. . .looking around and shopping in dispensaries, the more you will see how the intense interest in all things cannabis is driving the prices. There are market forces at work that influence the going rate. You might wonder then how can you know you’re getting your money’s worth? Follow along as I cover some great ideas on how to get the best value.
1. The first way to get your money’s worth is to know the product
Cannabis prices are constantly changing due to the usual dance between supply and demand – in a market that’s still trying to find its footing. Know that prices will likely change every time you visit your dispensary. How do you know when a strain you like is a bargain or has become over-priced? Know the product.
[contentblock id=amazonaffil_dvd_josecervates_bespoke]Start by visiting our good friends at Leafly.com and reviewing their long list of cannabis strains. You will begin to grasp the scale of choices you have.
Leafly doesn’t offer any info on prices. They are all about the strains of cannabis. And to really begin to understand cannabis, this is an excellent resource.
There is a lot of strains to choose from, which is remarkable, given how little time it has been legal to grow cannabis commercially.
To help those of you who are medicinal users limit the number of strains to consider, simply look for strains with high CBD and very, very low THC. Strains like Charlotte’s Web, Blue Dream or Harlequin.
For those looking for recreational cannabis, then I encourage you to focus on those strains described as “sativa” or “sativa dominant.”
Sativas are “daytime” strains that will offer you an alert experience that, depending on the exact strain, could make you feel focused, creative, engaged, energetic, and amazingly social.
Sativas are the only kind of cannabis you should serve friends.
Indica strains are for when you want to relax – alone or with a loved one – on a quiet afternoon or closer to bedtime.
The surprising variety of cannabis strains speaks to the many years it has been cultivated in the shadows. Clever growers like an American horticulturist Jorge Cervantes for example, has worked for thirty years in hard to find places, cross-pollinated cannabis plants specifically for the characteristics that users are interested in.
The surprising variety of cannabis strains speaks to the many years it has been actively cultivated, both around the world and here covertly in the States.
Clever growers like an American horticulturist Jorge Cervantes for example, has worked for thirty years in hard-to-find places, cross-pollinated medicinal cannabis plants specifically for the characteristics that users want.
His expertise and extensive network of relationships from all over the globe have helped add to the wide variety of truly interesting strains, each with very different qualities.
As you review the list of popular strains, you should take notes on perhaps four or five popular items (by name) that you might want to try. The more popular the strain, the more likely your dispensary will carry it.
Take notes on what you like about your choices of strains and bring that with you when you go shopping.
2. Find a great dispensary and then be a regular
When you’re ready to shop for cannabis, start by shopping for a dispensary.
A dispensary that can give you your money’s worth is a dispensary that goes through a lot of product.
That almost always means a larger dispensary, clean, well lit, and with marker boards filled with bargains. Visit dispensaries until you find one like that.
It’s work, but trust me, you want to do this.
Start by looking at our friends WeedMaps. Their very clever site will know what city you are in and offer you a map of nearby dispensary locations and reviews.
Just start with the best dispensary on the map. Even if it’s further away, it will be totally worth the drive.
Once you find the dispensary you like, go there often and become known. Nothing is better than going to a familiar place full of people who smile, get to know you by name and care about your needs.
It should feel a bit like going over to a friend’s place.
Want to be remembered? After they know who you are, surprise them on a Sunday morning by bringing in a box from a fancy bakery full of really amazing fresh muffins – enough for everyone. Trust me, they will always remember you with a smile after that.
Here’s a big tip: go during the off-peak hours – like early on a Sunday. The place will be slow and there will be more time to spend talking with the budtenders.
Want to be remembered? After they know who you are, surprise them on a Sunday morning by bringing in a box from a fancy bakery full of really amazing fresh muffins – enough for everyone.
Trust me, they will always remember you with a smile after that.
You see, they care about you, yes – but that’s their job. Here, you would be doing what few other people ever do – show that you genuinely care about them as well.
By doing so, you are developing a relationship that has rewards that go both ways. The dispensary wants regular customers (and especially those who bring hot muffins) and you want good value.
Typically, it’s only the regular customers who consistently get the great deals, specials, and discounts.
But you would likely be the customer who would hear from your budtender in advance when any strains you like are going to be on sale.
So it is a relationship you want to actively cultivate.
3. Finding a great budtender
The other big benefit to reviewing and making a list of cannabis strains is that you will arrive at the dispensary better prepared to sense if the budtender knows what they are talking about.
Some budtenders are way better than others. Which points to another great reason for shopping at a larger dispensary: They usually hire budtenders with experience, knowledge, talent and good people-skills.
As you listen to them describe their product or cannabis in general, a good budtender will offer up a wealth of knowledge and be able to compare and contrast different strains.
Open your notes and say you want to ask about some strains.
Part of the conversation will include them opening containers full of fresh bud for you to smell – it will be both amazing and very distracting.
