I am at the pot store. It's all old and crippled people

[leftyladyfrommo]

coming in. This is the most amazing place. The younger people that work here are so sharp and so fun.

[LuckyCharms]

1. Same situation when I go there!

Have fun!

[ProfessorGAC]

11. I See A VERY Diverse Crowd Here

21 to 81. Men, women, black, white, brown, you name it.
We've got 4 stores within 25 miles & it's the same at all 4 (though I go to only one of them with regularity. )
I find that pretty cool.

[forgotmylogin]

53. I agree!

The dispensaries in MO previously were just catering to medical customers and they're still there. Now it's open for recreational and it's all of us - middle aged women, bald people you know are going through chemo, young people obtaining it safely. The vibe in the dispensary is amazing and they hire diversely as well - the last time I went the employee who checked me in was in a wheelchair (and I suspect had MD or MS) and was doing a great job!

I actually drove to IL to get a special gift from a dispensary where Illinois has been doing it longer, and I swear - the building used to be a Babies R Us location and it was ENORMOUS like the Apple Store for THC! They had big giant touch screens for people who walk in without an order (they prefer you browse and order online) and then go up to the bar when called to receive your merchandise and complete your purchase.

[ProfessorGAC]

61. That's How It Is Here

One company owns 2 shops in the closest bigger city (around 160k people).
The one we go to has limited product selection for adult use, and unlimited for med card holders.
The other one is what used to be a Pier 1. Much bigger.
They both have the touchscreen ordering (i always order on-line first), the staff is fantastic at both, & at the smaller one they have an express aisle for med card holders, plus curbside pickup.
Very well run. And wow, have prices fallen! The intrastate supply has caught up to demand. We pay, typically, 40% as much for an ounce as we did 5 years ago.

[Torchlight]

2. Incredibly jealous of you as a type this from a keyboard in TX.

I can't imagine what it will feel like the first time I enter a shop and purchase some legally or smoke it openly.

[leftyladyfrommo]

15. It's just such a high. All those years we risked 20

years in jail for a joint


It just seems so unreal to me.

[Torchlight]

27. Just outta curiosity, what are the prices like?

I can buy a vape pen of really good stuff* with a street price of $40. Are the prices in legal states higher or lower?




*really good stuff. In the eighties, I could smoke a giant joint and have a really nice buzz from it, but the stuff nowadays... sheesh! Three or four hits and I'm zoned-out for a solid hour. Better living through science!

[leftyladyfrommo]

31. I don't know about prices but it is higher.

My experience has been that the pot I buy is not too strong. But I also know it's grown under strict conditions and is not cut with anything. I don't like pot that's too strong.

[forgotmylogin]

49. Would you consider trying a vape?

I know you're not wanting "strong" but it's like when I drink - I want to sip just a little Jameson and control my buzz rather than needing to swill multiple less concentrated drinks and overshoot the mark.

Edibles take a while to work; smoking is messy and requires preparation and storage for gear.

You can get THC/cannabis oil carts that screw into a rechargeable battery they can sell you for like $15, or a complete rechargable/disposable vape pen. They might seem pricey but in my experience it's way more concentrated and two puffs are enough to get you started so you're not wasting it. Plus it's also super convenient, all in one portable and concealable if you need to use it discreetly, and the bonus is there is much less fuss and mess since there's no ashes nor burning nor lighters nor other tricky gear to clean and maintain. You click five times to turn it on, take your puffs, click five times to turn it off.

That's not to say that the ritual of packing a bowl or rolling to share with friends never has its place tho!

[leftyladyfrommo]

57. I know nothing about all the new stuff. nt

[OAITW r.2.0]

32. At my store, a converted Walgren's, they package various strains of bud (sativa and indica) in 3.5 .

gram size. The cheapest is $35.00 - my pricepoint. This lasts me between 4-6 weeks. I'm in Central Maine. I was there last week and saw a lot of out of state liscense plates...probably stocking up before heading up North to camp/hike or returning home.

[MiHale]

46. Bought an ounce of pre-ground pure flower bud for....

Da,da,da… $40. Less the senior discount. Pre-ground…pack and play.

Shoulda added in northern Michigan. I grow my own but do sample some strains every once in a while.

