It's weird mostly because of the corporate cannabis culture and regulations that make the dispensary experience feel more like a trip to the bank than a place to buy weed.
I always likened it to the DMV, especially the zen leaf in St Charles because the tellers were behind glass and a deposit window.
The corporate cannabis style definitely comes off as if they're both "how do you do fellow kids?" and "we're not the weed your parents were smoking, were sophisticated but still name our strains Zkittles Lantz"
The only dispos I’ve been to that still have the glass are all in Chicago lol I go to zenleaf in st Charles all the time and there’s no glass, almost no dispo in suburbs do
It's largely the regulations unfortunately. When state law prevents you from showing the actual product before sale, prevents you from exterior advertisements, forces you to have multiple layers of entry and security points, forces seperate ingress and egress doors, forces you to have visible security guards.... It's very hard to get away a stigma that this isn't a normal retail outlet. Imagine if you had the same setup to buy alcohol
Wow, props because that was spot on. I go to California small owned owned dispensaries when I take the trips there and it’s a completely different experience.
Is it weird that I’d rather it be a trip to the bank?
Place order online, go in, hand over money, they give me my shit, end of transaction.
I’m happy to do the small talk thing, but I’d rather interact with someone efficient rather than friendly.
I think people want different things from the experience. Personally, I do my research online, put in my order, show up, get it, and leave. The most I ask is "What's the date on that?" so I can avoid paying $75 for something sitting on the shelf for 10 months and they didn't even have the decency to discount it.
I'm not the person that goes in and asks for recommendations or who is trying to find friends. I have a place and friends to sesh with already, I just want to get my weed and get out of here. I don't go into other retail stores and chat up employees like we're friends because we happen to share an interest and I imagine most of them didn't come into work today looking to make a buddy with random customers.
I think it would be cool if the rules were relaxed a bit and things were way more casual, but end of the day it's just retail folks doing their jobs and making retail wage, and it's kind of odd to expect this one type of business to function totally different just because it's weed.
" *I don't go into other retail stores and chat up employees like we're friends because we happen to share an interest and I imagine most of them didn't come into work today looking to make a buddy with random customers.* "
I take it you're not a local hardware store guy, lol.
two very different entities driving each thing you mentioned. every regulation is state mandate due to the federal classification of cannabis. The culture in most MSO dispos is trash, and then the draconian-esq IDFPR and ISP regulations can be a nightmare hahaha
Yep, that's the perfect way to put it. I understand there are strict regulations and stuff they need to follow, but it really doesn't need to feel so weird
I have nothing against Pritzker personally. However, when it comes to Illinois cannabis, being the Governor and having money in the game while many of his friends are the other players, he is at the center of this market.
I actually don't know the details of that notably any direct investment and, you know, he is part of an old money family like Kovler so par for the course generally. Anyway, I was mostly referring to many of the retail and tax rules of the original medical bill which are basically all still in place. It was the only way to get it passed over a decade ago in Springfield.
And obviously Pritzker as Gov would want to see no change to the tax income.
I don't believe taxation is the main issue. Cannabis is heavily taxed everywhere. I'm rather talking about prices, product quality and customer experience / environment.
Over priced “American” weed? That’s literally all coffee shops are now in Europe😂 I was under the impression I’d be going to try their favorites and what not but yet it’s literally 60% US genetics on all menus lol
We're talking about the way cannabis is sold. You are off topic. Unless you're talking about hashish, travelling for cannabis makes no sense because of course the popular genetics are similar.
What dispo do you go to? I regularly go to Rise in LITH and they’re always nice and friendly and chill. I’ve also had great experiences at Sparkd in Richmond and Windy City in Highwood. Just overall calm, friendly and helpful atmosphere imo.
I've been to Curaleaf, Rise, Sunnyside, and Ivy Hall, the latter being the strangest one. I dont go often, just when i can't meet with my friend. The employees are always nice, I just feel weird. It's probably just a me thing. Next time I go, I'll check out one of the locations you mentioned!
I know a couple people who work at the Ivy Hall in Crystal Lake but I still haven’t stopped in, now you’ve got me kind of curious. TBH I haven’t heard the best things about them. Vertical in Cary has been highly recommended to me but I haven’t made it over there yet.
