Cannabis dispensaries in the United States

{{see|Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction}}

The first dispensary San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club was founded in 1992 by Proposition 215 coauthors "Brownie Mary" Rathbun, Dennis Peron and Dale Gieringer.{{cite book|author1=David M. Fahey|author2=Jon S. Miller|title=Alcohol and Drugs in North America: A Historical Encyclopedia: A Historical Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXHYAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA124|year=2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-479-5|page=124}} Shortly after was founded the Berkeley Patients Group, remaining as of 2024 the oldest continuously-operating dispensary in the country.{{Cite web |date=2019-09-11 |title=Berkeley Patients Group, Nation’s Oldest Dispensary, Celebrates 20 Years with $1MM for Good Campaign |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190911005099/en/Berkeley-Patients-Group-Nation%E2%80%99s-Oldest-Dispensary-Celebrates-20-Years-with-1MM-for-Good-Campaign |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}

Washington state became the second state in the U.S. to develop a regulatory framework for marijuana dispensary operators to improve the access to cannabis patients beyond the caregiver model.History of Washington State marijuana laws http://www.ncsl.org/documents/summit/summit2015/onlineresources/wa_mj_law_history.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005035440/http://www.ncsl.org/documents/summit/summit2015/onlineresources/wa_mj_law_history.pdf |date=October 5, 2015 }} National Conference of State Legislators

The term "marijuana dispensary" in the United States is most often used to refer to private organizations or companies that sell cannabis, particularly in the states of California, Colorado, Washington and Oregon. "Cannabis dispensary" is starting to become a more politically correct term as conscientious people prefer the use of the word cannabis which avoids using the more common Spanish slang word "marijuana".{{cn|date=April 2024}}

{{see|Medical cannabis in the United States}}

File:Blackberry medical cannabis.jpg]]

Thirty seven of the United States regulate some form of medical cannabis sales despite federal laws.{{cite book|author1=Ann O’M. Bowman|author2=Richard C. Kearney|title=State and Local Government|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ddUyCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67|year=2015|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-305-38847-5|page=67}} As of 2016 seventeen of those states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington, D.C.) have at least one medical marijuana dispensary, with varying product laws.{{cite web |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx |title=State Medical Marijuana Laws |publisher=National Conference of State Legislatures |date=2016 |access-date= January 24, 2016}}

The medical dispensaries in these states buy their exit shop products (excluding medical marijuana), like child-proof safety bags, and in-store storage products, from a plethora of new manufacturing companies in mainly China via importers based in the U.S.

The growing need of dispensaries to comply with various legislative laws has given birth to thousands of new products ranging from vials with child locks on them to, to pop top bottles that are childproof{{Cite web|url=https://dispensarynecessities.com/pop-top-bottles-child-resistant|title=Child Resistant Pop Top Bottles Dispensary Supplies|website=dispensarynecessities.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-26|archive-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426145058/https://dispensarynecessities.com/pop-top-bottles-child-resistant|url-status=dead}} and even childproof joint tubes.

For example, under Washington state law,{{Cite web|url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=314-55-105|title=WAC 314-55-105: Packaging and labeling requirements.|website=apps.leg.wa.gov|access-date=2018-04-26}} any marijuana products, whether they are edibles, concentrates, or waxes that can be consumed either by inhaling or swallowing must be sold in child-resistant packaging consistent with the regulations of {{Code of Federal Regulations|16|1700}} under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.

{{see|Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States}}

Colorado was the first state to license a Recreational Dispensary, with 37 stores licensed to sell to adults 21+ on January 1, 2014. The first customer on record to legally purchase marijuana was Sean Azzarati, an Iraq war veteran, who was raising awareness for the cause that PTSD was not a "qualifying condition" for a medical marijuana recommendation in Colorado at the time (PTSD was added to the list of qualifying conditions in 2017).{{Cite web |date=2014-01-01 |title=World's first legal recreational marijuana sales begin in Colorado |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2014/01/01/worlds-first-legal-recreational-marijuana-sales-begin-in-colorado/ |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}

File:Don Young behind the counter at Raspberry Roots with owner Kim Kole and employees. October 2019.jpg tours an Alaska dispensary in 2019]]

As of March 2024, 25 states regulate recreational dispensaries.{{Cite web |title=Marijuana Laws by State in 2024: A Legal Weed Map and Short Guide to Regulation |url=https://www.oberk.com/marijuanalawsbystate |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=O. Berk}} A partial list includes Alaska (Alaska Measure 2 (2014)), Arizona (2020 Arizona Proposition 207), California (2018), Colorado (Colorado Amendment 64), Illinois (2020), Maine (2020), Massachusetts (2018), Nevada (2017), Oregon (Oregon Ballot Measure 91 (2014)), Michigan, and Washington (Washington Initiative 502).{{cite book|author1=Guido H. Stempel III|author2=Thomas K. Hargrove|title=The 21st-Century Voter: Who Votes, How They Vote, and Why They Vote [2 volumes]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GHACCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA272|year=2015|publisher=Ohio University|isbn=978-1-61069-228-1|page=272}} These are stores where any adult 21+ can enter to purchase cannabis and or cannabis smoking accessories.

