My Visit to a Recreational Marijuana Dispensary

Living in Colorado provides residents with scenic views, numerous outdoor activities, and now the ability to purchase recreational marijuana.  Out of curiosity and for research purposes, I decided to tag along with some friends to one of the local recreational marijuana dispensaries.  Upon arriving at the facility, which is located in a somewhat nondescript strip mall, once you enter the dispensary you are left with no doubt that the building contains marijuana; the overwhelming aroma greets you as soon as you walk in the door.  Once you enter the dispensary you find yourself in a small greeting area where you are asked to provide your ID.

If you are planning on making a purchase you are then asked to sign an electronic keypad after your information has been entered.  After signing, you are then presented with a piece of paper with your information printed on it and are then buzzed through the door to the marijuana promised land.

Upon entering the sales area of the dispensary, you hand your paper over to a very helpful sales person who then asks what type of products you are interested in purchasing.  It takes a minute to get used to seeing all of the different varieties of marijuana behind glass panels that you can simply choose from.  It is presented to you in a relatively high tech manner, there are buds placed in front of electronic tablets that provide you with the name of the marijuana and a brief description.  You are also presented with the price for that particular variety. Once you find the type of marijuana that you would like to purchase, you simply tell the sales person who is accompanying you, they then inform the person working behind the counter of the type that you would like and you are free to continue browsing.

I couldn't believe how many different varieties there were to choose from, there were two full cabinets of different choices depending on your particular preferences.  You are only allowed to purchase ¼ ounce per day as a resident of Colorado.  The interior of the dispensary that I visited was set up more like an upscale jewelry store than what many may imagine the stores to look like.  It was a very tech savvy operation and in addition to the typical marijuana that many are familiar with, the store also offers edible varieties of marijuana candy.

If you would prefer rather to eat your marijuana than smoke it you can freely purchase Hash Heartz which are hard candies that contain 40mg active THC per pack of four.  The cost for the smaller pack of these heart candies is $8.15 which contains four individually wrapped pieces of candy.  They can also be purchased in a larger bag that contains twice as many pieces of candy but are the same strength and cost $16.50.  If you prefer honey flavored candy you can also purchase those in the same size increments.


After you have made your selections, you are then led to the checkout area where they call you buy
name to the register.  Once you’re at the register you are presented with a price breakdown of your purchase and are able to purchase any accessories that you may need to enjoy your purchase.  Once you have been presented with your total, you are also informed that you will need to purchase a “to-go” bag which is a little similar to zip top bag but a little more secure.  The cashier explains that this is for your protection as it keeps your purchase hidden from others in the parking lot, it is also supposed to be child proof, but I didn't find it too difficult to open.  You can then bring this bag with you on your next visit to carry your purchases safely to your vehicle.  After completing your purchase, you then exit the shop through another door that leads you into a little area where you can browse business cards that have been placed there and properly secure your purchase before leaving the shop.

I found my first visit to a marijuana dispensary to be rather interesting.  In addition to the different varieties of marijuana that can be purchased, you can also visit the gift section where you can purchase marijuana leaf shaped ice cube trays, tee shirts, messenger bags and other different items to memorialize your visit.  If you are in need of smoking accessories, you have plenty to choose from.  There are bongs and pipes in different shapes and designs as well as different types of rolling papers.  Whatever you need, you can definitely purchase in this section of the store.

I must say I did feel a little strange entering the shop, and worried that someone I knew might see me, but my friend told me not to worry because they are obviously here for the same thing which made me laugh and relax a bit.  Gone are the days of going to someone’s house to purchase your marijuana, in today’s world, at least here in Colorado, you can enter a well-designed and rather pleasant shop to meet all of your needs.

~Michelle Castillo~
Disclaimer:  No plants were harmed in the making of this blog or in my visit to this shop.  I do not endorse recreational drugs, merely found the new law and stores to peek my curiosity to see what was really behind the curtain.  ;-)