What is a cannabis dispensary?

Cannabis, and therefore marijuana, is the most popular recreational substance in America and in the entire world. This plant has taken part in the human history since the very beginning when it was used for multiple purposes such as creating fabric, rope, food and even used during rituals; And also had its peak with the Hippie culture in the 60s and in recent years thanks to its legalization in some countries such as Canada and some US states.

Thus, nowadays it’s not surprising to find different services and establishments devoted to this plant and all the different cannabis-based products that we can find on the market. We’ve already talked in another post about what cannabis lounges are and where to find them, but in this article, we are going to learn all about cannabis dispensaries.

Cannabis shops

Cannabis dispensaries, also known as cannabis shops or cooperatives, are physical stores where cannabis is sold for both recreational or medical use. In the USA, these establishments are regulated by the local government and can be found in some states such as Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, New Mexico or New York among many others.

In Canada, legal cannabis is similarly sold in authorized physical (and online) retailer’s stores. Every country sets their rules in order to determine how cannabis is sold, where the stores may be located, the possession limits, the minimum age, the use in public, etc.

The story of coffeeshops

Cannabis dispensaries originated in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in the late 70s under the name of coffeeshops. These stores sell small amounts of legal cannabis (only to people over 18, the legal age in Europe) and some of them even serve food and drinks, but not alcohol or any other drug. 

As a point of interest, the oldest cannabis coffeeshop in Amsterdam opened in 1972 and it was known as ‘Mellow Yellow’. This place was inspired by the 20s and 30s American cannabis cafes and it was named after Donovan’s namesake song. 

Although this was the very first cannabis dispensary of the world, it unfortunately closed in 2017 under a new legislation that doesn’t allow the establishment of this kind to be placed within 250 meters near any school.

Cannabis Social club (CSC)

Cannabis Clubs are non-profit cooperatives that produce and share cannabis exclusively among their members (sharing it with a third-party could be considered as illegal trafficking) for both recreational and therapeutic-medicinal purposes.

Some countries where cannabis clubs are regulated by law are Malta, Switzerland and Uruguay; on the other hand, the countries where CSCs operate in legal gray areas are Austria, Belgium, Germany (limited), the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain and the states of Colorado, Oregon and Nevada in the USA.

Cannabis dispensary vs. Cannabis lounge

Dispensaries only sell cannabis for both recreational or medicinal use, which means that they are stores. In regards to cannabis lounges, it is true that these establishments work as a “cannabis bar” since you can consume your favorite herb plants there, but some of them have their own dispensary, so they also sell it, as long as they are regulated by law.

Cannabis, and therefore marijuana, is the most popular recreational substance in America and in the entire world. Thus, nowadays it’s not surprising to find different services and establishments devoted to this plant and all the different cannabis-based products that we can find on the market. 

We hope you found this article helpful in order to understand what a cannabis dispensary is and what are their origins and differences with other cannabis services. Don’t hesitate visiting our online store to buy all your favorite paraphernalia products and favorite strains.