If you can get Cannabidiol (CBD) products nearly anywhere — and you can these days — what’s the point of buying it from a dispensary? CBD stores can pop up anywhere, which makes them more convenient, right? Well, yes and no. In the case of CBD shops versus dispensaries, there are a few things you need to know to ensure the products you choose are safe, reliable, and high quality.
CBD Shops: What They Are and What They Offer
CBD stores sell CBD products. This can include topical products like oils, creams, and bath bombs, as well as edibles, drinks, and sometimes even hemp flower. You won’t be ID’d to enter a CBD store, although you may have to prove you’re over 18 years old to buy products.
In New Jersey, CBD shops must be licensed through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Hemp Program. This license is fairly inexpensive and allows businesses to sell CBD products from national producers. Products can come from all across the country; sometimes they include lab results, called a certificate of analysis (COA), and sometimes they don’t.
Going into a CBD store can be a gamble in terms of customer experience. You may see the owner of the shop behind the counter, who has a deep understanding of CBD and its uses, or you may talk to an employee with little to no cannabis training who has never even heard of the endogenous cannabinoid system.
Dispensaries: What You Need to Know
A dispensary is licensed through the state of New Jersey to sell recreational cannabis products, including both THC and CBD products. Yes, dispensaries do have CBD products!
Getting a dispensary license is a long, expensive process that requires a high level of documentation, business expertise, and a love for the cannabis plant. Products sold at dispensaries come exclusively from producers in New Jersey — they are grown, processed, packaged, and tested within the Garden State.
Every single product you see in a dispensary has been tested by an independent, third-party laboratory, so you know exactly what’s in your products, how old they are, and how potent they are. You can even access the COA for each of these products to examine their test results for yourself.
Dispensaries have a high level of regulations they have to follow, in terms of where stores can or cannot be located, how they are laid out, and how people enter. You will be ID’d before being allowed into the store and only people over the age of 21 are allowed in.
When you visit a great cannabis dispensary, you’ll work with someone who is trained in cannabis. These budtenders are often enthusiastic cannabis consumers themselves with deep insight into the products on the dispensary menu. You can trust them to make educated recommendations based on your needs.
CBD Shops vs. Dispensaries: Key Differences Explained
Variety of Cannabis Products
Dispensaries have the edge over CBD stores when it comes to the variety of cannabis products they carry. Legal dispensaries can carry cannabis brands from across the state in flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, drinks, edibles, and topicals. You’ll see many of the same brands at dispensaries across the state, so you can find your favorite brands that provide a consistent cannabis experience.
Products at CBD shops are limited to federally-compliant hemp brands and, sometimes, THC products are illegally shipped over state lines. While CBD stores may carry a wider variety of brands, they are constrained to legally offering fewer types of cannabis products than a licensed dispensary.
Product Safety
When you shop at a dispensary, you know that every product you try has been tested by a lab to verify that it is free from toxins and heavy metals, and contains the level of cannabinoids that the packaging says it does. Everyone’s cannabis experience is unique because everyone’s endocannabinoid system is unique, so having a complete understanding of what’s in your products, from the cannabinoids to the terpenes, helps you better tailor your cannabis consumption to support your goals.
Products at CBD stores don’t offer the same level of insight into the potency, harvest, and best-by date. It’s also not unusual for packages at CBD shops to be mislabeled and overstate the amount of CBD or THC in a product. If you’re not shopping at a licensed dispensary, it can be hard to know whether the information you’re getting is trustworthy or not.
Customer Service
Whether you’re buying weed for the first time or the millionth time, you deserve the right answers to your questions. Simply being told if a product is “indica or sativa” or that a CBD product is “full spectrum” is vague and unhelpful. Budtenders can take you on product deep dives, explaining what a full spectrum product is, how the cannabinoid percentage may affect you, and whether the terpene profile contributes to an uplifting or sedating experience.
Choosing Between CBD Shops and Dispensaries: Why Dispensaries Might Be Your Best Bet
Quality of Products
There is a difference between the quality of the bud or products you get from a dispensary and from a CBD shop. CBD shops can and do have quality CBD products, but these are not required to meet the same level of testing standards or quality as products sold in a dispensary. There is a much higher level of quality assurance and quality control with dispensary products because they have to meet state standards for customer safety.
In other words, you may well find high-quality products at a CBD shop, but it will be hard to know for sure. At a licensed dispensary, you can be certain you’re purchasing a quality product, and you can access the test results to confirm it.
Legal Compliance
CBD products do not have to comply with state cannabis standards. Products sold at these stores are assumed to be federally legal, which oftentimes means these stores are carrying products that adhere to loopholes, making them “legal” to sell.
CBD stores may also have cannabis products imported from other states. It is federally illegal to ship cannabis products over state lines and there is little quality control when it comes to these products and their transportation, which opens the door to a bad experience with a mislabeled or expired product.
Rewards Programs
Dispensaries like Boone Town Provisions offer rewards programs because a cost-savvy customer is a happy camper. Every dollar you spend at Boone Town earns you one point, and those points add up to big savings on lab-tested, quality-assured cannabis products. If you’re buying cannabis anyway, why not be rewarded for it?
How To Choose Between a CBD Shop and a Dispensary
Is a CBD store or a dispensary better suited to your needs? If you’re curious about the types of hemp products out there and pass a CBD store on your way home, stopping in can be a great experience. But a dispensary is the best choice if you want any of the following:
- Products made in New Jersey
- Cannabis tested by independent New Jersey labs
- Detailed information on your products
- Expert guidance from people who understand cannabis
- A wide selection of THC and CBD products
- Rewards on your cannabis products
At Boone Town Provisions, our budtenders are here to make sure you hit the trail with everything you need in your pack. We’re happy to answer your questions, point out deals, and help you find the best cannabis products tailored to your goals.
What about a smoke shop vs. a CBD store vs. a dispensary?
Smoke shops (also called head shops) have been the go-to destination for smoking accessories for decades. They sell glass and silicone smoking pipes and bongs, as well as lighters and papers. These head shops will occasionally have CBD or delta-9 THC products for sale just like a CBD shop.
Approach cannabis with caution here. These products are generally not independently tested and may not meet state safety standards. They may even be shipped across state lines. Smoke shop staff are not budtenders and do not have the same level of knowledge about cannabis products. You cannot be assured of product quality like you can at a dispensary.
Shop with Confidence at Boone Town
Whether you’re dipping your toes into the world of CBD or THC, rely on the expertise and the passion of budtenders at Boone Town Provisions – and the certified lab results that come with every product on the menu. Buying CBD at a dispensary ensures you’re getting a safe, legally compliant product with label information you can trust. Have questions about CBD or THC? Stop in and chat with budtenders today! We’re here for you.
