Talking Plant is your guide through the journey into the basics of cannabis, the cannabis industry, and where we try to answer all your questions about our favorite plant.

On this episode I talk about what to expect at your first cannabis dispensary shopping experience. Many of you who have never visited or shopped for cannabis in a dispensary may have preconceived notions that would prevent you from going. I want to detail the mindset you should be in when you go. It’s no big deal really, but you will want to know what your expectations are from a health standpoint. What medical issue are you trying to help solve? Is it insomnia, arthritic pain, or muscle pain? Whatever the issue is, note it and convey your needs to the ‘budtender’ who helps you. You’ll be rather pleased to know that shopping for cannabis is no different than any other retail experience other than the aroma is much better!

Just as important is to know that the budtender is there to help you so take your time and let them get to know you. You will hopefully be back and they will want to know how what they sold you, worked for you. I suggest that when you do make your first purchase, that you purchase only one product. If it’s flower, an edible, a tincture or a topical, only buy one of them. You do not want to be trying multiple cannabis at once. You want to know what is working for you and if you try multiple products at once, you won’t know which one is actually working for you. After that, you can make adjustments, dial in your dosage or try a completely different product altogether. 

I also talked about cannabis festivals and events. With cannabis becoming legal in municipalities all across California, so is the demand for consumption events. Normal community events are difficult enough. Imagine having an entire new set of ordinances and compliance requirements to deal with. Every cannabis festival must abide by the same regulations as if they were a dispensary. Every transaction has to be entered into the state’s tracking system whether is an eighth of cannabis or one joint. Consumption areas are restricted and cannot be visible from anywhere outside of the festival. There are so many other legal requirements that the promoter has to follow that it truly is one of the most challenging types of events to orchestrate.