Different Types of Cannabis Dispensaries in Canada

Since the legalization of cannabis in Canada on October 2018, there has been tremendous growth in cannabis dispensaries around Canadian provinces. As a result, Canada has around 4000 recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries making it more convenient to access marijuana. These dispensaries include physical stores, online, recreational dispensaries, weed delivery services, and cannabis medical clinics.

Marijuana dispensaries are prospering, and since outlets and dispenses are in demand, more and more are being opened. The best way to find a legal cannabis dispensary is by visiting online websites and researching information before visiting the stores for purchase.

Let’s clearly understand a cannabis store and its relevance in regulating marijuana programs in Canada.

What Is a Marijuana Dispensary?

A marijuana dispensary is a licensed and registered mobile or fixed institution where marijuana is distributed, dispensed, sold, exchanged, and transported to individuals or clinics for medical and recreational use.

Marijuana dispensaries help patients access and obtain good quality products by analyzing different cannabis strains or products for their qualities, thus better treating different disorders and avoiding adverse effects.

Why Buy Marijuana From a Dispensary?

The Canadian government legalized marijuana to reduce the rate of abuse and dependency in patients. However, it’s essential to recognize that it has also reduced the illegal cannabis industry and boosted the Canadian economy.

Here are some benefits of getting marijuana from a dispensary:

First, safe access promotes responsible behaviour in the consumption of marijuana.
The marijuana sold in dispensaries has been analyzed and identified as the right cannabis strain for different health conditions and thus can help patients regulate their consumption.
A healthcare professional will help patients make better choices while consuming cannabis depending on their individual needs, thus preventing abuse and addiction.
By establishing medical programs, public health is promoted. Thus, responsible use of marijuana is achievable and will help people differentiate the rights and wrongs of consumption.

Different Types of Weed Dispensaries

Physical Cannabis Store

After the legalization of cannabis in Canada, retail sales have increased considerably, empowering the creation of a significant number of retail stores. More individuals also have access to cannabis stores in jurisdictions that decided on a private/hybrid retail model than those run by the government.

The intent of authorizing physical cannabis stores is to enhance sales of non-medical cannabis in private retail stores. To operate such a store, an individual should have a legal cannabis retail store license(CRS) from the cannabis regulation and licensing authority and comply with federal and local government laws and conditions.

A cannabis store owner must display at least one social responsibility poster and entry warning for minors in a notable area. Cannabis packaging and labelling must not be visible to minors from outside the store to minimize unlawful entry by minors.

Pros of Physical Cannabis Store

Create greater access to cannabis for low-income earning neighbourhoods.
Provides a safe and comfortable environment to make a purchase
Interacting with sales personnel will help you gain knowledgeable consultation on specific strains.

Cons of Physical Cannabis Store

Operates only during working hours as compared to online and same-day delivery services.
Time-consuming to get to the stores daily.
Product prices are much higher.
Product selection is limited.

Online Cannabis Dispensary

Canada produces some of the highest quality weed in the market and has extended its business through e-commerce and online dispensaries in Canada. This is done by opening a company website or using an arbitrator marketplace to advertise your dispensary products and catalogue, enabling consumers to access and buy weed online.

Cannabis products purchased online can either be picked up or delivered to the consumers; hence shipping cannabis products is illegal. Depending on the store regulations, payments can also be made online or through cash.

You will increase customers and sales by advertising your products online at different locations. Cannabis products containing more than 0.3% of the THC ratio are considered marijuana and cannot be sold to individuals in other provinces in Canada.

There are also cannabis seed dispensaries where you can buy marijuana seeds online.

Same-Day Weed Delivery Service

Same-day weed delivery services help to order and receive your weed products in the shortest time possible. You must enter your address to a reliable and distinguished weed delivery shop in your locality.

Most deliveries include THC products, like edibles, pre-rolls, cannabis flowers, dabs, cartridges, vape pens, and cannabis accessories. Recreational weed deliveries are made to adults of 19 years and above, while medical marijuana is delivered to patients with valid medical cards.

Medical Marijuana Clinic

The purpose of medical marijuana clinics is to provide patients suffering from pain and medical conditions with complementary options for cannabis therapy.

These clinics help patients by creating awareness of control over their addiction, acknowledging symptoms distressing the patients, and improving health-related quality with minimal prescription. Therefore for a more significant effect, you must combine medical marijuana treatments with quality care.

With a medical marijuana prescription, you will get proper treatment for specific conditions and disorders, and your level of contentment with cannabis compared to when you use marijuana for recreational purposes; you will impose your dose and choose which strain to use.

Marijuana clinics offer directions on cannabis treatments and probable results of related challenges. It also promotes the growth and implementation of better cannabis practices.

What Products Are Offered at a Cannabis Dispensary?