Here this is how we shop.

https://highlevelhealth.com/dispensary-locations/east-tawas/?utm_source=gmb&utm_campaign=dispenza

[IcyPeas]

56. Oh yes! I get a 15% senior discount too.

[Maru Kitteh]

48. I can pick up a really nice disposable vape for $27 in Montana, 4% tas on medical.

Best of luck down there. Too bad you're not in El Paso (I assume). I'll bet New Mexico is making a killing off of West Texans.

[forgotmylogin]

58. In the St. Louis area dispensary

I just bought two 1g disposable vape pens which were $50 each, but on a special where it was $90 for two. Vapes tend to last a while as you can usually get a good hit from 1-2 puffs.

Flower is about $40-$50 for 1/8, but there are strains which are priced higher and lower. 1/4s can be had for $60-$80

Vape carts you use your own battery for tend to be like $60 for 1g, .5g can be like 30-38, again variation based on strain and strength.

Gummy variations are available but limited and generally low-power with a few stronger which are expensive.

I kind of follow what they have on "two for" specials they run in each category - usually buying two packages of a specific brand - and sometimes you can get good stuff based on availability.

[Abolishinist]

24. Thanks for the laugh! (actually, the joke's on me).

I misread the title, I thought they were referring to a PET shop. So the first two posts were fine, then all of a sudden you're talking about smoking them! Made no sense, so I started over.

My wife has a good friend who has had various physical problems for years and walks using a cane. I forget what she's using, some THC product, but she says it has made her life bearable. None of the other mainstream, physician proscribed products worked for her.

[leftyladyfrommo]

28. What I've heard is that it does work for pain and it

doesn't have all the side effects that opiates do.

My friend just had his knee replaced and he hated the way his pain meds made him feel. I had vicodin once after teeth surgery and I really didn't like it.

[forgotmylogin]

60. I lived in an apartment complex with an older lady with fibromyalgia.

She said her default level of pain was excruciating but she didn't react to it because she'd dealt with it for years.

We rode to a store one time and I was like "I'll park close so you don't have to walk" and she responded "I'm actually good because..." and told me how it was her miracle drug; she was using THC tincture under her tongue and it was the only thing that had provided reduction in pain relief out of everything she'd tried her entire life. She resisted for a while because she didn't want to get "high" but usually any high is negated when it's used for pain relief. That or the euphoria of long term pain relief is conflated with the "high".

She also had an appointment to have a biopsy for a tumor on her tongue. In the month it took to get scheduled (she was using the tincture) her tumor vanished, and she went in and they were like "there's nothing for us to biopsy." I'm not saying it's a cure for cancer, but apparently studies have shown it can reduce tumors in lab mice.

[IronLionZion]

52. Check out the online operations who ship anywhere

most are based out of the west coast and some in the northeast. They ship to Virginia so they might ship to Texas too. It's discreet packaging.

[MontanaMama]

3. The dispensary that I use

has a cheerful atmosphere and has a delightful staff. There are a lot of seniors who shop there and in my experience, the youngsters who work there treat them respectfully.

[Wednesdays]

4. "Old and crippled people"?

You might want to edit that.

[haele]

6. I'm old and crippled with arthritis.

I'm a bit fragile, move slower and can't stand for more than 5 minutes. I have to live with my limits, and yeah, it's a painful, crippling disability at times. I'm not a robust 40 anymore, even though I try to act it at times.

Perhaps mis-stated by the OP, but it's still true.

Haele

[yardwork]

9. I think the OP is using ironic wit to make a point.

I appreciate this point. I'm old and slow.

[SYFROYH]

23. Sounds like me. What's wrong with that?

As I shake my cane at you.

[Hekate]

64. LOL. Know your audience.

[eShirl]

5. my people!

[republianmushroom]

7. Yup

[spanone]

8. Tennessee won't even allow medical marijuana

[yardwork]

10. Same in North Carolina because Republicans.

[littlemissmartypants]

78. Fake News...

A bill in the North Carolina Senate, the NC Compassionate Care Act, would make medical marijuana legal for a narrowly crafted group of people diagnosed with certain medical conditions.

That bill stalled in the Senate in summer 2021, and it has not yet come up for a vote again. It is backed by two powerful state Republicans, Sens. Bill Rabon (R-Southport) and Michael Lee (R-Wilmington), the primary sponsors of the bill.
Snip...
The bill has support from the majority of North Carolinians, according to one poll by WRAL News. The SurveyUSA poll found that 72 percent of North Carolinians supported medical marijuana legalization.

