Treating Autism with Medical Cannabis Part V - Visiting a Medical Cannabis Dispensary: Things to Know Before You Go

If you’ve been following this blog series, you know that we have been chronicling our experience with using medical cannabis for treating our son Richie who has autism.  If you’re interested in learning more about how other parents, medical professionals, legislators, and concerned citizens, have recognized the incredible potential healing power that medical cannabis has for treating patients who have tried everything else – this is the series you want to follow! That being said, if you're considering becoming or you’ve recently become a qualified patient or caregiver for your son, daughter or loved one and you’re feeling a little anxious or intimidated about visiting dispensaries for the first time, here are a few things to know before you go!  

First - Work with a Physician who is Knowledgeable about Using Medical Cannabis

The personnel at dispensaries may very well be educated on their products and they may have vital information that includes testimonials from other patients and parents of their experiences with their products. However, it’s important to work with a medical doctor who has diagnosed and understands your condition, knows your medical background and can help you monitor and navigate the trial phase that comes with trying different cannabis medications and products. We are working with Dr. David Berger of Wholistic Releaf - Read about our experience finding the right doctor! 

Each State that Has Legalized Medical Cannabis has Their Own List of Authorized Treatment Centers

It’s important to purchase medical cannabis only from your state’s list of authorized dispensaries and treatment centers. Since I live in Florida, I can only share our experience with the dispensaries I’ve visited in our Sunshine State! As the number of qualified patients and caregivers increase, so do the number of dispensaries. Florida has about ten dispensaries that are fully operational online and/or with store fronts across the state (many are expanding and opening stores every month)! 

Here is Florida’s list:

Trulieve            Surterra            Liberty Health Sciences       CuraLeaf     Knox Medical
AltMed Florida   Grow Healthy    Columbia Care Florida         VidaCann    GTI Rise Dispensaries
 
There are new dispensaries opening up each month, so be sure to check back on the Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers page of the Florida Health website. 
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Be Prepared to have Your State ID and Medical Cannabis Card

It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or twenty-fifth time going to a dispensary, you will need to have your state identification card and medical cannabis card with you each time you visit. If you’re a new patient, some dispensaries will accept the email approving your medical cannabis card in lieu of the actual card - but be sure to call ahead first to make sure they’ll accept the email approval.
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Ask About First Time Patient Discounts

Many dispensaries offer hefty discounts for first time purchases and new patients, so be sure to ask about their sales and promotions. Visit the dispensary’s website before you go to see if they have these discounts – just in case you happen to get a new employee on their first day who may forget or not know about these discounts! It’s also a good idea to join their email lists so you can know of upcoming sales and discounts. 
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Make Sure You have Cash or the CanPay App on Your Phone

​One of the first things I learned and didn’t expect during my first time making a medication purchase at a dispensary, was that they only accept cash. This is primarily due to federal regulation issues, so unfortunately, you cannot use your debit or credit card. Each dispensary has an ATM machine, so at least you’ll be able to withdraw cash, but there is a charge, and no one likes to pay that! There is an app called CanPay that’s free and easy to use. After downloading and registering your bank information, you’ll be able to make a purchase easily and more conveniently. 
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Not all Dispensaries are Created Equal

It’s a good practice to review the dispensary's product line online before going to visit the store’s location.  Your loved one’s or your prescription details will already be in the system and all dispensaries will have access to what you are authorized to purchase. If you and your doctor decided on a specific strain, you can learn more about the details of that strain and its availability by visiting Leafly (a site well known for its regularly updated list of strains, reviews, and new product lines). There’s lots of great information there – I suggest reading through it before visiting any dispensary. 

Each dispensary has a different product line with regards to strains. Some dispensaries are strain specific, meaning you know exactly about the strain details (indica/sativa/hybrid, strain name) and the terpenes that are in the medication you are taking. Some dispensaries do not list the specific strain, but rather just the CBD – THC ratio. It’s also important to note that each dispensary has a different list of accessories or product line. While many will have the usual flower, oils, concentrates, and tinctures. Other dispensaries will have patches, gels, topicals, inhalers, diffusers, etc., available.

