First Time in a Dispensary? What Actually Happens

Cannabis jars and accessories arranged on a shelf in a Toronto dispensary

Walking into a cannabis store for the first time is mildly nerve-wracking for almost everybody, and there is no reason for it to be. Here is exactly what happens.

The ID check, first thing

Before anything else, someone will ask for ID. Nineteen or older, government-issued, photo, unexpired. This happens every visit, for everybody, regardless of how old you look. It is not personal and it is not optional. Details in the ID rules.

Then you can just look

Legal packaging is sealed, so what you see on the floor is display packaging and empty jars. Nobody is going to follow you around. Take your time reading labels. The most useful things on them are the packaged-on date and the terpene total, not the THC percentage. See how to choose flower.

How to ask for help

The most useful sentence is not a strain name. It is a description. Try one of these:

  • I have not done this in ten years and I do not want to overdo it
  • I want something for the evening, not for the afternoon
  • Last time I had something citrusy and I liked it
  • I do not want to smoke anything
  • I want to spend about thirty dollars

Every one of those gets you a better answer than naming a strain you read about, because strain names travel badly between producers.

What to buy first

If you are genuinely new, start small and start measured:

There is more in low-dose cannabis.

Paying and leaving

Cash, debit and major credit cards all work in store. Your purchase goes into an opaque bag, because that is the rule. Keep the receipt if you might want to reorder the same batch.

Things nobody will do

  • Judge you for asking a basic question
  • Push you towards the strongest thing on the shelf
  • Tell you cannabis will treat a medical condition, because we are not allowed to and we should not

Or skip the room entirely

Order online, choose free local delivery, and have it brought to your door. Same shelf, same staff, no first-visit nerves. See how to order online.

Come and see us. 811 Dundas St. W., Unit 2, open 9am to 11pm every day, or browse the shelf from where you are.