Support for medical marijuana is high across the political spectrum. The poll found that 64 percent of registered Republicans, 75 percent of registered Democrats and 78 percent of unaffiliated voters supported legalization.

More...
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2022/04/20/what-is-the-state-of-medical-marijuana-legalization-in-north-carolina/

[yardwork]

80. Not only did it not pass, it never got considered.

The Republicans have a super majority in both houses of the legislature and the leaders blocked it.

[littlemissmartypants]

81. I follow NCGA machinations very closely. The bill will be voted on eventually and I expect the money

Grubbing Republicans to pass it.

This article about Republican Rabon may open your eyes. Optimists are seldom surprised by trouble.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/state-senator-shocks-n-carolina-assembly-reveals-medical-marijuana-use-for-20-years-to-ease-chemo-effects/ar-AA1bUvOa

[tblue37]

12. If Kansas allowed medical marijuana I would be one of those old and crippled people

at the pot store.

[WA-03 Democrat]

51. I know it usually not the right answer but...

Missouri - there I said it from OP, KS. Go Jaywhawks!

[leftyladyfrommo]

71. I think all the people just over the state line come here. To KCMO

to buy. There is such heavy traffic between the 2 states that it would be impossible to catch people.

[Elessar Zappa]

13. The people who work at pot shops are usually pretty cool.

I enjoy the experience when I go to one.

[SWBTATTReg]

14. Thanks for the report. We have the pot stores all over the area (STLMO), drove by a couple of

them yesterday even. We even know a few workers that work at some of them (retail side) and I'm so happy that we finally have the right to buy this stuff w/o feeling like a criminal in our own backyard.

And I haven't noticed anything what the doomsayers were predicting, that if pot was legalized etc., that we would have road accidents everywhere, that we would have drug addicts all over the place, etc., the sort of doomsayer nonsense that we all heard and seen over the years.

And the tax revenues must be a nice chunk of change for those craving more tax revenues. I just hope that they are being spent wisely, as I wish for all tax revenues (to be spent wisely too).

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Last I read Missouri has made 175,000,000 since

February and at least some is going toward crme prevention. I don't know who gets to decide that.

[leftyladyfrommo]

20. But it's so fun.

Just people watching is fun there.

[Doc Sportello]

33. You sound like fun n/t

[leftyladyfrommo]

37. It's ok. Reefer madness isn't for everyone. nt

[Doc Sportello]

38. That doesn't really apply here

Wasn't talking about reefer, just a mindset.

[yardwork]

59. Lol!

[getagrip_already]

17. That's the irony most anti nimby's just don't get.....

The first thing they will jump up and down about is that it will allow kids easy access to pot. Wtaf?

First, kids already have easy and much cheaper access to pot than what is sold in legal shops, that they don't have access to anyway. Even edibles and drinks are easy and cheap to find.

Even as a small scale hobby grower, I can grow high quality cannabis for about $0.50/gm. In a dispensary, it can be around $5/gm. Street prices are much lower than dispensary prices. No "kid" will buy stock that came from one unless they want some specific product.

So it's no wonder they are filled with people that just want relief without having to deal with the underworld. They are cheery places, with good security and helpful staff.

And the products work.

But it's not at a price point many like, so they stick to their buddies friend.

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. I have a friend that buys black market just because

it's good and a whole lot cheaper.

I.usually buy the 3.5 g and it's $40 to $50.

[OAITW r.2.0]

36. You can't get into my store without showing an ID. The inner door remaining locked until you show

the attendent your ID. So, no access for kids.

[leftyladyfrommo]

40. It's like that here, too. They check id when you

walk in and again when you enter the locked part. And they really ck your id.

Some stores have armed guards.

[forgotmylogin]

65. Usually 2-3 ID checks.

The bigger stores have a bouncer at the door who won't even let you inside without ID. Then you walk into reception where they actually scan your ID so they know who is in the building at all times. Checking out and paying they check ID again and you exit through a special different door. My local store is a tiny semi obscure building among muffler places and strip-mall stores without direct foot traffic so they don't check at the door, but you must check in with reception and they buzz you through a locked door. No children are obtaining product directly from a dispensary unless they're sending in an 21+ stooge to buy it for them.

