What is a Marijuana Dispensary?
A marijuana dispensary is a term for any licensed retail store or physical location authorized to sell cannabis products. In Canada, marijuana dispensaries receive regulations and licensing from their local provinces and territories to grow cannabis and distribute it.
The establishment and licensing of cannabis dispensaries nationwide were created alongside the legalization of cannabis use in Canada.
Different Types of Weed Dispensaries
While they all provide varying services to make cannabis products more accessible to customers in Canada, registered retail stores that dispense weed and sell cannabis products within the country have some differences. For example, some of these cannabis stores also cultivate new strains of weed to sell.
Physical Cannabis Store
Physical cannabis retail stores in Canada are the licensed dispensaries recognized by the provincial laws to sell dried cannabis and its derivatives to customers under the cannabis act.
These marijuana stores are also licensed to grow and tend their cannabis plants, but some have partnerships with trusted cannabis producers and distribution chains within the province or country. Consumers can purchase cannabis from these physical locations.
Online Cannabis Dispensary
Online cannabis dispensaries make dried cannabis, and other weed strains more accessible to users with mobility issues. They also offer convenience for all users in general to purchase cannabis.
The sales process occurs on the business’ e-commerce website, and the online cannabis dispensary completes the process by mailing the products via Canada Post. There are also marijuana seed dispensaries that sell only cannabis seeds.
The cannabis act of Canada also guides these online retail stores, and customers are expected to check if they’re licensed producers or retailers.
Same-Day Weed Delivery Service
Weed delivery services in Canada are similar to online cannabis dispensaries, except they offer a same-day delivery option to sell cannabis. This type of weed delivery service is ideal for locals who want to have their order delivered straight to your door in a matter of hours.
They save consumers the time and stress of finding credible physical stores that sell recreational cannabis.
Medical Marijuana Clinic
A licensed medical marijuana clinic under the Canada cannabis act accesses medical patients according to the qualifying conditions for issuing medical marijuana recommendations and cards in Canada.
Medical marijuana clinics are available at physical locations and provide health support for all medical purposes.
What Cannabis Products Are Offered at a Weed Dispensary?
Marijuana Flower Products
Marijuana flowers may come in three strain types (Sativa, Indica, and hybrid strains), depending on the chemical composition. Additionally, dried flower gets processed for sale and distribution in different ways.
Sativa Strains
Sativa is a potent strain of cannabis that is known for having energizing effects after consumption. Notable examples include Sour Diesel and Blue Dream.
Indica Strains
The Indica strain is known for having full-body cerebral effects on the consumer, which increases relaxation and drowsiness once cannabinoids reach the brain. In addition, it can initiate downtime for the body to help with pain management, healing, and stress relief. A popular Indica strain is OG kush.
Hybrid Strains
The third strain of marijuana flowers is the Hybrid, which occurs when two or more cannabis types get crossed to create a new species. Some hybrid strains may create the energizing and relaxing effects of Sativa and Indica strains when consumed.
Pre-Rolled Joints
For convenience and ease of consumption, pre-rolled joints in the form of dried cannabis get manufactured through professional hand-rolling or machine-rolled and packaged for sale.
Buyers can select their preferred strains and joint size when purchasing pre-rolls.
Bulk Weed
These are pre-packaged dried marijuana flowers sold in higher quantities for personal use.
Weed Edibles
Weed edibles are anything consumable made by infusing marijuana (as oil or crushed plant) in the recipe, such as pastries, sweets, confectionaries, and drinks. They come in multiple flavours, shapes, and strains with varying potency levels.
Weed gummies
Candies, jellies, and other similar sweets made with gelatin and infused with THC are a popular type of weed edibles known as weed gummies.
Cannabis chocolates
From dark chocolate to white chocolate and other flavours, cannabis users can explore a wide range of chocolate products infused with their preferred cannabis strain.
THC baked goods
Most cannabis dispensaries offer baked goods infused with high THC levels (Tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound found in cannabis plants, which is responsible for the psychoactive effects).
Marijuana oil tinctures
Marijuana for consumption can be oils and tinctures. While tinctures are for oral consumption, marijuana oil is more versatile. Marijuana oil is essential for edible-making; it is also beneficial for aromatherapy and topical application.
Cannabis capsules
Cannabis oil and decarboxylated flowers are cannabis extracts involved in making THC capsules. These capsules are ideal for people who want the smoke-free experience of consuming cannabis and want to enjoy fast-acting and long-lasting effects.
Cannabis Extracts & Concentrates
Cannabis forms sold in dispensaries include cannabis concentrates. Live resin is a major type of concentrate and contains a high level of THC.
