The Thing About Dispensaries

How to take the awkward out.

Friday, April 11, 2024
Time to read: About 6 minutes. Contains 1,397 words.

I started this week with no idea what to cover in Friday’s dispatch. I am cognizant of it being the week before 4/20, the absolutely busiest time for most of the Sticky Bits fam, and how little free time any of you have to consume the musings of a wayward weed writer. I am also aware of my spotty consistency the past couple of months and feel compelled to deliver something of value for you precious paid subscribers keeping this operation in motion. Fortunately for all of us, an interesting Reddit thread caught my eye during my usual online wandering and provided some timely food for thought.

The post hit the /ILTrees subreddit last weekend with the following question: 

“Does anyone else feel super weird in dispensaries?”

The post goes on to describe how “the vibe feels so forced and I'm always uncomfortable.” They describe feeling “weirded out by the atmosphere and sometimes the employees,” and they ask if anyone else shares the feeling or if they are the weirdo.

Many of the 147 comments were in agreement, and, boy, did they speak volumes in regards to how the average customer feels shopping at a dispensary in 2024. Analogies were made likening legal weed shopping experiences to “a trip to the bank,” “TSA vibes,” and, one of my favorites, “Feels like a dmv with faux hardwood venir and geometric shelving.” There are several responders who speak to positive experiences and pleasant interactions with employees, but just as many agree that employees seem annoyed or unhappy (“like being around weird depressed versions of Zumiez employees”). A lot of people espouse the perks of ordering ahead and being able to expedite the experience with a pickup option. 

Some were knowledgeable enough to call out the often “cold” atmospheres being a side effect of state-mandated requirements. Overall, though, the takeaway for me was that a lot of people find shopping at dispensaries outright unpleasant, and that’s before you factor in the taxes and prices that already push too many consumers to purchase from less safe options. I know and you know there are unavoidable rules and processes built into transactions at legal dispensaries, but I think this glaring reality check points out weak spots that are within our ability to improve. 

So, today’s dispatch is about zooming out and reviewing those spots ahead of 4/20 week, when more folks will walk through dispensary doors than any other week of the year. I’m going to pull in a few past dispatches that speak to operations, employee experiences, and customer concerns to provide some perspective about what gets people into a dispensary and what businesses can do to make sure the experience is positive enough that they want to come back.