Differences Between Physical Dispensaries And Online Stores

The internet is, no doubt, the easiest way to access cannabis products because of simple comfort and many other benefits it offers, including simplicity. All you need is a computer or mobile device with an internet connection, and you can have your weed delivered to you.

If you are planning on restocking your marijuana shelf but wondering whether to use an online store or a physical dispensary, then you need to know how they differ as well as the benefits of buying weed online.

What is a Physical Dispensary

A physical dispensary is simply a brick and mortar establishment where cannabis products are sold and bought. Here, you actually walk into a physical structure to purchase whatever marijuana product you want.

There are mainly two types of physical dispensaries – the ones designed for adult-use and those that to cater for medical patients.

Adult-use

The adult-use dispensaries are also known as recreational dispensaries. They are legal marijuana shops where any adult can buy their favorite cannabis strain. However, you must be able to prove your identity and age with an ID card in order to gain access to the services in the dispensary.

Most recreational stores allow you to purchase your accessories at the store. So, instead of going to a head shop to purchase your dab rig or pipe, you can get it from the store!

Medical

Any dispensary with the “medical” tag is designed for people who use marijuana as a remedy for medical issues. This means that you can’t use a medical dispensary to shop for recreational weed. Aside from your ID, you must have proper documentation and recommendation from a medical specialist before you can gain access to this type of dispensary.

Medical marijuana in certain states are much less restricted and regulated than recreational use. For example, some states will not allow dispensaries to carry more than 100mg edibles where as other places let you go over 100mg. Some states like Ohio don’t allow you to smoke your herb so if you can buy flower, you’d need the best dry herb vaporizer or end up using the flower to make edibles at home.

What is an Online Cannabis Store?

As the name implies, an online cannabis store is simply a platform on the internet designed for the sale of marijuana products. This means that you can buy cannabis within a few minutes right from the comfort of your bedroom or kitchen by clicking a few buttons on your internet-enabled device just like you would do when shopping for an iPad online.

Buying marijuana online is very straightforward, like regular online shopping. You just need to visit the store’s website, explore their products, add to cart, and then checkout by providing your address for delivery.

Most online dispensaries, just like physical cannabis stores, deal with cash payments. This means you will pay on delivery with cash. A few shops have credit card processing, if you can locate them!

It’s important to also note that some physical stores have websites that you can visit to explore their offerings and pricing before visiting them for the actual purchase. You can also make inquiries through their site if you have any questions.

Despite the many benefits that come with using online dispensaries, the delivery process has always been a major setback. Since cannabis is illegal at the Federal level, postal services and other major carriers are not allowed to deliver marijuana products. This is why you should take extra caution when shopping for weed online.

Benefits

Without a doubt, online shopping for regular goods offer many benefits over traditional shopping. This also applies to online purchase of cannabis. Some people suffer from debilitating diseases which stops them from leaving the house to buy cannabis. Having a delivery service bring your cannabis directly to your door is very beneficial.

Here are some of the exciting perks of using online marijuana stores.

Convenience

Nothing is more convenient than shopping online. You can do it from anywhere, whether in your home, at your office, inside your car, or even at the park as long as you have access to the internet. With online shopping, you’d successfully eliminate the stress of getting dressed and visiting a physical location just to get weed.

Price

The intense competition in online shopping comes as a great advantage for consumers. Every online marijuana shop would want to offer competitive prices and amazing promos and discounts for their products to attract users to buy from them. This is unlike physical dispensaries where the owners of the business fix the prices and you cannot haggle prices with the budtenders.

Inventory

Online shopping provides more items on their catalogs compared to physical dispensaries since these brick and mortar shops operate based on demand and supply. You can explore all the products available on an online shop and even compare it with the products on other online dispensaries.