Hash
Hash, also known as hashish, is a cannabis concentrate made by compressing the dried cannabis plant. The concentrate goes through extra manufacturing to make hash oil, which is marketed and consumed in small quantities (added to the tip of a joint or cigarette) because of its high potency.
Shatter
Shatters are one of the most potent cannabis concentrates with a very high cannabinoid content. The distilling process for this concentrate involves specific solvents that transform the cannabinoids into caramelized crystals.
Live Resin
Live resins are concentrates extracted from frozen cannabis plants. By keeping the flowers below freezing temperature, the process maintains their potency. Live resins get extracted through an intricate procedure involving a solvent chemical like butane or propane.
Terp Sauce
Terp sauce is a type of cannabis concentrate created from terpene extraction. After the extraction process for this concentrate, it has a sauce-like consistency -unlike resins.
Budder
Not to be confused with Batter or Badder, Budder is a cannabis concentrate that is popular for its malleability. It is extracted with solvents, air pressure, and heat and then whipped briefly to get a creamy texture that makes it easy to consume by dabbing.
Weed Vapes
Weed vapes are electronic devices designed for creating vapour from cannabis without combustion.
Vape Pen Batteries
Some vape pens or vapes have changeable batteries that can recharge the electronic capacity of the vape pen. These batteries are ideal for vapes that are rechargeable.
Pre-Filled Vape Cartridges
Vape cartridges are the part of the weed vape that houses the vape juice, the concentrates, or the cannabis oil. While some vapes are refillable, other types of vape cartridges are pre-filled. These pre-filled vape cartridges pair with vape batteries and pens for the complete vaporization experience.
Disposable Vapes
These are vapes that are non-rechargeable, pre-charged, and pre-filled with vape juice (the content that is vaporized and inhaled). They can be disposed of right after the juice runs out.
THC Vape Juice
Vape juice can be a thick concentrate or THC oil processed for vaporization. With most vapes, you can pair them with pre-filled cartridges that are interchangeable for multiple flavours, while for others, you have to buy a different vape pen to get the desired strain or vape juice flavour.
CBD Products
Cannabis products contain over 100 identified chemical components, but the most-popular compounds are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a highly researched cannabis compound, making it the highlight of medical marijuana use.
The significant difference between CBD-infused and regular weed products or edibles is that the plants used in manufacturing CBD products get selected for their high CBD percentage.
Some of the most common CBD products include:
- CBD Oils
- CBD Capsules
- CBD Gummies
- CBD Vapes
- CBD Flowers
As discussed earlier, these CBD products have similar manufacturing processes as other weed products. However, they are unique because they are from cannabis flowers and strains with higher levels of CBD content.
Why Buy Weed in Canada?
Canada is the second country in the world to legalize cannabis. With its policies, nationwide dispensaries, and regulations for the cannabis industry, buying weed in Canada allows you to have firsthand experience of an efficiently regulated cannabis industry.
You can purchase cannabis of the best quality and other products like recreational cannabis, edibles and vapes from top-notch stores.
How to Purchase Cannabis in Canada & What to Watch For
For recreational users in Canada, weed and dried cannabis are available at physical and online dispensaries. You may be required to provide a form of identification to prove that you are of legal age).
On the other hand, if you are a medical user, you need to have a medical marijuana card before you buy weed from a physical cannabis dispensary or online weed store to get your prescribed medical-grade cannabis.
Buying dried cannabis in Canada is stress-free when you understand the specifications that apply to you and your order. However, due to the growing cannabis industry, note that significant details differentiate licensed, legal dispensaries from illegal retailers.
Marijuana flower and its related products should only be purchased from a reliable and trusted licence holder.
Best Place to Buy Cannabis in Canada
There are many excellent dispensaries to buy new strains of weed in Canada. In places like British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, you can also purchase cannabis from retail stores and via delivery.
Some of the best places to buy recreational cannabis include (in no particular order):
References
Department of Justice. (2019, October 17). Cannabis Legalization and Regulation. Available at: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/
Weed Delivery Vancouver. (2022, October 7). Same-Day Weed Delivery in Vancouver. Available at: https://weeddeliveryvancouver.io/
ADCANN. (2022). Top 20 Canadian Cannabis Store Brands in 2021. Available at: https://adcann.ca/blog/top-20-canadian-cannabis-store-brands-2021
Daily Edibles Delivery. (2022, October 7). Enjoy the Best Deals On Same-Day Weed Delivery in Vancouver. Available at: https://dailyedibles.io/
Canadian Cannabis Clinics. (2022). Medical Cannabis. Available at: https://www.cannabisclinics.ca/
Leonard, J. (2022, February 21). What are the best cannabis strains for chronic pain? Medical News Today. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322051
Government of Canada. (2022). Medical document authorizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/licensed-producers/sample-medical-document-marihuana-medical-purposes-regulations.html