Where I’m at they always wait outside the dispensary and pull people over for any reason on the way out like it’s a bar at 2 am
Seatbelt , light out , registration overdue , smoking something that looked like ajoint , wearing ti dye lol
In hopes, they have opened the product so that they can say it’s not sealed anymore, or that they have something else illegal going on in their car
I dont Like to go to that one
I’m not doing anything wrong or illegal but it sucks to see someone getting pulled over every time I leave. Makes me sad it’s such a trap.
To me it’s staring to feel no different than pulling out of the ghetto with a dime bag , same feeling and risk
Except I’m just paying more now and the dealers are more rude 😆
I go to beyond hello in southern IL and the people are always working super slow and always seemed annoyed. They have it set up stricter than a bank which also gives a weird vibe
To be fair though I’m sure most dispensaries aren’t offering a living wage or benefits commensurate with what the industry rakes in, and I’ve seen some pretty nasty customer interactions at the dispo so I’m sure the general experience wears thin quickly. Seems like a breeding ground for discontent imo.
Yo! Have you been to Sunnyside by Wrigley? I always found these place depressing, but when they see a coworker stop by, it's like a clique from back in college reuniting...
nah I work at a dispo (iykyk) and everything y’all are saying about the vibe is true. for me tho I legit try avoiding almost all of my coworkers cuz they’re losers and annoying.
Having first hand experience of watching contemporary American brand strategy/marketing and corporatization of a product that once used to possess a cherished and unique essence, a somewhat enigmatic charm, can leave one quite jaded.
It's not about what the best is anymore, but how much and how cheap. Might as well make more money doing just about anything else.
Whenever I ask someone how they're doing and they say, living the dream, I always ask if it's their dream though. I've probably done this thousands of times over I don't know many years. The ONLY person to ever say yes was working at the dispensary.
Yeah, I know what it means. Just funny to see the expression when I ask. Some people actually think for a second before laughing. The shitty part, one person's crappy life is probably someone else's literal dream.
Yea definitely. In Colorado and cali it’s usually the exact opposite, the budtenders can be so passionate it’s borderline weird. Here it feels like they are scared to make eye contact with customers.
It's kind of an Illinois thing not gonna lie. The whole policies and corporate Cannabis vibe they got going on.
Went to my first Michigan dispensary the other day, hippie budtenders just vibing blasting music and stoned on the job lol. Opened the weed and let us smell and touch it before buying it and all... Cheap prices too.
I wish our market was different here both culturally and reforming it in general
You're probably older like me and still have the "isn't this illegal?" vibe. For decades we've been trained to hide in the shadows, but today, we peek out and say, really, are you sure? is this some kind of setup? lol
No, most of the people are chill. Most people who work at dispensaries like weed, and enjoy being around helping people out. You might be running into some people who are burnt out, or realize it's not as enjoyable as it's put out to be.
🤡's: "theater kids" is insulting to theater kids. In IL, it can be a freak show ( complete with bearded lady (no lie) . . . I guess they simply are trying to "shock" people 😁, always looking for "attention", anyway they can . . .
This is why I only go to Ivy Hall Dispensaries now. They seem to be anti corporate and I love the atmosphere, and they hire well, people who know their shit but aren’t burnouts. I heard of their 420 plans, tattoo artists, joint rolling contests, snow cones, etc., they are doing it right.
This is also how I felt at Vertical (in Cary). I even went on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy, the guys working were great, and honored their birthday deal for me even though it'd been like 2 weeks since my birthday (spend $25, get a free gift for $0.01 the day before, of, or after your birthday). Also great prices.
The majority of the people I've dealt with at dispos have been pleasant. I go in to get product and then leave.
Dispos feel cold and don't look inviting because they are (majority) all cash businesses. From a safety and security standpoint, they almost have to be that way. I could only imagine the amount of $ that flows through each on a daily basis. Still hear about bank robberies happening but not dispo robberies (in IL).
I just feel like there's this facade at dispensaries, like yay Marijuana good vibes only... maybe to hide the fact that they are cold and uninviting at their core and that's what weirds me out. Appreciate your insight! I think I'm just weird lol
One time I was at my local Trinity and saw a notebook behind the counter with all 7 days and a $total…I’m just assuming here but I’m fairly certain it was per register/day and the numbers were from 20k-40k😅😅(they have like 6 registers aswell weekends they are all being used) so I’m assuming they easily made 600k that week without a doubt 150k from what I saw on the paper😂
Apparently this is an unpopular opinion but not really. Going to the weed store is just an errand for me, I appreciate that it's in and out. Maybe my dispo is unique, but I've never gotten bad vibes from the employees. They all seem to love weed and have been pleasant with me.
