In Texas, patients who qualify to have access to medical cannabis via the Compassionate Use Program can now obtain a prescription and have it filled at any of the dispensaries available in the Lone Star State. But finding a good dispensary goes beyond asking your phone for “best dispensary near me” or “dispensary near me open”. Wanna know what we mean? Read-on!
What is a dispensary?
First things first: what is a dispensary? A dispensary is a place that dispenses medicine or medical treatment. In a traditional setting, the medicine is dispensed by a pharmacist following a prescription.
When shopping for cannabis products, customers have access to different types of providers; but not all providers are the same. Although not all consumers are aware of the differences, there is a clear distinction between CBD stores and dispensaries. While CBD stores sell cannabis products mostly for recreational use, cannabis dispensaries sell them for medical purposes. The differences go beyond the intended use of the products as we’ll explain below.
CBD stores vs dispensaries
CBD stores sell products that are CBD infused and have little (up to 0.3%) to no content of THC. CBD obtained from hemp is legal in the US and widely available over-the-counter as CBD stores have popped-up all over the country in recent years.
Dispensaries, on the other hand, sell products that differ from over-the-counter CBD infused products not only because they require a prescription but often and most importantly, because of their content and quality. Good dispensaries are licensed and highly regulated since they can legally sell products with a higher content of THC (up to 1% for Texas dispensaries). Because they are highly regulated, you can rest assured that any product purchased at a licensed dispensary has been subject to a strict testing process to check for content, contaminants and safety.This is not the case for over-the-counter products offered at a CBD store where labels might or might not list correctly what is contained in the product you are purchasing. Prescription marijuanas have embedded a seal of quality and transparency of their components that most over-the-counter cannabis products don’t necessarily have.
What makes a good dispensary?
A good dispensary is licensed, offers a variety of options in the products it sells, has knowledgeable staff who can answer your questions, provides good prices, has solid privacy policies, is easily accessible with pick-up locations in safe areas and has the ability to deliver the prescriptions to its customers. You are not alone when googling “dispensary that delivers near me” and it’s good to know that even if you don’t live next to the closest dispensary downtown, you can still get your prescription filled and delivered to you, regardless of where you live. Most importantly, good dispensaries should have high quality products manufactured in state of the art facilities that can attest to the safety, quality and purity that patients are looking for when purchasing medical cannabis. Texas Original meets all the conditions above and that’s why it’s our preferred choice among Texas dispensaries.
What do you need to buy medical cannabis at Texas dispensaries?
To be able to buy medical cannabis at a dispensary, patients in Texas need to:
1- Be 18+ years old (or the legal guardian of minors who qualify for treatment).
2- Be registered by a licensed physician in the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) and have a valid prescription.
3- Present a valid photo ID.
4- Present an accepted form of payment.
What forms of payment are accepted at a dispensary?
Although cannabis has been legalized at the state level in several states in the US, it is still illegal at the Federal level and because of that reason, credit cards usually can’t be used to purchase cannabis related products that have more than 0.3% THC. Generally accepted forms of payment at dispensaries are cash, checks, money orders and payments via applications such as CanPay and AeroPay (check with your dispensary of choice what forms of payment are accepted before you head over to pick-up your prescription).
There you have it! To find the best medical cannabis dispensary for you, it’s crucial to consider factors such as the variety of products offered, convenience (location, delivery and accepted forms of payment), pricing, privacy policies and access to knowledgeable staff. Most importantly, make sure the dispensary is licensed by the state and follows all the regulations and safety measures to ensure that the products they offer meet the quality, purity, transparency and safety standards required by law.
