Every state is in its own phase of cannabis legalization. Washington and Colorado have reached a sense of normalcy in their weed culture, while Ohio and Minnesota are just getting things moving. Meanwhile, New York grapples with an industry in its infancy, competing with a longstanding unlicensed legacy market. While the politics and licensing drama plays out, consumers are often along for the ride with little to no guidance on topics like how to pick a cannabis dispensary.
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Types of cannabis consumers and how they shop
There are consumer archetypes in the cannabis community. One is longtime patients who have often been fighting for legal weed for years, maybe even decades. They usually know what they are looking for and are possibly well informed on nuances of weed, like the endocannabinoid system, and seek intentionally clean, pesticide-free products.
Newly-prescribed patients will also want quality products but may need more education than longtime advocates. This crowd may prefer a quieter dispensary space to weigh product options and speak with knowledgeable staff members. This is especially true for those brand new to weed who may feel nervous about entering this uncharted space.
On the other side of the spectrum, cannabis connoisseurs may seek out the newest phenotypes or freshest, sparkling live resin. They will likely have all the education they desire and seek a more lively storefront with hype music and the latest weed devices.
Canna-curious shoppers will have a little of both. Entering a dispensary for the first time may be nerve-wracking, especially for those who bought fully into the 1990s-2000s DARE program. Being rushed or overstimulated by too much newness may make it harder to focus on finding the right product.
On the other hand, most canna-curious shoppers want to find cool new vapes, strains, and oils. This group should seek out a store in the middle–not medically focused, but with enough time to walk them through picking the perfect strain.
These are the types of consumers and the stores they might desire, but now the question is how to figure out which store to visit before walking through the doors. Luckily, that’s as easy as 1-2-3.
Weed through reviews
There are multiple places where consumers can review a dispensary, including traditional spots like Google and cannabis-specific sites like WeedMaps. Reading a few of these reviews provides valuable insight into the expected consumer experience.
However, be aware of too many good reviews that don’t give much information. Some stores offer discounts and incentives to rack up positive online feedback, look specifically at the one to two-star reviews to balance out this potential anomaly.
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Reading online experiences from fellow cannabis consumers should provide a newcomer with the information necessary to choose where they want to shop.
Peep the products
Good reviews are only one piece of the puzzle; even a great shop may not stock the products consumers seek. In more established markets like Washington state, stores have settled into a niche. One shop is known for the highest quality extracts, while another focuses on medically-oriented products.
These specialties are sometimes apparent from the reviews, but the best way to understand what a shop has is by looking at its menu. And luckily, almost every dispensary in the country has a regularly updated online menu on their website.
Checking the menu is good for finding a new store and for preparing to pick out products. Familiarizing oneself with strains or edibles and choosing a few to ask the budtender about is a foolproof way to walk out with quality bud and a bit of education.
People won’t blow smoke
Clueing into the pulse of dispensary culture in any city is best done by asking around. Find a friend who loves cannabis, ask the baristas at the coffee shop which store they would recommend while ringing out a latte, or a server while paying a bill. Getting in touch with the local cannabis dispensary culture is sometimes as easy as connecting with the locals.
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How to pick which cannabis dispensary to visit
A good first-time dispensary experience may require research, especially in more established cannabis markets. It is perfectly acceptable to visit a place with little to no research but regard it as such. Those reading reviews, checking menus, and asking around may have more luck finding their desired weed-shopping experience.
These tips ring especially true for newcomers, first-time patients, and those in a new weed city for the first time. Be a conscious shopper and find the best weed–it’s as easy as that.