Inside is very clean and nice, like a government office or a bank - the DMV but nicer with several product displays and a few doors they've decorated with stoner stickers and signs. There are offices to help people who have medical ID cards with any paperwork, or to help people obtain a medical card. (You can buy without a medical card, but having one provides a discount and gives access to some additional special medical strains in volume for specific prescribed uses.) Then the main retail room: there are ATMs and monitors showing prices like an airline departure board, and promotional videos about products. You're usually not browsing in there - they don't display actual product under the counters or display cases - that's all in the secure room in the back; in general you browse online and pick up and you're not coming in blind to buy something from the cashiers unless they're only slightly modifying what you already ordered. (Once I asked if I could just pop in to buy a vape battery and the receptionist quickly helped me put the sale through on an iPad before letting me in.) There's usually cool music playing but not blasting at head-shop level. You can usually smell cannabis though there are signs saying customers can't partake in the building. It may just be because they store it and the employees likely are having a puff on break out of view.

[nuxvomica]

18. I attended a "growers showcase" a few weeks ago

New York state has been incredibly slow at issuing recreational retail licenses (and slower now that there is a suit pending about how they are granting them) but they came up with a way to get retail sales out to the boonies where I live by allowing "growers showcases," a sort of farmers market for weed. So I attended one nearby two weeks ago and purchased weed legally for the first time in my life. Most of the sellers were 20somethings but most of the buyers were middle-aged and older. What really amazed me was the lavish packaging: perfectly rolled joints in glass tubes inside of sturdy boxes, for example, and all the growers had slick gift bags printed with sophisticated graphics. I felt like I was buying high-end perfume.

[leftyladyfrommo]

22. Their products are endless. I have no idea what some

things even are. Edibles seem to be a lot pricier. And so many candies and drinks and stuff.

[Pinback]

50. More jobs for graphic artists! Works for me.

I don’t indulge myself, because I don’t enjoy feeling “stoopid” like I did in my youth. But I’m very happy about the decriminalization. And if I had chronic pain I’d definitely try to score. Still not legal here in Ga., where the legislature is focused on other matters, like making sure there are guns guns guns everywhere.

[Unwind Your Mind]

54. Yes, the labels are often really beautiful

I always thought this market would be comparable to wine, and it is in many ways

[ZonkerHarris]

26. Pot store is the greatest retail innovation since sliced bread.

[Mossfern]

29. As an older person with severe back issues

and ache all over, I'm asking those here if weed will give me similar pain relief as my current oxy prescription of 5mg 2-3 X a day.
I'd love to give up the opioids but there are times when just the thought of doing some simple chores makes me cringe.

I do need to function, and not be high during the day.

My son manages a dispensary, so there's no issue of getting product.
He says a lot of his customers are little old ladies like me.

[leftyladyfrommo]

35. I saw that over 65 year olds are the fasted growing group

and it's because they prefer the pot to the hard drugs.
That's terribly ironic considering that pot was supposed to be this big gateway drug.

[Midnight Writer]

42. Yes, I saw a Colorado study that the average age is 55, and "over 65" is the largest single group.

I went for decades without using pot, partly because I didn't like dealing with the criminal element involved (which became more and more prevalent), and because I concentrated on work and relationships.

Now I'm retired and old, without a lot of responsibility, and I look forward to my after-dinner toke.

[LuckyCharms]

41. Weed most likely will not kill your pain, but...

it will "make you feel better about the pain".

I have chronic back pain that I sometimes have to use oxy's for, but rarely. Weed will kind of take your mind off it. I view it as "making peace with the pain".

Also, there are strains of weed that will allow you to function well during the day, while still being high.

I think it depends on what you are doing during the day and how well you have to "function".

The only things I will not do while high are drive and operate machinery.

[forgotmylogin]

62. Cannabis is a vasodilator.

It encourages blood circulation (which is why people get red eyes) and helps release muscle tension so if your pain is helped by increased blood flow to tight muscles it might work. I don't know if it would replace completely the pain relief from opioid medications. If your pain is due to bone structure/breakdown/cartilage/ligaments it might not help specifically, but many people get some general relief from the relaxation effects of cannabis.

In general sativa strains are energizing and indica strains promote relaxation and sleep. There are various hybrid strains of the two but generally medical users for pain, stress, and psychological issues tend toward indica to calm their symptoms instead of energizing sativa which can do things like make you decide you really should re-paint your living room RIGHT NOW.