Some dispensaries have better customer service policies (such as return and store credit policies), etc. than others.  You’ll also learn about the different delivery methods each dispensary provides. Some are based online, some have store fronts (or both), some will deliver products to your home, and some will have a  larger variety of product lines than others. 
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Here is some information about the few dispensaries I have visited:
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Trulieve – this dispensary has twenty-four locations across the state and many more are expected to open! What I love about this dispensary is their detailed information on the product your buying.  Their products are strain specific and the batch information contains specific information on the ratio percentages and its terpenes. I also love that if you or your loved one has an adverse reaction to a product, you will be able to return it for store credit – within a reasonable time frame.  My experience has always been a pleasant one with these locations. The staff is always helpful and genuinely cares about making sure you have your medical needs met. Another thing I love about the store is its set-up. The waiting lounge is separate from the medication and product room. So, there’s a higher level of privacy and it also helps to keep the waiting lounge quiet and relaxing for those with sensitivity to noise (talking, laughing, etc.). The only thing I don’t like about their medications is that their batches are not consistent with the same CBD:THC percentages. So, if a strain worked great last week and you’re ready to get it again, you might note a slight difference in results. This happened to us, and though the results were just slightly different, I have spoken to other parents and patients who experienced a big difference in results. Please note that this does not mean it will happen to you or your loved one.  It’s just an observation I made that I thought was worth sharing. 
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Surterra – this is another popular dispensary quickly growing across our state with twenty-one stores and more on the way. I know many patients who prefer these products over others. Most of their products are non-strain specific, so it’s difficult to know if you are using an indica or sativa dominant based strain without consulting with an employee (if they themselves know!). They provide a good listing of specific percentages on the CBD and THC ratios and terpenes, and they’re pretty consistent with these numbers. So, if you do find something that works for you and your loved, you’ll basically get the same thing with each purchase you make. All sales are final, so there are no returns with their products as far as I know. 
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AltMed Florida has a great assortment of different products such as transdermal gels, patches, inhalers and other accessories that might not be sold at other dispensaries. 
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​Grow Healthy has a great list of some of the more popular strains but be sure to call or email to inquire about their availability. I was checking out the site when I noticed many of their medications were listed as “out of stock” but when I emailed or called to inquire about when it would be in, they said they did have it in stock.  So, I advise calling or emailing them before ruling out a potential purchase. They also deliver statewide for free and it’s a pretty smooth operation. You place your order online, they will contact you for scheduling the drop off day and time and they’ll accept payment upon delivery. It’s relatively quick as they try to schedule delivery within days of your online order. It’s as easy as that! They accept cash or the CanPay app too!
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Liberty Health Sciences – This was the only dispensary that sold the award-winning strain “Blue Dream."  Lucky for me there was a store that had just opened in our neighborhood. The purchase went smoothly and quickly. I did ask if they accepted returns in exchange for store credit and sadly they didn’t.  However, the purchase process was smooth, the employees were professional and helpful. 
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Take Your Time – Learn and Ask Questions

Finally, expect to take some time when you visit. While many dispensaries operate professionally and in an organized fashion, they may have a long waiting list of patients -  especially if there’s a sale going on!  Explore your options, ask questions, and don’t feel intimidated by the high level of security some dispensaries have. There may be an armed security guard present at all times, but this is just for protecting the store as well as your protection, so don’t let that intimidate you.  Be sure to learn, stay informed, and in time, decide for yourself whether you’ll be a loyal patient to one dispensary or more! Either way, the choice is yours. Please feel free to share your experience with us in the comments!
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Stay tuned for our final series segment Part VI: "Recorded Changes and Results."

Read our previous segment: "The Science Behind the Development of an Individualized Treatment Plan."

Although we received services as part of our collaboration with Wholistic Releaf for raising awareness on treating autism with medical cannabis, all opinions expressed are my own.