Dispensaries, Pot Shops, Cannabis Retailers, Medical Cannabis Stores. Is there a difference? Is one better than the other? You just want to know how you can buy your bud, right? Getting high isn’t supposed to be a confusing experience. Save any confusion for once you’re already stoned and comfortable at home. But with so many different terms for locations, let alone terms for weed itself, confusion can set in nonetheless.
Here are some explanations to help you understand the different terms related to cannabis locations in Washington state.
First, Let’s Get Clear About the Word “Dispensary”
Since the legalization of weed in Washington, one term for locations that sell our bud has gained popularity above all others, dispensaries, commonly called “dispos” by all the cool kids.
But what is a dispensary? The answer depends on how you look at the term. From the general consumer’s perspective, a dispensary is any location that sells cannabis. From a technical perspective, a dispensary is a location that serves the needs of medical cannabis patients. But don’t worry, in Washington, we call any place that sells weed a dispensary.
Cannabis Retailers, Pot, and Rec Shops
These are the most common names used in the recreational world next to the word dispensary. A cannabis retailer, pot shop, or rec shop is any location that sells recreational cannabis. The beauty of recreational cannabis is that it’s available to anyone 21 years and older, which means medicine for all.
Rec shops are the closest thing to an adult candy store that exists! Although recreational users pay higher prices, their money, in part, pays for strong regulation to ensure customers receive the safest cannabis available.
Budtenders are available to answer questions, and if a shop is worth its salt, they’ll know their stuff.
Trove Cannabis holds a recreational license and one of the largest inventories in the entire state, which allows us to serve any customer above the legal recreational age limit!
Medical Cannabis Dispensaries and Stores
Before cannabis was legalized for recreational use, medical dispensaries and stores still existed in some states.
Today, a medical dispensary or store in Washington is any recreational retailer with a licensed medical cannabis consultant on staff, allowing the company to provide medical consultation to patients under these state guidelines.
For the business to receive its medical consultant license, the business’s medical consultant must undergo at least twenty hours of training outlined here.
At Trove, we have a medical consultant on staff and serve our medical patients with a passion for finding the right strains for the right pains.
To be considered a medical patient, you must follow specific steps to obtain your medical cannabis card. (Bonus: our medical cannabis consultants can make the card for you. See below in the conclusion.)
Unlike recreational cannabis, which has an age limit of 21+, Washington state allows medical patients to purchase their bud if they’re 18 or older while allowing underage patients to purchase through a designated provider (a parent or guardian over the age of 21 with medical cannabis authorization).
To learn more about how medical cannabis works here in Washington, check out this article.
We’re here to help you feel better, so please don’t hesitate to stop by.
Conclusion
Whatever you want to call the place where you buy your herb, we don’t mind.
Whether you’re a recreational user who enjoys unwinding with an evening toke or a medical patient who finds cannabis helpful for managing your ailments, what matters most is that you receive the best service available given your circumstance.
That’s what is so great about our location; we serve every person based on their individual needs to the best of our ability.
If you’re a recreational customer, then come check us out any time!
If you’re interested in getting your medical cannabis card, make an appointment with your doctor to obtain the proper paperwork. Since we are medically endorsed our medical cannabis consultants can actually make the card, in our store, for you! After you get your paperwork, stop by during our medical cannabis consultant hours and we’ll complete the registration process for you. But make sure to come camera ready because we’ll need to take a photo for your card. Once the card is made, you can reap the benefits IMMEDIATELY. This includes not having to pay sales tax, higher purchasing limits, AND an exclusive Trove extended 20% off of every purchase for medical customers.
We look forward to serving you at our dispensary/pot shop/rec shop/medical cannabis store!
