NYC cannabis etiquette: how to behave in a dispensary without feeling weird

Here’s the beginner’s guide to shopping at legal weed stores for the first time.

Buying legal cannabis for the first time can be an intimidating experience. Whether you’ve been shopping at your local store for years or are truly new to weed, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you don’t know what to expect. From simple questions like, “Should I bring cash or a card?” to more obscure thoughts like, “Will the cannabis dispensary collect my information and sell it to the government?” Either way, there are no stupid questions, only horny ones.

Here are Leafly’s top tips for first-time dispensary buyers who want to know how to buy marijuana the right way.

Bring ID and cash

(Meg Schmidt / Leafly)

Many pharmacies have switched to electronic payment systems that can accept debit and credit cards. But for the most part, cash is still king for cannabis sellers, even the legally regulated ones. That’s why you can expect to see an ATM or two inside, in case you forgot to stop at the bank along the way. To avoid fees and the rare event that the ATM fails, arrive with cash in hand and get straight to business.

Be nice to safety

(Mikhail Harrison / Leafly)

The first person you will see in your local weed shop is not the owner, a budtender or the famous breeder who grew your buds. Your first encounter will be with a security expert who will ask for your ID and may search you and your bag. Have your ID ready when you reach the door and leave potential weapons in the car. Nobody likes being touched or carded. Be sure to be friendly to the person working the door. Be Kind: This person’s job is to be wary of potential thieves and suspicious customers. Remember, working in a cannabis store is cool, but it’s still work.

Don’t get paranoid about data collection

Dutchie point of sale equipment is used in Smacked Village and all other retail outlets in New York. (Calvin Stovall / Leafly)

Each state’s laws are different. However, most do not allow invasive data collection from licensed pharmacies. The first legal cannabis stores in New York opened in December, and hundreds more are on the way. Everyone from locals to tourists seems curious about how pharmacies handle retail sales data.

The New York Cannabis Bureau told Leafly that retailers are not allowed to store a customer’s personal information for marketing and promotional purposes unless that person consents to receiving updates. The state regulations for adult pharmacies also make this clear.

A medical patient calmly checks out at the RISE pharmacy in Bloomfield, NJ as hundreds of Rec shoppers fill the day-one queues across the store. (Meg Schmidt / Leafly)

However, New York pharmacies are required to collect data about the purchase. This means they must track at least the following data elements for each activity in a sale, including transaction, quarantine, disposal of the cannabis products, and weight, volume, or number of cannabis products. Pharmacies also track the date of activity and the identity of the worker conducting the transaction. But they don’t store your personal or banking details and only send marketing and promotions if you agree.

Related

NYC cannabis etiquette: Can I roll up weed on the subway?

Dutchie is the exclusive point-of-sale system for New York’s retail pharmacies. Anne Forkutza, Dutchie’s head of market expansions, said the company does not store or sell any personally identifiable information for New York pharmacy shoppers.

Shop highly rated pharmacies in your area

Shows you pharmacies near Frankfurt am Main, HE

Show all pharmacies

Give the budtender something to work with

(Leafly / Meg Schmidt)

There are many ways to buy cannabis. Some people are looking for the highest (or lowest) THC percentage based on the intensity they want. Others trust brand names or choose by type: sativa for an uplifting high, indica for ‘on the couch’, or hybrid for balanced effects. And then you have the bargain hunters.

Even if you’ve already browsed the online menu, chances are the local budtender knows their store inventory better than you do. So if you don’t have a specific strain or product that you already know is on the menu, go ahead with some goals or pain points that can help your budtender steer you in the right direction. Whether your goal is sleep, euphoria, or the best bargain, your budtender should know exactly what you need based on the current selection and your price range.

Do not roll or smoke directly in front of the store or in the parking lot

A little taste of New York’s first legally grown flower. (Meg Schmidt / Leafly)

You just bought a fire eighth. It’s only natural that you’d want to crack the package and sniff it as soon as you head home. You might even want to roll it up or fill up a quick bowl before taking off. But don’t do that: it’ll bring bad publicity to the business, even if it’s technically legal to possess and smoke cannabis anywhere cigarettes are legal in New York City. Some regulators and local weed haters are still looking for an excuse to get the local dispo in trouble. So wait until you’re a safe distance from the shop front before finally cracking the seal and detonating.