From Seed to Wellbeing
Objective:
Learn the processes associated with preparing Medical Cannabis
Learn how to make the Dispensary Experience work for you
Dispensaries are organizations or businesses licensed under state and/or local law to provide medical cannabis to legal patients. The terminology for dispensaries can vary from state to state – Medical Marijuana Business, Licensed Dispensing Facility, Patient Cooperative, etc. Dispensaries require patients to prove their status as a legal medical cannabis patient by presenting a state medical cannabis ID card or other documentation. Some dispensaries require membership and may have other rules for obtaining medicine. Some states require patients to register with a single dispensary to obtain medicine, while other states allow patients to visit multiple facilities.
Because some states require you to designate a dispensary when you register as a legal medical cannabis patient, you may need to do some research in advance. You can contact dispensaries to ask about products, prices, and services. You will also find a lot of this information online on webpages hosted by the dispensaries or on patient resource sites such as Leafly.com. Take note of any state regulations that impact how and how often you can change your designated dispensary.
Some questions you might want to ask when choosing a dispensary include:
Is the facility licensed to operate?
Are the facility and staff certified by a third-party agency, like ASA’s Patient
Focused Certification (see below)?
• Does it feel safe? Is security adequate?
• Is the dispensary comfortable?
• Is the variety of medicine suitable?
• Is the medicine laboratory tested and clearly labeled?
• Are the prices reasonable?
• Does the dispensary take credit cards or have an ATM?
• Is the staff friendly, respectful and knowledgeable?
• Does the dispensary deliver?
• Are the hours of operation convenient?
A well-regulated and properly operated dispensary will conform to contemporary standards for retail or healthcare facilities. Décor and ambiance may run the gamut from clinical and sterile to whimsical and fun, but every legal dispensary should be clean, safe, and accessible for patients with disabilities.
The process of registering with or joining a dispensary differs from state to state, but patients should expect to complete some kind of paper work and provide appropriate documentation and identification. Dispensaries may have a formal or informal orientation process for new patients, and many provide printed materials with information about membership. Ask the intake staff at your chosen dispensary what resources or educational materials they provide for new members or clients.
Most dispensaries will have a variety of medical cannabis and medical cannabis infused products from which patients can choose. The staff should be knowledgeable about the products and able to answer questions. Dispensaries often provide additional resources for patients choosing medicine, like books, online resources, brochures, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially if you are an inexperienced medical cannabis user. The dispensary and its staff are there for you, and helping you make good decisions about your health care should be a top priority.
Expect to see more security at a medical cannabis dispensary than you would at an ordinary retail store, pharmacy, or doctor’s office. State and local regulations typically require a robust security plan, and some providers choose to exceed the minimum requirements so that patients and staff can feel safe. There is no evidence that it is dangerous to visit properly operated medical cannabis dispensaries. You can be confident that security guards, cameras, locking doors, and other safety measures represent an abundance of caution; they are not signs of danger.
