Cannabis Dispensaries
Cannabis dispensaries are, quite simply, cannabis outlets at which consumers can buy cannabis products. Each cannabis dispensary is unique, and they range from medical-only cannabis dispensaries that require consumers to have a doctor’s prescription to receive a product to recreational cannabis dispensaries open to all residents of a state.
Medical and Recreational Cannabis Dispensaries
Only a handful of states - like South Carolina and Wyoming - completely and unequivocally outlaw the possession of cannabis. In most other states, some combination of medical and recreational use is permitted under state law. And, in many of these states, medical and/or recreational cannabis dispensaries are permitted.
States with legal medical cannabis dispensaries include California, New York, and Massachusetts. The list of states with legal recreational cannabis dispensaries is a little bit shorter, but is steadily expanding.
Of course, it should be remembered that cannabis in the United States remains completely illegal according to federal law. This means that federal law enforcement agencies, like the Drug Enforcement Agency, are legally permitted to enforce the prohibition on cannabis possession and sale.
How to Open a Dispensary
If you’ve been wondering about how to open a cannabis dispensary, you’re not the only one. State-level legalization in the US, the increasing availability and popularity of cannabis, and widespread recognition of its medical benefits have combined to dramatically heighten interest in dispensaries. But the specific steps required to open a dispensary are heavily dependent on multiple factors, including the intended market, the state in which the dispensary will be opened, the background of the entrepreneur seeking to open the dispensary, and many others.
Qualified legal counsel should be consulted before you invest a significant sum of money into exploring the opening of a recreational cannabis dispensary or medical cannabis dispensary.
