Is it Safe to Buy Weed Online
Doing anything online for the first time can feel sketchy. Tinder dates, Ubers, buying a couch off of Craigslist - they all come with risks. Now that marijuana is legal in California, you can also buy weed online from reputable retailers.
Now, buying weed online has always been a possibility. But it’s never been a safe or legal one before. Legalization has opened the doors to buying weed online legally, but many still question the safety of this process. Make informed decisions and do your research before you buy weed online - when you buy from the right sources, you can have a great experience and get weed shipped right to your door!
Not in a State Where You Can Buy Weed? Don’t Do It
Online dispensaries have to go through a lot of hoops in order to be licensed. They don’t want to get in trouble and lose that license, so they take extra steps to ensure that they are delivering their product in a legal manner. This means not delivering to states where marijuana is still illegal.
Don’t live in a state where marijuana is legal? Don’t try it. This is a good way to find out what retailers not to buy from - if they’re willing to ship product across state borders, they’re not a legit business. Even if the transaction goes through, your package may be confiscated and it will be just a waste of money. Save your dollars for your next trip to California, Massachusetts, or any states where marijuana is legal for recreational and medical use.
Buying Weed Online May Be Safer Than Alternatives
When California legalized marijuana, residents envisioned a state where weed dispensaries, trucks, and products would pop up everywhere.
That’s not really the case.
A majority of California municipalities have banned brick-and-mortar dispensaries. Over 17 million Californians are affected by these bans - that’s almost half the population. A lot of Californians have responded to these bans by going back to old methods. They buy weed and THC products from the street. But not only is this unnecessary in a state where marijuana is legal - it’s dangerous.
Counterfeit manufacturers have taken advantage of the cannabis deserts in California. They produce fake vape pens and other THC products and sell them in areas where cannabis may not be readily available. These counterfeit products look almost exactly like the real thing. Unfortunately, the products inside aren’t the real thing. Fake vape pens and other products could not work - or they could get you sick.
Buying THC from the black market should not have to be an option now that marijuana is legal in California. Many believe that buying online is actually safer than taking the risk of buying counterfeit products. But you need to make sure the business is legitimate in order to reduce your risks.
About Delivery Services
Other options are online dispensaries and delivery services. If you have to choose between the two, go with delivery services.
These businesses simply deliver marijuana, rather than selling it themselves. The process is similar. You choose the marijuana you want to buy, place an order, and wait for delivery. Delivery services should operate through cash - marijuana dispensaries still cannot charge customers using a credit card due to the federal ban on marijuana.
The safest way to buy marijuana in California is to head into a legitimate brick-and-mortar dispensary nearby. But when you don’t want to drive or would rather buy product in bulk, buying weed from a delivery service may be more discreet and safer than the alternatives.
How to Prove an Online Business is “Legit”
Still nervous about the idea of buying weed online? Do your research and use these online resources to help you determine whether the business you want to buy from is legit.
Go Directly to the Business Website
Don’t buy weed on Craigslist.
If you’re buying weed from an online dispensary, you should be able to visit the dispensary’s legitimate website. Not an Etsy page, not an eBay account. Go to the dispensary website and do some research on the business.
Search Online Through the Bureau of Cannabis Control
There are over 3,000 illegal marijuana businesses operating throughout the state of California. That is a higher number than that of actual legal marijuana businesses. While buying from an illegal dispensary doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get bad weed, it’s better to direct your money toward a more legitimate business that has gone through the appropriate hoops to conduct business.
The Bureau of Cannabis Control has a way of searching for licensed businesses throughout the state of California.
Another way to go about this is to use WeedMaps. WeedMaps has made a commitment to only allowing legitimate businesses to advertise on their website. They are another source that you can use to find dispensaries, delivery services, and other businesses operating within California’s cannabis industry.
Read Reviews
You are not going to be the first person scammed by a fake dispensary or illegitimate business. Once you have narrowed down your choices to a few businesses, look for reviews online. Yelp is one great option for reading about a business’s customer service and the quality of their product. The more reviews, the better.
(Also, once you have found a great business to buy weed from, leave a review yourself! Let others know about your experience to help them support legitimate businesses and stay away from shady ones.)
Want to Help Californians Get Weed Online? Talk to Your Representatives.
Lawmakers have made multiple efforts to ban delivery services throughout the state of California. This would force millions of Californians who live in cannabis desserts to resort to less legitimate sources for their medical and recreational marijuana. Don’t let this happen.
Reach out to your local lawmakers (we’re talking at the county level, not just state senators) and voice your support for delivery services. These services can help to connect Californians to more legitimate businesses and keep people safe while consuming cannabis.
