My First Visit to a Marijuana Dispensary

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On a recent trip to Massachusetts, I visited a recreational marijuana dispensary. Apart from visits to Amsterdam’s “coffee shops”, this was the first time I set foot in a legalized dispensary in the US. The state I live in has legalized recreational marijuana but few, if any, dispensaries have opened yet, and many local towns are prohibiting them. The argument is usually that they will attract the wrong type of people, encourage abuse of the drug, and make pot freely available to children. Well, if the dispensary I visited is typical, I’d like to dispel those concerns.

I’m a Child of the 60s & 70s

I’ve never been a big pot smoker mostly because my chronic respiratory issues made me afraid of smoking in general. I did partake a bit in high school and in college, mostly in a party setting and when someone else was providing the stuff. After college, I would partake only rarely as most of my pot-smoking friends moved away. I don’t believe I had ever bought any legal or not pot on my own — that is, up until my visit to Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, I do! Not as much as a fine wine, great scotch, or pretty much any beer (or coffee which is my one true addiction) … it’s just that it wasn’t worth a potential run-in with the police or the risk to my lungs to make it a habit. I had been carefully monitoring the advance of legalized pot throughout the country and when MA legalized it in 2016 and NY in 2021, I knew it was soon going to be available locally. I was particularly intrigued by the availability of edibles — chocolate bars, gummies, and whatever that would remove the respiratory danger. My friends in CA who partake rave about the edibles though they warn that figuring out the right amount to eat can be difficult — in other words, don’t eat the entire chocolate bar.

My Town Says No to Dispensaries

The smallish suburban town I moved to in the 1970s was a hotbed for drugs. In fact, when people found out where I was moving to, they would warn my parents to beware of the artists and druggies there. Well, it was the early 70s and drug use started in the 60s which included pot, tranquilizers, amphetamines, LSD, and pretty much anything else you could think of, was widespread among adult and teen populations. It was the nature of the time, and it was all illegal, except for the alcohol of course. When I entered high school, my father told me that if I ever wanted to try any drugs, he would do it with me. This awkward offer prompted me to stay low key about my drug use, though upon further reflection in my later years, it occurred to me that he might have hoped I could provide access to drugs for him.

It’s ridiculously hypocritical for the same town which I again live in some 40 years later to now try to prohibit the availability of recreational pot, especially when you will be able to purchase it easily in neighboring towns and states. I think the powers at large imagine a rundown old shack with some junkyard dogs and a couple of hippies selling drugs that are of questionable origin right across from an elementary school and a church. Oh, and let’s not forget the loud music at all hours and the trail of empty potato chip packages left by people satisfying the munchies. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Good Grief, It’s Just Pot!

Imagine Fort Knox. Seriously! You would think the nation’s gold supply was stored at this dispensary. I drove up and immediately noticed a fine-looking yet non-descript commercial building in a mostly residential neighborhood. There were plenty of outdoor floodlights and a few surveillance cameras, and several large signs warning about loitering and whatever. I approached the entry and was asked over a video intercome to show my ID to verify my age. Then I was buzzed in (excuse the pun) to the reception area where I again had to show my ID, have my picture taken I think, and sign away my firstborn, in exchange for gaining access to the main pot-buying facility. After completing all of the required actions and being “verified”, I was then allowed to enter (yes, there was more buzzing) the showroom.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect a bank! There were no black lights, loud music, or smoke in the air. It was a light and airy space with non-specific pieces of art, no place to sit, and a counter with five bank-like teller cages. The only items on display were a few select pieces of paraphernalia like a bong and some crazy bong alternative that I had never heard of. Most pharmacies have far easier access to their prescription drugs than this dispensary had to its supply of pot. I walked over to the first window and was presented with a menu.

The menu contained five flower products (just the marijuana plants), five pre-roll products (ready-to-smoke joints), and a couple of edible gummy products which they happened to be out of that day. Note: while marijuana is legal in MA and on the Vineyard, it’s not legal to transport it to or from the vineyard because the surrounding waters are federal. Hence, everything has to be grown and produced on the island. When I was young, the strains of marijuana had intriguing names like Acapulco Gold, Mowie Wowie, Purple Kush, Purple Haze, and Trainwreck (all of which still exist). Honestly, I didn’t smoke enough to ever care about what I smoked — I was at the mercy of my friends, but still, I expected an enticing assortment of strains that would lure me into the world of legalized pot. Instead, the only available products were named Baked Zkettlez, Cackleberry-Sativa, Sour Tropicanna, and the one that I was most surprised about, Strawberry Banana-Indica. I guessed that one was for dessert.

My surprise at the names was evident on my face and it prompted an engaging conversation with the two people behind the counter (who were young-ish and well dressed) about the “old days” which for them probably meant the year 2000 and later. The menu also offered the exact weights and amounts of THC/CBD contained in the product. I needed to be educated, which I expertly was by one of the two people. He also explained the flavor notes of the strains (WTF?) and what I could expect to feel. I was mesmerized and overwhelmed. Additionally, I needed to learn about the differences between legalized marijuana and original pot meaning I shouldn’t expect to smoke an entire joint in one sitting. I should, instead, take a couple of hits and see how I feel — modern pot packs more of a kick they say.

So Few Choices, So Hard to Decide

I finally decided to go by the anticipated effects and select one that would be helpful in promoting relaxation and euphoria — wait, doesn’t all pot do that? Coincidentally, that strain had the lowest THC concentration so I didn’t need to worry about overdosing myself. I requested two pre-rolls for a grand total of $40, was again requested to sign another form, thanked the two folks for the conversation, and left the dispensary.

And there it was… nearly fifty years after first trying pot, I had just bought legal pot! I felt excited and disappointed at the same time. The process was clean and efficient but also lacked even a hint of the past. The pre-rolls were delivered in red plastic containers that I’ve yet figured out how to open — that’s right, I have even smoked anything yet some 5 weeks later. And yes, that means I violated the law by taking the pot off the island. I guess that added back a bit of intrigue.

In conclusion, I think the legalization of marijuana was long overdue, and I’ll be very surprised if pot use causes anywhere near the problems that alcohol use causes. I’m looking forward to sampling my pre-rolls, and maybe I’ll report on that in a future post. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to having local dispensaries and the availability of edibles.

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