Harborside Health Center, Oakland and San Jose, California describes itself as the "largest pot shop" in California{{cite web | title=Harborside Health Center Lawsuit: Judge Dismisses Oakland's Suit On Behalf Of Pot Shop | website=The Huffington Post | date=February 19, 2013 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/harborside-health-center-lawsuit_n_2718821.html | access-date=January 22, 2016}}3 and was featured in a four-part reality show."World's Largest Medical Marijuana Dispensary" December 1, 2011. Weed Wars, Discover Channel 2011

An economic impact study conducted by the University of Denver examined the Colorado Harvest Company dispensary chain's contribution to tax revenue, jobs, and income to Denver and the state of Colorado.{{cite journal|last1=Strauss|first1=Jack|title=The Economic Impact of Colorado Harvest Company and Evergreen Apothecary on the Denver Region and Colorado|url = https://www.scribd.com/document/345687497/Colorado-Harvest-Company-Economic-Impact-Study|access-date=20 April 2017}}

Kind for Cures was the first shop to make national press by taking over a defunct KFC.{{cite book|author=John Geluardi|title=Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAxZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT71|year=2016|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-26282-4|page=71}}

Coachella Valley Church in San Jose, California made national headlines by offering sacramental marijuana to their members.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/12/22/high-praise-pot-churches-proliferate-states-ease-access-marijuana/971871001/ |title=At 'pot churches,' marijuana is the sacrament |last=Ostrov |first=Barbara |date=December 22, 2017 |website= www.usatoday.com|access-date=2019-08-09}}

MedMen's operation grew to include thousands of employees, dozens of retail locations across multiple states in addition to processing and grow facilities; MedMen aims to be the “Apple Store” of weed.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

As dispensaries grow in popularity, several locating services have been created such as NearGreen, Leafbuyer, Weedmaps, Texas Weed Syndicate, Merry Jane and Leafly{{cite web |url=http://extract.suntimes.comnews/10/153/13348/medical-marijuana-lobbyist-fights-recreational-marijuana/ |title=Medical marijuana lobbyist fights recreational marijuana initiative |newspaper=Suntimes |date=2016 |author=Nate Linhart |access-date=January 24, 2016 }} {{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:Recreational (52914290984).jpg, New York City]]

{{see also|Legal history of cannabis in the United States}}

• United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative

Weed Wars is a four-part reality show broadcast on the Discovery Channel which highlights the Harborside Health Center in Oakland California, a medical marijuana dispensary.{{cite web | last=McKay | first=Hollie | title='Weed Wars' Goes Inside Medical Marijuana Dispensary | publisher=Fox News | date=December 8, 2011 | url=http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/08/weed-wars-goes-inside-medical-marijuana-dispensary/ | access-date=January 22, 2016}}

The third episode of the 14th season of South Park is named "Medicinal Fried Chicken" and contemplates a marijuana dispensary taking over a recently closed fast-food chicken restaurant named "KFC".

Popular American comedian D. L. Hughley's short-lived and controversial news program on CNN ends with the artist visiting a California dispensary to treat back pain.

• Psychedelic mushroom store

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{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|author=The Associated Press|title=Marijuana Nation: The Legalization of Cannabis Across the USA|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-zkBwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|year=2015|publisher=Mango Media Inc.|isbn=978-1-63353-037-9}}
• {{cite book|author=Bruce Barcott|title=Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tTQrBwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|year=2015|publisher=Time inc|isbn=978-1-61893-607-3}}

{{refend}}

• List of cannabis companies
• Cannabis industry
• Cannabis shop
• Coffeeshop (Netherlands)
• Legality of cannabis
• Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States

{{Commons category|Marijuana dispensaries}}

• [https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/enforcement/med-licensed-facilities Medical marijuana facilities] - State of Colorado
• [http://www.liq.wa.gov/records/frequently-requested-lists Frequently requested lists] - Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

{{Cannabis in the United States}}

{{Cannabis|state=collapsed}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cannabis in the United States