Cannabis provisioning centers are still relatively new, and many people are stepping into one for the first time. We get it – that first cannabis shopping trip can be a little nerve-wracking! The best thing you can do is to prepare for your visit, and part of that prep is learning what you won’t expect from a trip to the dispensary. Even if you’re brand new to cannabis, you don’t need to fear these cannabis myths when you go shopping at your local Iconic Wellness provisioning center.
Why should you shop for cannabis at a dispensary?
While every dispensary is different, there are some things you should expect from the provisioning center that serves you. Far more than just a retailer, provisioning centers serve as education hubs and support networks for anyone who walks through the doors. Any great provisioning center will offer you each of the following services:
- High quality products: The best cannabis dispensaries carry the highest quality products. Knowing your provisioning center can be trusted to source top-of-the-line options offers peace of mind that you’ll be able to select the best.
- Expert guidance: A great budtender offers a wealth of knowledge and experience with the cannabis products in the provisioning center. Not only do many have firsthand experience, they also gather feedback from consumers each and every day. Moreover, the best budtenders have in-depth knowledge of cannabis, so they can explain how each product works and which might be best for your goals.
- Broad selection: When you go to a cannabis provisioning center like Iconic, you should be sure they’ll carry the products you need. The best places stay stocked with a wide range of different cannabis product types, from flower to edibles, concentrates and topicals. Not sure what types of cannabis products are best for you? Not to worry, just ask an expert budtender or check out our blog!
- Transparency: Cannabis shopping used to be shrouded in mystery, but not any longer. Licensed provisioning centers have test results available for their products, so you can be sure of exactly what you’re buying every time.
- Exceptional customer service: Not only are budtenders product experts, they’re friendly members of your community. The best dispensary experience is one where you can expect a local vibe and a warm welcome whenever you walk in the door, like going.
When you think of an ideal cannabis shopping experience, you’re thinking of Iconic Wellness, where you can expect all of these benefits each time you shop.
9 myths about cannabis shopping
If you’re new to the provisioning center, you may have heard some myths about shopping for cannabis. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about these myths when you visit an Iconic Wellness dispensary in Michigan.
Myth No. 1: Provisioning centers are like headshops
The underground aesthetic historically associated with the cannabis industry has largely given way to beautiful showroom floors and a white glove retail experience. Even if tye-dye and music festivals aren’t your scene, you’ll feel at home in a great provisioning center, where every customer is welcome. Whether you’ve been a consumer for decades or you’re cannabis shopping for the very first time, walking through the provisioning center doors should be anything but intimidating, and the experience you’ll get nowadays very much caters to being warm, welcoming, and friendly.
Myth No. 2: I need to be a cannabis expert before visiting a provisioning center
Longtime consumers may be able to recite strain names off the top of their head, but you don’t need to be a connoisseur to make great decisions about which cannabis product to buy. There’s no need to understand which terpenes are which or how live resin is made before you go a provisioning center — you’ll learn more over time! In the meantime, your budtenders can walk you through exactly what’s in a product and how it works before you buy. So, when you take a product home, you can be confident you understand exactly what to expect.
Myth No. 3: I need a medical marihuana identification card
While a medical marihuana identification card is necessary to shop at a medical provisioning center, Michigan is an adult-use cannabis state. Our Sturgis location proudly serves both medical patients and adult-use customers, and our Gaylord and Lowell locations are dedicated to adult-use cannabis. All you need is a government-issued ID that proves you’re 21 years of age or older to shop at an adult-use cannabis provisioning center.
Myth No. 4: All provisioning centers sell the same cannabis products
There can be a big difference in selection from dispensary to dispensary, and the best are always asking the customers about their favorite products to make sure they keep them in stock. If there’s a product that’s hard to find but you love to have regular access too, you can let your budtenders know. Even if other provisioning centers don’t always offer them, your local shop may be able to keep them in stock so you have regular access.
Myth No. 5: I won’t be able to see cannabis products before buying
Licensed cannabis provisioning centers in Michigan are allowed to display products on a showroom floor, so you can take a look at all your options before buying. At Iconic Wellness, you can examine the difference between shatter and sauce, check out the wide variety of edibles, and even select your own bud from the jar in a deli style experience that gives you top choice!
Myth No. 6: I need to know what I want and where to start
Should you choose indica, sativa, or hybrid? What are all these terpenes and cannabinoids? What are all these different types of products? We get it: there’s a lot of terminology to know and it can be overwhelming. Even if you have no clue what products you’re interested in, no problem! Take your time reviewing all your options and feel free to ask a budtender for help.
However much information you need, our goal is to make sure you go home with a cannabis product you’ll be thrilled with. Even if it’s your very first experience with cannabis, you can rest assured you have supportive budtenders at your side with all the expertise you’ll need to make the right choice.
Myth No. 7: I won’t feel comfortable inside the store
The dispensary experience has evolved quite a bit over time, and the very best cater to comfort and ease. When you walk into your local provisioning center, you can expect a warm environment where you can relax and be yourself. Whether you want a major information download or just friendly faces to chat with, you can expect your experience to be pleasant every time.
Myth No. 8: There’s a stigma to buying cannabis
Unfortunately, due to the history of cannabis prohibition, there was a long-standing stigma associated with buying and consuming cannabis. But things have changed. According to a November 2021 Gallup poll, support for legal cannabis is at an all-time high of 68%. Moreover, support for medical cannabis use is nearly unanimous; a previous Quinnipiac poll found 93% of Americans support legal medical marijuana. Consuming cannabis has become a social norm, and even the vast majority of non-consumers support others’ right to consume, whatever their reasons may be.
Myth No. 9: Cannabis products are too strong
Cannabis is well known for its intoxicating qualities, caused by delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major psychoactive compound found in the plant. But that’s not all it does, and many cannabis products are designed to be non- or low-intoxicating.
Cannabidiol (CBD) products that don’t contain THC provide therapeutic effects without the high, and products that have a high ratio of CBD to THC balance out the potency. Certain types of products, like most topicals, won’t even cause a high at all. If you don’t like feeling high, there’s still plenty of cannabis options that don’t have a high THC content for you to choose from.
Expect the best at Iconic Wellness
While the above cannabis myths are being dispelled by the premium retail experiences modern provisioning centers offer, there are certainly those who offer better service than others. At Iconic Wellness, we strive to make every one of your cannabis shopping trips a memorable and enjoyable experience. To find out more about what makes Iconic Wellness so iconic, stop in at our Sturgis, Lowell, or Gaylord dispensary locations.
