Walking into a dispensary for the first time can feel like a lot: a wall of jars, a menu with hundreds of products, and words like terpenes and lineage. The good news is that you only need to understand a few basics to shop well, and our budtenders handle the rest.
The main product types
- Flower is the dried plant, sold by weight (an eighth is 3.5 grams). You grind it and smoke it in a pipe, a joint, or a vaporizer. Effects come on within minutes and fade over an hour or two.
- Pre-rolls are joints rolled for you. They are the simplest way to try flower without buying any gear.
- Vapes are cartridges or disposable pens filled with cannabis oil. Quick onset, no smoke, easy to carry.
- Edibles are gummies, chocolates, drinks and more. They take 30 minutes to two hours to kick in and last longer, so patience matters (see our dosing guide).
- Tinctures are liquid drops you hold under your tongue. Faster than edibles, easy to measure.
- Concentrates like rosin and badder are potent extracts for experienced consumers.
- Topicals are balms and lotions applied to the skin and generally do not produce a high.
How to choose your first product
Start with what fits your evening. If you want something easy and short, a single pre-roll or a low-dose gummy is a comfortable first step. Look at the THC percentage as a guide to strength, not a score, and pay attention to how a product is described (relaxing, uplifting, social). Lower strength is the right call for a first time; you can always go up next visit.
What to bring and expect
Bring a valid government-issued ID showing you are 21 or older. You can browse the live menu at home, order ahead for pickup, or come in and talk to a budtender, who will ask what kind of experience you are after and point you to a few options. There are no wrong questions.
For adults 21+ with a valid ID. Please consume responsibly, never drive after using cannabis, and keep all products away from children and pets.