The Differences Between Physical Dispensaries and Online Cannabis Store

The past 10 years has been a non-stop positive ride upwards for the marijuana community. In the United States and even North America, marijuana seems to be the one thing that’s getting so much positive news that the laws have not been reversed on it. Every state or country seems to look forward decriminalizing it, legalizing it for medical use or completely for recreational use.

As laws ease up, there are more laws and regulations for it. Even buying it is regulated. No more calling up a dealer, going to meet them up, wait for 30 minutes and end up getting a bag full of seeds and stems. Now you can go into a store specifically for the cannabis you want.

What is a Marijuana Dispensary

A marijuana dispensary is a store that is ONLY for cannabis and its products. This can range from marijuana flowers, wax concentrates, edibles, water pipes, CBD isolates, weed vaporizers and much more. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you probably see them on every corner, usually with a green cross. Since in the United States cannabis is regulated by specific states, every state is going to govern it with its own laws. Medical cannabis is 18 and over and recreational is 21 and over.

A dispensary can look different from store to store. It is very similar to a liquor store that only special stores can sell them and that each store can look a bit different than the other. Other than that, they are still very different.

Recreational

Recreational marijuana dispensaries are the most stringent from the two. They require you to be 21 and over, similar to drinking alcohol. Some states will put a limit on the THC content of your products or even restrict you from selling specific products. Some states do not allow wax concentrates because they are man made and the THC content is way too high. Some states only legalized marijuana flowers and prevent anything else like edibles or even dab pens.

One of the parts people don’t like about recreational dispensaries is the tax they charge. Many states have enacted 30% taxes and more. These taxes go towards the local community.

Medicinal

Medicinal dispensaries are a bit different in the way they work. First and foremost, they don’t charge tax. This is a major draw from people who want to purchase because it saves them a third of the price. Medicinal dispensaries allow you to enter as long as you are 18 or over and you have a valid recommendation from the doctor. There are also less restrictions with this because people don’t want their herbal medicine to be restricted.

What to Do

If it’s your first time going to a dispensary, you might be overwhelmed. Before even going in, you might have anxiety and walking in will make you realize that the weed industry has created. When you first walk in, you will be greeted by security. Be prepared to give them your I.D. and doctor recommendations.

Ask Questions

It’s always good to ask questions, especially when you're new at it. It’s best to learn from an expert like a budtender who deals with this everyday. They see many patients a day and this causes them to find out what works best for each new person. Smoking is tricky because although you can consume it with one way, the temperature even matter so dabbing at different temperatures will give different effects. You don’t want your first time to be too intense.

Learn About Yourself

Learning about yourself is very important. When you smoke marijuana, you want to know what it can possibly help with and if there is nothing, then find a way to make your recreational strain benefit you more. Some people cannot smoke and stay awake with specific strains. Checking the characteristics and behaviors of your strain will make the biggest difference.

What Not to Do:

As much as there are things you can do, you want to make sure you’re not doing anything wrong. With a sensitive subject like cannabis, you want to be careful.

Smoke on Property

Unless there is a dab bar or hash bar in the dispensary, do not think about opening your marijuana packaging in or around the store. Make sure you get off the property. There are multiple laws in place about smoking around a dispensary and they can get their licenses taken away by the city. If you want to partake and they offer it at the store, consume at your own discretion.

Negotiate on Price

This is something a lot of people did in the beginning. They would ask for a specific amount and see if they can get it at this price. This is not a swap meet.

What is an Online Cannabis Store?

An online cannabis store is not a physical one that you can walk into. Instead, it is a delivery service that comes to you, instead of you going to it. There are a lot of trade-offs with these services.

Pros

Convenience

The biggest reason people order from cannabis delivery services is the convenience it offers. Simply go to their website or app and place the order directly from the company. They will have measurements with the prices next to it. It’s perfect when you’re at a party but can’t drive to a weed store.

More Locations

Even though your county or state might allow the sale of marijuana, your city might not allow it. This makes it harder for people to drive out to the next city. Delivery services often will deliver out to you.

Cons

Prices

The biggest drawback of these weed delivery services is the price. With the convenience factor, you will get a price bump. They will charge a premium for the product and add an extra delivery fee on top.

Lack of Budtender Knowledge

If you want to be able to ask questions, delivery services will not be the one. You don’t get a one on one experience