Your First Dispensary Visit: What to Bring and What to Expect

What to Bring

• Government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID or passport. Out-of-state IDs work. You will be carded every time, however old you look.
• Cash. Olswell is cash only, and there is an ATM on-site.
• A short list, if you have one. A product or strain you read about is enough. Staff can suggest alternatives if it is out of stock.

Order Ahead or Walk In

Both work. Browse your store's live menu to see what is on the shelf, build an order and pick it up in store. Orders are held until the end of the business day, so you can order in the morning and pick up after work. Walk-ins are welcome too, and there is no delivery. How in-store pickup works.

What Happens at the Counter

1. ID check. Staff confirm you are 21 or older. It is routine, not personal.
2. Say it is your first time. That is the cue for a bit more guidance, and nobody minds.
3. Ask, then pick. The budtender brings products to you and talks you through them.
4. Pay in cash. Everything comes in sealed, labeled packaging. Keep your receipt.

Michigan caps a sale at 2.5 ounces total, with no more than 15 grams of that as concentrate. Adult-use purchases also carry a 10% excise tax plus 6% sales tax on top of the shelf price, about 16.6% in all. How the tax adds up.

What Should I Ask the Budtender?

Ask what the THC percentage is and how strong that feels for a beginner, what it smells and tastes like, how it is meant to be used, and what they would pick for a first-timer. Tell them what kind of effect you are after, relaxed, energized or in between, and what you want to spend. Questions are the job.

Reading the Package

Every package carries the product name, THC and CBD content, the producer, a batch number and warning labels. Skip anything without a label or batch number, because that means it did not come from a licensed store.

Products at a Glance

Olswell's menus run across five categories, and stock rotates by store, so check the live menu.

• Flower. The buds you smoke or vape. The easiest form to go slowly with, because you feel it quickly and can stop.
• Pre-rolls. Already-rolled joints. Handy if you don't roll. Play also makes infused pre-rolls, so check the label for strength.
• Vaporizers. Pre-filled cartridges. Discreet and easy to take small puffs from.
• Edibles. Gummies and other infused foods. Play makes everyday gummies. They take longer to hit and last longer, so the usual mistake is eating more because nothing happened yet.
• Concentrates. Hash rosin and other extracts, much stronger than flower and usually not a first-visit pick. RKIVE Reserve, our solventless hash rosin, is worth coming back for once you are comfortable.

Cannabis products explained and how to read a cannabis label.

Start Low and Go Slow

• Pick a lower-THC product for a first try. You can always use more later.
• With flower or a vape, take one or two puffs and wait 15 to 20 minutes before more.
• With edibles, many people start at 2.5 to 5 mg of THC and wait a full two hours.
• Effects vary a lot from person to person, so don't judge the product by a friend's experience.
• Skip alcohol while you are trying cannabis. Together they can raise impairment more than either alone.
• Never drive after using cannabis. How long impairment lasts varies by person and product.

Counter Etiquette

• Let staff hand you products rather than picking them up yourself.
• Don't use anything in the store or the parking lot.
• Ask before taking photos of products.
• Prices are fixed. Look for deals instead of haggling.

Your First-Time Deal

First-time customers get 25% off their first visit with a valid 21+ ID at any Olswell store. Happy Hour takes 20% off the whole shop at Adrian, Traverse City and Kalkaska, on each store's own schedule. Weekly deals and drops change, so the live menu and deals page have the current picture.

After You Buy

Keep cannabis in a cool, dark, dry place, away from kids and pets. Original packaging is fine, and an airtight container keeps it fresh. On the drive home, keep it sealed in the trunk or a closed glove box.

Sources

Michigan rules: Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency.

Related Articles

• Complete Michigan Cannabis Guide
• Purchase limits explained
• Michigan cannabis laws
• Where you can use cannabis
• How the first-time discount works

Ready for Your First Visit?

Pick your store and order on its live menu, then pick up in store: Adrian, Grand Rapids, Traverse City or Kalkaska. Grand Rapids sells deli-style flower, where you pick your weight and it is jarred at the counter.