If they say things about your choices of cannabis that echo what you read, then this budtender may have some meaningful credibility.
Even if they don’t sell those exact strains, a good budtender should still know about your choices and be conversant on their qualities.
They should also know their inventory well enough to offer some close alternatives. So arrive prepared to be a little flexible.
Don’t be shy. Be sure to tell your budtender you’re making edibles for recreational or medicinal reasons and whether you are enjoying it alone or also serving others.
Knowing that, your budtender will be better able to help steer your choices.
If you want to know how good a budtender is, notice if they:
- answer your questions with confidence and lots of details?
- engage you by asking probing questions about your needs and preferences?
- offer ideas that serve your needs?
- make it fun to shop for cannabis – even if you know nothing about it?
- answer simple questions like the really want you to understand the answers?
If they do, then you found your budtender.
If they don’t, then politely smile and decline. Do not buy anything, leave and keep looking.
4. A great budtender will always show you the deals
I promise when you find the right budtender, they will draw back the curtains and show you how to be more savvy about buying cannabis and how to really know what to look for.
If you’re in touch with your budtender and are a frequent shopper, they might even send you a text to let you know your preferred strain just went on sale.
When does the dispensary usually get fresh inventory, and can you buy from that? It’s hard to say what the price might be for super-fresh cannabis, but it’s definitely a conversation to have with your budtender.
A good reason to pay attention to your choice of cannabis is that, like a habitual coffee drinker who needs stronger and stronger coffee, the more frequently you use cannabis, the more potent a strain you will tend to look for. If you start to ask for stronger cannabis, you are taking your first steps towards addiction and you simply need to put it all away for a few months and give yourself a break from cannabis.
Buzz responsibly.
Note the prices of the various strains you like. That way you will be better able to sense when something is a bargain.
For example, if your preferred strain has been hovering at about $70 per quarter-ounce for the last two months – and now it’s suddenly $60.
Ask you budtender about the drop in price. Did a supplier overproduce? Is there generally too much cannabis on the market right now?
Is there anything wrong with this batch of product? If everything seems acceptable, it may a good time to buy maybe a full ounce.
5. Find good weed for the best price
If for whatever reason, you just need to buy the lowest priced cannabis – now, I can show you how to do that.
There is an amazing site called WikiLeaf.com that is the go-to source for the best prices on cannabis. It will build a map in your area of dispensaries that have cannabis at your preferred price.
Use this resource if you must, but know that all it can do is show you where to find the lowest prices for cannabis – regardless of what dispensary is offering it, how good they are and who is behind the counters.
Storing Your Cannabis
When you buy cannabis and bring it home, you need a great place to store it – and everything else that goes with it. These boxes come with air-tight and moisture-proof containers. Many are lockable and designed to hide in plain sight.
6. Know the right way to store your cannabis
If you purchase some legal bud, bring it home, and then leave it on the window sill exposed to sunlight and air for a couple of months, you might as well throw it out.
The compounds in cannabis are not stable and if left exposed to light, air, and moisture, would degrade to eventually contain almost no THC in about two or three months.
Unless you always use your cannabis within a few days of bringing it home, you need an air-tight, light-proof storage container like the one pictured here.
There’s a lot of discussion about how cold one should store cannabis, whether on a shelf in a closet, in the fridge, or even freezing. Everyone agrees that cannabis must be kept in a dark, dry place.
You can find great information about storing cannabis on the Harborside Health Center website.
7. Make your own cannabis-infused foods and treats
There is no simpler way to say this; if you want to get your money’s worth with cannabis, make edibles.
I won’t slander edible products you can buy in a dispensary. But I will say that when you can buy a quarter ounce of the bud of your choice and then make your own cannabutter and then use that in almost any kind of recipe, off-the-shelf edibles are not a better deal.
There are a lot of advantages to making your own edibles.
- You would be using the cannabis strain of your choice
- The edibles would be made with using your cannabutter
- You would have control over the dose
- Free of contaminates.
- No preservatives.
- Fresh out of the oven.
- You can save a lot of money by making your own edibles.
The quarter ounce of cannabis you bought will be enough to make one stick of cannabutter. and because that makes a lot of edibles – and offers a more potent result than if you smoked it, you will definitely be getting your money’s worth.
Besides saving huge by making your own edibles, you get the satisfaction of taking control of your what your edibles are made from, what recipes you work with and doing it all in your own kitchen.
In the long run, if you are a medicinal user and need your dose of CBD every day, you will truly get your money’s worth.
So do your research, choose your preferred strains, find that great dispensary and the amazing budtender who works there. Engage them with questions and discussion.
A good budtender will listen and pay attention to your needs, consider their recommendations and let them know how much you appreciate their help.
All these things will go a long way towards you developing a great, long-term relationship with your preferred budtender.
And like the many other similar relationships in your life, knowing a great budtender is priceless.