The Federal Cannabis Act in Canada states that adults can legally obtain and possess 30 grams of legal dried cannabis or the equivalent of non-dried cannabis. For medicinal and recreational purposes, cannabis farmers have been reproducing different types of cannabis hybrids and strains.

Cannabis products that have been legalized in Canada are divided into various categories:

Marijuana flower products
Weed edibles
Cannabis concentrates
Weed vapes
CBD products

Marijuana Flower Products

Marijuana flower, also known as the bud, is dried and cured part of a female cannabis plant with a full spectrum of cannabinoids and other therapeutic compounds, making it versatile to smoke. The flower is enriched with trichomes which produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and terpenes found in oils of flowering cannabis plants.

After the flower is harvested, it is dried and cured, then transferred for sale at cannabis dispensaries. Smoking flower is one of the favoured methods of marijuana consumption, and it is smoked using pipes, bongs, and bowls and can also be rolled into a joint or vape flower. Its effect is assumed after 30 minutes of consumption, and the effect vanishes after 1 to 3 hours.

You can choose different marijuana flowers depending on your needs from different species of cannabis strains.

The most popular marijuana strains include:

Cannabis Sativa Strains– It is tall with narrow leaves and has floral, fruity, and spicy aromas. It contains high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, which helps reduce paranoia and anxiety. It also commonly has energizing effects.
Cannabis Indica strains have a higher cannabidiol (CBD) rate and less THC than Sativa strains. As a result, they are great for sedating and stimulating relaxation in muscles and joints. It also helps in relieving acute and chronic pain and increases appetite.
Cannabis Ruderalis –is a species of cannabis with minimum THC and high CBD levels. It is very effective for medicinal strains. These are also known as auto-flower plants.
Hybrid Strains – to create hybrids combine Sativa strains and Indica strains. They are high in both CBD and THC and have irregular effects compared to other strains.
Pre-Rolled Joints – A pre-roll is a prepared joint filled with cannabis with support on the drawing end. It can be bought at most dispensaries and is the most commonly smoked.
Bulk Weed strains – bulk weed is large quantities of cannabis flowers. The main advantage of buying weed in bulk is that it costs less per gram, and you can save huge.

Weed Edibles

Weed edibles are cannabis products with edible cannabinoids made from cannabis concentrates and flowers.

These edibles are saturated with cannabis products and come in different forms:

Weed gummies– these are edible gummies infused with either or both CBD and THC cannabis compounds. Gummies infused with cannabis uniquely lower stress and anxiety, thus improving your sleep and relieving pain. After gummies are digested, they are metabolized by the liver to reach the brain. This process takes longer to kick in compared to smoking, which hits instantly.
Cannabis chocolates – cannabis chocolate is made by combining the THC compound of cannabis Sativa with chocolate to create an edible chocolate bar or brownie. Chocolate cannabis has anti-inflammatory, potent antioxidants, and neuroprotective effects. In addition, it has anandamide which regulates serotonin and dopamine levels.
THC baked goods – most cannabis-infused baked goods have high-fat content after reaching the liver and are processed into hydroxy-THC. Cannabis baked goods include brownies, cakes, muffins, cookies, bread, and others. Baked goods hit slower but harder, and the high may last longer.
Marijuana oil tinctures – cannabis oil tinctures are alcohol or water-based medical solutions with cannabinoid contents extracted from cannabis plants. They are consumed orally, sublingually, or mixed in drinks and foods. Oil tinctures are easy to consume by inhaling or smoking.
Cannabis capsules -Cannabis capsules can contain many forms of cannabis, single cannabinoids or the full spectrum, oil, and decarboxylated flower. In most cases, cannabis capsules are marked depending on their cannabinoid contents, like THC capsules and CBD capsules. Medical marijuana patients best use capsules since they have a strong dose with a long-lasting effect.
Beverages – cannabis-infused drinks are THC and CBD compounds mixed in non-alcoholic drinks.

Cannabis Concentrates

Cannabis concentrates are an extract distilled from a marijuana plant containing cannabinoids and cannabis terpenes of cannabis flower. Terpenes are found in plant trichomes which cover the plant’s surface and mainly on the flower bud.

Most people prefer consuming concentrates through dabbing, where the concentrate is heated until it vaporizes, and the consumer inhales the vapour. However, they can also consume them through vape pens, edibles, tinctures, and topicals.

Cannabis concentrates can be obtained using different forms where cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and additional therapeutic compounds are extracted from cannabis plant material. Understanding different extraction methods enable you to find cannabis concentrates that easily meet your needs and taste. These methods include;

Isolates: This is done by extracting compound isolation and separating and removing all unwanted compounds. It uses butane, propane, or ethanol, causing the extracts to crystalize after purification.

Live resin: while extracting terpenes and cannabinoids in this process, the cannabis plant is first frozen instead of drying. Cannabis compounds are extracted using butane, propane, and hydrocarbon blend as solvents. In most cases, it uses butane hash oil(BHO) as its sole extraction solvent.

