11 Things Your Budtender Wishes You Knew Whether you are visiting the dispensary as part of your ‘tour de cannabis’ Denver vacation, or picking up your medicine as part of your daily routine, get the most out of your dispensary experience by knowing what to expect, the right questions to ask and a few tricks of the trade that will make your visit the best it can be!
1.Be prepared to show your ID multiple times.
Have it handy when you walk in the door and keep it handy until you are ready to make your purchase. The State of Colorado requires that dispensaries do a “Two Point Check”, so someone at reception will ask you to provide your ID upon entry, as well as the budtender at the point of sale, even if it’s the same person. Just smile and have it ready, it’s the law!
2. Patience is a virtue.
The legal cannabis trend is taking over the State of Colorado, there is more than likely to be a line at the dispensary at any given time of day, some dispensaries are smaller than others so it may get crowded easily as well. Try to remember the budtenders are doing everything they can to get people in and out as quickly as possible, while still providing excellent service and educating their customers at the same time. Try not to shop when you are on a tight time restriction or in a hurry, be prepared to wait.
3. It is illegal to cross state lines with medicated products.
It is also illegal for your budtender to recommend or give any advice on how to travel or transport said items, so please, don’t ask!
4. Prices are nonnegotiable
Dispensaries are not flea markets, they are just like any other retail store with established prices that the budtenders cannot change. The prices may or may not include tax (which is high, currently 21.15% for recreational!) So always ask for pricing if not immediately available before making your selection, which brings us to our next tip…
5. You get what you pay for!
There is an almost unlimited amount of options for cannabis in Colorado. The prices range greatly based on a number of things including quality and quantity, so try not to complain or compare prices between the discount dispensary with the cheapest bud and the connoisseur dispensary with award winning strains. If you’re shopping on a budget and looking for a deal, that’s OK too, but you wouldn’t go to a fine dining steakhouse and complain over the price of the filet because you can get a “Big Mac” for $1.
6. You can always tip in snacks!
All dispensaries have different policies regarding tips, at some places the budtenders may not be allowed to accept them at all. It is always a great idea to bring snacks or munchies in the place of a cash tip, you will be greatly appreciated! However…
7. Don’t ever expect a “hook-up” in exchange for a higher tip.
This is a highly regulated industry and the product is tracked down to the milligram so there’s simply no room for smudging, especially for personal gain, it can even be considered stealing from the company. If you appreciate your budtender, don’t ask them to bend the rules for you.
8. The products you are purchasing are for YOU and YOU alone.
Dispensaries are legally required to deny your sale once you mention that you may be sharing or giving your medication to someone else that is not present to verify their age. So please don’t suggest that you are shopping for anyone other than yourself, or you may be denied your sale, and even asked to leave.
9. Always bring cash
Or be prepared to pay an ATM or credit transaction fee. At Green Man, we are currently accepting credit or debit card payments through our Tokken Pay system. Find out more here https://greenmancannabis.com/2017/02/tokken-now-available-green-man-cannabis/ . However, most dispensaries are cash only.
10. Ask about the specials!
Most dispensaries run some type of special, they may update them daily, weekly, or monthly. They can be on a variety of things from flower, to edibles or even accessories. So always make sure to ask what the latest deals are!
11. Know before you go!
Take a look at the menu before you head to the store, almost every dispensary has some form of their menu accessible online. Whether you use WeedMaps, Best Buds, or any other dispensary finder, the daily menus for each dispensary are usually listed on their profile. The best dispensaries will have their menu available directly on their website (www.greenmancannabis.com/menus) 😉
Thank you for giving the advice. It will help me bunch!
I’ve always wondered what it’s like to work at a dispensary and what kind of people you would interact with at them. It’s nice to know what our ‘budtenders’ are thinking, so I’ll have to use these tips next time. Thank you for sharing!
There are a lot of people that are visiting Colorado to partake in this recreational activity or someone locally may now need it medically and have no idea what to expect when visiting a dispensary – you have provided the perfect tips. Thanks for sharing!
Best Medical Dispensary In Denver! The staff is kind, caring and concerned for your needs. Give this place a shot. The bud tenders are incredible. They really care. Thank you for being for me.
Good reminder to bring cash. It’s always a bummer to walk in and pick out your products and then realize you aren’t carrying cash.
Thanks for explaining that we should bring cash when we go to a dispensary. My husband and I want to try recreational marijuana together. Your article helped me feel prepared to go to a dispensary for the first time.
I liked that you stressed that what you get from a legal dispensary is for you and you alone. That is a very important thing to understand if you don’t want to lose your ability to get medical marijuana. It seems like you should check that the dispensary you has a good reputation.