SEATTLE, Washington — Washington state has banked more than $120 million in sales since recreational marijuana first hit the market there in July 2014, according to the state’s Liquor Control Board.

And as sales have started to move from dark alleys to storefronts, new and curious users are emerging.

But the idea of "buying drugs," regardless of legality, can be nerve-wracking. Regardless how well they know pot, even veteran aficionados get overwhelmed by the sheer diversity of products available. From vaporizers to dab rigs to edibles and kief, there's a real learning curve.

"A lot of people aren't used to being able to choose what they smoke," says Kenji Hobbs, a manager at Uncle Ike's pot shop in Seattle, the city’s second store of its kind. "It's just what their guy has."

Dab rigs at Uncle Ike's pot shop in Seattle, Washington. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

Uncle Ike's has a corner lot at a busy intersection in Seattle's Central District. Most days there’s a food truck parked in front of the clean, metallic exterior and a long line snaking outside that’s manned by a security guard. It's a professional machine, not a bohemian hangout. It's intimidating.

"My theory is that nobody likes to feel stupid," says April Roth, the shop's sales manager. People gravitate toward familiar products because they already know how to use them.

"[People] come in either that haven't smoked before or who say they haven't smoked since Nixon was president," says Hobbs. A lot of people have never seen things like kief or bubble hash, especially JuJu Joints (sleek, e-joints) and vape pens. "We don't want to intimidate people; we're not here to make people feel bad."

Given the circumstances, marijuana hospitality is crucial.

"Budtenders" do their best to educate customers about everything ranging from the law and taxes to different strains and potencies. People can browse Uncle Ike’s detailed menus while waiting in line.

Various products in glass displays at Uncle Ike's. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

A few different pipe options at Uncle Ike's Glass and Goods, a paraphernalia shop that shares a lot with Uncle Ike's pot shop. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

"For first-timers I think the best thing is just to come with an open mind and not be scared," says Hobbs. "It's a new thing, but it's also like buying wine or coffee in a lot of ways."

Even with all the options, many still go straight for the bud.

Flower is still the biggest seller, but Uncle Ike's is seeing a shift to the newer items, such as cartridges–which are inserted into vaporizers–as prices are starting to come down, says Roth. When the store first opened in September the average age of the customers was "50-something," but as products get more affordable it's closer to 30.

Of the more popular products are $10 joints, or pre-rolls, both because of the low price and the convenience factor (you can grab it and go, says Hobbs). On the other end of the spectrum, something like BHO can retail at more than $100 per gram.

A product received by Uncle Ike's sale's manager to sample. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

TL;DR: What to know before visiting your first pot shop Find your local pot shop via a site like Leafly or Weedmaps. Grab your ID (you must be over 21). Withdraw about $50 in cash. (Stores are cash only due to issues with federally regulated banks.) Decide what kind of high you want (relaxed vs. cerebral). Decide how you want to achieve said high (smoke, drink, eat). Research proper paraphernalia (rolling papers, pipe, bong, vape pen, etc.). Bring questions. Most likely, your budtender has heard them all!

Customers have a few choices to make.

First, they'll need to decide what kind of high they want. The two most common species of cannabis are sativa and indica, and both produce very different effects. A product with more sativa is generally more active and cerebral while an indica is more physically relaxing.

It's also important to consider that marijuana doesn't affect everyone the same way, though. Products high in THC won't necessarily produce the strongest high.

"Sometimes it's like an 18-year-old drinking alcohol for the first time. People want whatever is going to get them drunk fastest," says Roth of customers looking for products with high THC percentages. "It's like going to the liquor store and buying Everclear because it's the strongest thing there. You're not considering the rest of your experience."

Expect your budtender to ask questions about plans you have, in order to tailor their recommendation. "If someone is going to go see a movie or a concert, we'll say maybe you want a sativa," says Hobbs. "But if someone says they just want to watch Netflix you’ll maybe want an indica."

THC-infused coffee at uncle Ike's, a product currently exclusive to the store. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

Next, decide how you want to achieve that high. You can smoke or inhale, eat or drink. Or all of the above.

"People are scared of smoking sometimes, so they want to do edibles," says Hobbs. "But we try to get them to try flower first because of the delayed response people often experience with edibles."

Depending on what route you go, you'll need the proper paraphernalia, be it a bong, pipe, vape pen or dab rig, the equipment needed to smoke hash oil. "Sometimes doing the whole bong thing is a lot of work," says Roth. And with dabs, the equipment is expensive and requires a blow torch, which "feels a little druggy."

ATMs at Uncle Ike's, a cash-only establishment due to financing issues with federally regulated banks. Image: Anna Callaghan, Mashable

Finally, consider your experience level and seek guidance on exactly how much you should smoke/eat/drink.

"We tell people to experiment with low doses and then get an idea of where they stand before pushing it," says Hobbs. "We don't want to be responsible for anyone Maureen Dowding," says Roth. (Dowd spent an awful night in a Colorado hotel room after eating too much of a THC candy bar.)

“People are excited about legal pot, understandably, and it’s fun for us to show people the ropes,” says Hobbs. “But educating the consumer is something we also need to do.”

Pot shops in Washington state aren't even one year old yet. So while walking into a shop to buy marijuana may seem foreign today, in a few years the experience will likely feel a lot like buying liquor.

In the meantime, your local budtenders are there to help.

Image: Mashable Composite, Flickr, Jordan Greentree

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