a dispensary for the first time, they are in awe of how many different kinds of weed and edibles and other kinds of preparations there are for sale. Especially if you are just switching from getting it from a dealer, who usually just has the one bag, dozens of different strains can make it difficult to decide which strain of weed to buy. A good strategy is to choose a type of weed that you are already familiar with and enjoy, then branch out from there. You can ask for recommendations from the employees but always take what they tell you with a grain of salt; They are salesmen and may be trying to get you to buy a strain that isn’t selling well that they need to get rid of, or one that costs more.

Don’t Draw Attention to the Dispensary

This is a very important rule and the one dispensaries are often most picky about. Don’t take your medicine out of the bag as you’re walking out of the dispensary and don’t smoke it near the dispensary. It may be tempting to just smoke it as soon as you get it, but please consider the dispensary. Many people are already suspicious of dispensaries and people smoking weed in front of them won’t help. Limit the number of people you bring with you when you go; one or two is fine. Don’t make any sort of scene in front of or in the dispensary. Some dispensaries have special rules that they enforce in order to remain low-key; Obey them all.

There are many mistakes to avoid when visiting a dispensary, but really these mistakes are fairly easy to not make. As a general rule be courteous and polite to the employees and other customers and patient if there is a long wait. Always remember that you are not the only person there and be aware of the fact that medical marijuana dispensaries have extra pressure on them to follow all the rules. If it seems like they are being extra strict in some ways remember that it is because they have to be. Dispensaries are the best place to get high-quality marijuana products, but like with any other store, some dispensaries are better than others. As long as you follow these eight simple rules, you should have no problems at all with getting your medical marijuana!