Hash – hash is a solventless method of extracting cannabis extract. It has a superficial resin produced by trichomes of the cannabis plant. These trichomes and resins are smoked and dried, then collected in powder form called kief.

There are various ways of extracting trichomes and resins in hash production, which produce different types of hash, namely:

Bubble hash
Dry ice hash
Dry shift hash

Shatter– is a thin, crumbling, translucent cannabis concentrate that resembles caramelized sugar when it hardens. Shatter is mainly consumed by dabbing.

Terp Sauce – a wet concentrate with high terpene energy combined with isolated crystals to enhance its effect, taste, and smell. It has crystalline and terp sauce extracts.

Weed Vapes

Weed vapes are devices that heat cannabis flowers or concentrate to a temperature that turns the cannabinoids and terpenes into vapour without burning. The device is set to heat concentrates within 180 to 190 degrees.

A weed vape has prefilled vape cartridges with high levels of CBD and THC, which are heated using a power source called vape pen batteries to vaporize for your desired effect.

Some people prefer using disposable vapes already precharged and filled with THC vape juice extracted from terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids of raw cannabis flowers using the alcohol extraction method.

There are three main methods of vaporizing cannabis:

Tabletop vaporizers
Portable vaporizers
Vape or hash oil pens

CBD Products

Cannabidiol is a highly active ingredient in marijuana extracted from the hemp plant. It is a critical component in creating medical marijuana since it has no effective abuse or dependency on a patient’s health.

CBD products are consumed in different forms, which include:

CBD oil tinctures are done by putting a few drops under the tongue and holding it there for a while before swallowing.
CBD capsules are taken through digestion and take about 30 minutes before being effective. Capsules are essential in prolonging the effect of the compound in the body.
CBD gummies are infused with the oil. Thus, they are more portable and easy to consume.
CBD flowers can only be consumed if cooked in oil or butter before adding them to any dish since the cannabinoids are active when heated

CBD oils can also be infused in salad dressings, coffee, smoothies, cocktail, topical rub, or balms and vaporized using vape pens.

FAQs

Why Buy Weed in Canada?

Cannabis is legal in Canada; hence the price is fair, and the products are of good quality. Also, the supply is safe, and it is convenient to access.

How to Buy Weed in Canada & What to Watch For?

If you are of legal age, you can purchase weed from physical stores or order online from legal retailers and ask for delivery to your address. You can either pay using cash, e-Transfer or a Canadian credit card. Weed can be for recreational or medicinal purposes; minors cannot purchase weed.

What Are the Best Places To Buy Cannabis in Canada?

You can purchase weed from the best stores and dispensaries around Canada. First, look for stores with different flowers, edibles, and vapes. Then, search websites and learn about their products to get the best store near you. One of the most reliable cannabis platforms is BCWeedDelivery. And if you are out of WDV’s service areas, you can find excellent mail-order options such as Daily Marijuana Online Dispensary or local services like Highest Farmacy Toronto.

Bottom Line

When choosing cannabis strains, it is wise to know that each strain differs in the concentration of THC and CBD, and to avoid adverse effects choose a strain according to the effect you want to experience. You can also research and learn about different cannabis products before making a purchase, whether for medical or recreational use.

References

BC Weed Delivery. (2022, October 7). Find the best cannabis dispensaries in British Columbia, Canada. Available at: https://bcweeddelivery.org/

Daily Marijuana. (2022, October 7). Buy Weed Online. Available at: https://www.dailymarijuana.io/

Highest Farmacy. (2022, October 7). The Best Local Weed Delivery in Toronto and Surrounding Cities. Available at: https://highestfarmacy.com/weed-delivery-toronto

Department of Justice. (2019, October 17). Cannabis Legalization and Regulation. Available at: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/

Government of Canada. (2022). Drug and health products. Canada.ca. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/drug-health-products.html

The Seed Pharm. (2023, June 3). Buy Cannabis Seeds Online. Available at: https://www.theseedpharm.com/

Government of British Columbia. (2022). Non-medical cannabis licences. Available at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/liquor-regulation-licensing/non-medical-cannabis-licenses

Department of Justice. Cannabis Act (2018). Available at: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-24.5/

Medical Marijuana. (2022). Cannabis Varieties. Available at: https://medicalmarijuana.ca/patients/cannabis-varieties-2/

Government of Manitoba. (2022). Cannabis Edibles, Extracts and Topicals. Available at: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-and-ag-processing/starting-a-food-business/pubs/cannabis-edibles.pdf

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. (2022). 7 Things You Need to Know about Edible Cannabis. Available at: https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2019-06/CCSA-7-Things-About-Edible-Cannabis-2019-en.pdf

Health Canada (2020, January 23). Cannabidiol (CBD). Government of Canada. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/about/cannabidiol.html