Contributor: John A. Collins
So, the day has finally arrived, huh?
You’re thinking about going to a dispensary for the first time. First of all, congratulations. You’ve made a wise decision. But, I’m sure the second you decided that it was time to finally hit up a cannabis club, your mind became awash with various questions and hypotheticals.
Things like, “What are the best things to get at a dispensary?” Or, “I wonder where I can get tips for buying weed, I’m so lost.” Questions of this nature are completely common, so don’t feel like you’re alone with your initial worries about that maiden voyage to the dispensary. But, as relatable as those worries are, they are just as pointless. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to cannabis clubs.
That said, it’s always smart (and comforting) to get a quick play-by-play of what to expect when you’re going to a dispensary for the first time.
What To Expect On Your Very First Trip To A Cannabis Club
For starters, you’ll need to know if your desired cannabis club is a med-only location or not. What I mean by this is, as I’m sure you may be aware, there are medical marijuana patients out there, and some places only cater to that crowd.
So, when a place says it’s “Med-Only” or “Patients Only” that’s what they are referring to. However, if you see a location listing itself as “Both” or “Recreational,” that means anybody, license or not, can freely shop for cannabis there.
So, if you don’t have a card, you should aim for one of the latter establishments, as there won’t be any restrictions placed upon you for not having a medical marijuana card. The likes of which aren’t exactly required in these days of recreational cannabis anyway, but that’s neither here nor there.
Once you’ve found your ideal dispensary, you should check out their hours of operation.
Aim to get there close to when they open. That should avoid any unnecessary lines or crowds. And, I don’t know about you, but the less people around on a first-time experience, the better. You won’t feel obligated to “know everything there is to know” before going in there.
Then, when you’ve locked in on your establishment, and the time you’re going to go, you should remember what to bring with you. In this case, you’ll need some valid government ID, preferably a Driver’s License, to avoid any sort of passport confusion.
You’ll also want to bring along a decent amount of cash. Nothing crazy, mind you, I’m talking like $40-60 bucks. That oughta be enough for a first-time purchase, as most places usually throw in a couple goodies for first-time customers, which is always a plus about going into a dispensary to make your purchase, as opposed to relying on delivery companies all the time.
When you get to the establishment at your predetermined time, armed with your ID and cash, you’ll probably encounter a security guard of some kind. They may ask for your ID, they may “wand you” or have you pass through a metal detector, or in most cases, they may simply smile and greet you as you enter the establishment. It’s different everywhere you go.
Once inside, you should head to their front desk area, which most places make the first thing new visitors see. This placement of the check-in desk is by design, so people who are new can easily know where to start their marijuana shopping journey.
Kindly approach the staffer at the front desk.
They’ll ask for your ID, and may even have you fill out a mini membership form of some kind. While they have your ID, they will create a member account for you in their computer system. This can be very beneficial, as many locations offer up member discounts and loyalty rewards programs, the likes of which result in a plethora of bonus cannabis down the line. And who doesn’t love a little free weed every now and then? I know I certainly do!
When they are done, they will hand you your ID back, and depending on how busy they are, they’ll either have you sit in a waiting area of some kind, or they’ll immediately allow you access to their showroom.
In most places, these showrooms are separated from the waiting area and check-in desk, but in modern designs, there’s a more cohesive, transparent layout, which is not only visually pleasing, but it helps normalize the purchasing of cannabis, as opposed to keeping everything behind closed doors. Which, in my opinion, is the right way to go.
Then, you’ll either see an open display room floor, one affixed with various shelves and counters, with roaming, tablet-holding budtenders. Or, in more traditional set-ups, you’ll see a counter along one of the walls, with a stanchioned line in front, where customers file in, and await the next budtender to call them over.
While in line, or cruising an immersive showroom floor, you’ll likely come across a menu of some kind. This is a solid thing to skim through before being helped by a staff member. It’s not required, but it’ll provide a bit of motivation, should you have genuinely no idea what you’re looking for.
After a short while, a budtender will free up, and calmly call you over to them. Or, in other cases, they’ll notice you interested in one thing or another, and approach you with an iPad, ready to help you out in any way, shape, or form.
SEE ALSO: Holistic healing with Cannabis: Here is what you need to know.
This is when you need to remember to be honest about this being your first time at a dispensary. There is absolutely no judgement or criticism that will follow such a curt, honest statement. If anything, they’ll perk up a bit, knowing they can be a part of someone’s courageous first step into the cannabis community.
Ask them anything you have any questions about – don’t be shy.
It’s all about education when it comes to cannabis. The more you know about it, and how it affects you, the more you’ll know about what to look for (and ask about) whenever you find yourself at the dispensary. With your informed line of questions and desires, your budtender will use their inherent expertise to help you locate the ideal cannabis product for your specific needs.
And, at the end of the day, isn’t that what matters most?
Once you’ve found an item or two that you are interested in, you can go ahead and finalize the purchase with that cash of yours.
Now, it’s true that more places these days are starting to accept cards as a form of payment, but in most cases, they’ll charge you more to do so. Plus, in cash-only establishments, they’ll require you to hit up their in-house ATM if you don’t have any bills on you, and they tack on a pretty hefty transaction fee for that every single time. So, it’s always smart to just bring cash, in my opinion.
And that’s basically it, party people.
When you’ve paid for your stuff, they’ll bag it up for you, toss in a receipt, and send you on your way.
See, nothing to it, right?
Now that you’ve got a solid idea of what to expect, I’m sure your first trip to the dispensary is going to go perfectly! In fact, I guarantee it.
Happy shopping, my fellow cannabis enthusiasts!