[womanofthehills]

68. My friend has bad MS pain

She just nibbles on cookies throughout the day because she can’t get that high because she teaches college level classes from home. A combo of Valium, low dose naltrexone and pot cuts her pain.

I grow my own because I prefer cookies & gummies and want them organic I’m happy to keep her supplied with cookies.

[leftyladyfrommo]

74. I tried edibles but it wrecked my stomach and I have

been afraid to try again.

[Kennah]

30. I'm old enough to remember buying pot from people older than me

[ismnotwasm]

34. I don't use so I never go but

My favorite store we drive past used to be one of those round banks with a large digital clock display on a pole. It’s got full windows and looks inviting. The clock time says 4:20 lol

[sanatanadharma]

39. When the 'generation gap' was all the range, nobody imagined we would all meet ...

When the 'generation gap' was all the range decades ago, nobody imagined the boomers would bridge the gap at the bud-bodega.

Browsing the sativa-salon, the cannabis-canteen, the marijuana mall, is the one 21st century American experience that I miss, as a now expat.

[Chainfire]

43. What a great setup. If it is mainly old and crippled, just wait out in the parking lot and get

your dope for free!

[getagrip_already]

45. Most have security in the parking lot....

They aren't stupid. People are coming in with cash and leaving with product.

They make it visible. They aren't armed, but they will raise a fuss.

[PatrickforB]

44. Oh yeah. In my state, when you go into a cannabis store, the clientele tends toward

the over 50 crowd, with some young people thrown in. And on the medical side customers trend even older.

[womanofthehills]

69. All the young are growing their own or their friends grow

They are all over social media discussing every aspect of growing. Now, with LED lights, you can live in a tiny apartment and have your own grow.

[leftyladyfrommo]

72. When I came out thete were young people in the front

lobby so there are younger people in there. Too.

[twodogsbarking]

47. It's 2:40 so we are smoking some now.

[MOMFUDSKI]

55. My son's in-laws lived in Mississippi 8 years

ago. The dad was dying of cancer and in horrific pain. My son told dad he would bring some marijuana for him. Son’s son overheard the conversation and said he could get some at high school! My son had no idea where to get any. Still laugh about it. Poor guy died but my son smoked it with him so he would feel better about doing it. That kinda stuff should never happen. Legalize it everywhere and be done with it

[Tree Lady]

63. My daughter in 40's goes to Organic place

and uses at night after stressful day of being top manager of 300 employees.

It's helped her a lot.

[shanti]

66. If your mind is blown by dispensaries

just wait until you get weed delivery! That's how I do it now, no muss, no fuss. That and growing your own is awesome.

[Ohio Joe]

67. I see the same...

I’m just outside Boulder Colorado and turned 60 yesterday I grow enough for about 8 months of the year so I do still visit the local dispensary. I would say that there are few people I see that are under 45. Also, most of the staff is in their 20’s.

I have grown to trust the staff… I feel free to be open and tell them what I’m looking for and know I’ll get the right stuff… Hey! I want something that will not make me tired or give me the munchies while I chill and play some No Man’s Sky… Or… Hey! I got a bbq and want to load my volcano with something to give people mild munchies so my cooking seems better… Or… Hey! I want something to help me sleep when my insomnia kicks in… Or… Hey! I’m fucking old and have pains, you got anything high in CBD’s to help?

I’ve always gotten what I needed.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

70. Does anyone

ship to a non legal state ? Asking for a friend .

[LuckyCharms]

73. Risky. Can you drive to one?

[obnoxiousdrunk]

76. That would be

very long drive. I'll wait patiently till that day comes its legal everywhere.

[WarGamer]

75. My local SoCal shop i smodern and high end...

Everything from 20 somethings to oldies.

Clean safe and happy place to be.

[MaeScott]

77. We old and crippled people don't want to get addicted to pain meds

…and a nice cookie eases a lot of aches and pains. I bake lots of cookies.

[Captain Zero]

79. And where pot is still not legal there is Delta9+CBD gummies

Just what old knees need.
I take mine with music, a glass of Zinfandel, and maybe two Tylenol.
I can be good for several days to a week after that.

[Dulcinea]

83. I tried the gummies for insomnia.

Sadly, they didn't help. I got severe diarrhea instead

[honest.abe]

82. Our dispensery is nothing like that.

In fact Im the odd ball in there being old and slightly crippled.