News » Etiquette in the Dispensary

As medical marijuana spreads and dispensaries to distribute it become more and more common, a social change is taking place amongst those who frequent these stores and the staffers who work in them. This new sociological phenomenon is creating a standard of etiquette expected of both patients and caregivers/dispensers whether it’s in California or Rhode Island.

These trends are mostly being set in California, the nation’s oldest MMJ state, but are spreading quickly as professionalism and patient expectations increase. Here are some of the unwritten (until now!) rules of etiquette expected at most of the nation’s better dispensaries.

1. Be professional, courteous, and “normal.” Dispensaries are not the hangouts of teenage miscreants looking to score some bud. They aren’t scenes from a Cheech and Chong movie, but they aren’t exactly Walgreen’s either. Dispensaries are more like the neighborhood pharmacies of old, where the pharmacist behind the counter probably knew most of those coming into his shop by name and doctor.

Patients, on the other hand, aren’t Half Baked Jim Brewers wandering the streets in tie dye and droopy eyes. For the most part, they’re normal people who have a specific need for a specific medicine. Just like any other patient who might enter a pharmacy. While the medicine’s names might be a little unusual (“Turkish Delight” versus “Doxycycline”), the patients themselves are the same.

In nearly every dispensary, the professionals working to serve and the patients being served are expected to act like “normal” people. Drug references, innuendos, and so forth are generally not encouraged. Everyone should be polite and comfortable. The best dispensaries work hard to project this kind of attitude.

2. Have your questions and paperwork ready. If you’re a medical marijuana patient, you should already know the requirements of your state. If not, look them up. Everyone has a first time, of course, and you will probably stumble, but let the person behind the counter at the dispensary know it’s your first time buying and they’ll understand.

Most dispensary employees should be able to help you choose the right products, ways of ingesting them, and explain to you the ways of experimenting to find the right formula for your needs. This is another way that pharmacists of old and today’s dispensaries are very similar: they were expected to know their stuff and be experts in showing patients the right and wrong way of doing things.

At the very least, you’ll need the following in any legitimate dispensary in every MMJ state: a valid state-issued photo ID, a valid medical marijuana card (or equivalent), and a good attitude. In all cases, you can expect to fill out more paperwork your first time at the dispensary.

3. Know what’s out there and don’t frequent the slums. While some dispensaries will be less than legitimate, most are above board. Their business requires that they be so. If you are uncomfortable in any business you enter – whether it’s an MMJ dispensary or a hardware store – you shouldn’t do business there. The whole point of competitive markets is to provide different atmospheres and situations tailored to various types of customers. If you don’t like the one you’re using now, find another.

4. Shop like a customer, not a kid in the candy store. This ties in with #1 and especially applies to first-timers. Don’t buy out the store your first trip. Instead, ask the workers in the store what they’d recommend for your specific needs and condition. Most likely, you’ll be directed to start out “easy” and work up to more effective but expensive options. Try some of the food items, if available, and ask about low-cost vaporizers if you aren’t used to smoking (cigarettes or marijuana).

Buy small amounts of marijuana each time until you’ve figured out the best strain and ingestion method for you. Everyone is different, so what worked for Joe may not work for Mary.

5. Be courteous to other customers and their privacy. Dispensaries are medical establishments. So while you may strike up a conversation with someone inside, keep confidential the specifics you might learn either directly or by overhearing. Just as you’d expect them to do for you. Try not to interrupt the patient-dispensary interactions and wait your turn if no one is available to help you. Expect others (especially dispensary workers) to do treat you and your information with respect and privacy. If they don’t, find a new dispensary.

These are the five big ones. You may have noticed that they all boil down to the basic law of humanity: treat others as you expect to be treated. Other simple rules that might vary by area or legal requirements include:

– Don’t use cell phones inside the dispensary.

Don’t use cell phones inside the dispensary. – Remove your sunglasses and let people see you inside.

Remove your sunglasses and let people see you inside. –Be aware of on-site consumption rules and the etiquette surrounding them.

If those who frequent dispensaries and those who work at them all abide by the five basic rules above, the MMJ industry will gain much more respect and a lot more acceptance. These rules create a comfortable, but professional atmosphere that allows everyone involved to step away from the “stoner stigma” associated with the industry.

Tags: dispensary, medical, medical marijuana, medicinal cannabis, MMJ