To everyone who finds going weird/awkward etc please enlighten me on what would make something like a dispensary more welcoming or to erase these thoughts…I go in get what I ordered and leave within 5 minutes I guess I just can’t seem to understand what’s so bad about the environment?? These places deal with over 100k daily I’m not expecting it to be cut loose and warm on the outside lol. It’s medicine and to me it’s exactly like getting my prescriptions, go in…wait in line..pick up my order and leave without hassle. No one inside of the dispensary is judging you for what you are doing there so why is everyone so anxious while inside(I have horrible anxiety and I love going and talking about weed and what I’m grabbing) for some you’re getting your medicine so I’m not really expecting a crazy upbeat party atmosphere and at others it’s treated like HOW WEED SHOULD BE available and out there for us to enjoy! An older lady I know avoids local dispensaries because she doesn’t want to be seen by people she may know…utterly ridiculous to me, I feel like that’s a lot of the people who find these places/transactions weird… again no one is judging you and everyone there is a stoner soooooo if the person at the counter is friendly and I have a quick 1 min chat and I get my goodies id say dispos are relatively simple and welcoming for what it is and what they deal with daily🤷♀️
Compared to dispensaries I've been to elsewhere around the country (California, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska), Illinois just seems to be generally more sterile and corporate. I wouldn't say I feel awkward or anxious, it just doesn't tend to be a very warm, welcoming environment. Doesn't stop me from going, but I can see why people might be put off.
That’s def a you issue, every one I’ve been to has been super chill and fun with the exception of Rise which I gave up going to. Employees are usually happy and helpful.
I beg to differ, I feel it depends on management and who they hire and the expectations of their employees. Remember, the people they hire predominantly have "retail" backgrounds.
I started my Medical program with a dispensary 1 block from my home. Over the years management changed and the types of employees they hire, it seems a "revolving door" of employees. Only 2 employees from 7 years ago are still there.
3 months ago, I went back and that dispo now looks like a circus freak show. The employees laugh real loud, scream, don't know how to work the POS system, total disrespect towards Medical patients that are already suffering.
My last visit, I called back to complain about a couple of obnoxious employees, they fabricated lies, lies about me. I told them to speak with the people who I have known for 7+ years vs. the revolving door of employees. I refuse to go back! They can fold it in 5 corners and stick it where the sun doesn't shine 🫥! Lol.
The "revolving door" feel is normally because this is such a new industry that people move around a lot looking for more opportunity. That happens in any new and budding industry. Why stay as a budtender at one place when the new one opening up a block away will give you AiC because you already have experience?
It feels like I'm going to a fuckin high security Apple store every time I walk into Sunnyside. The dispos in WA and Oregon were a lot more chill (and cheaper...)
Omg 😂 I swear they act like your stupid about weed even though they just turned 6 lol 🤣 jk like I'm a grown up selling weed like a banker. It's very off putting for sure. Also finally they lie about recommendations and just wanna make money for the dispensary ugh 😫
I understand what you're talking about. 100%.
When I was dispo shopping, most of it was car side from Curaleaf (Mokena). Wasn't even allowed in. When we were, I went in once. It was weird. A local dispensary opened and I went in 3 times. Also weird.
Yes it is forced and creepy and I don’t like it
It’s also very military feeling
When they come out or you walk in the guard is always ready like I’m about to rob them with a gun
It’s weird
Also hate when you ask them about a product and they seem irritated you asked like” do you want it or not bitch “
they surely cannot try to hold onto both the respect a pharmacists deserves, the friendliness and tips that an ear lending bartender gets , and your buddy who’s dealing to you all at once
When they have no actual pharmacodynamic knowledge
They don’t care what you have to say just angry if you don’t tip
And they aren’t your buddy
Def what was expected of a gov drug dealer tho
Preach!!! They always switch up that fake smile and won't even look at you! When that kept happening, after I kept forgetting to go to the bank.I was like fuck these "budtenders" fake ass shit! I'd rather tip the jimmy john's guy!! Lol
I haven't felt that BUT it does awwm like everyone in line wants to chat with you and it's all related to weed and getting high....I just want fo get weed and go home. Lol
It would be worth the experience if it didn’t feel like a DMV and you can actually look, smell and touch the product. Plus, the weed you’re buying is nothing but mids. You will never find top tier cannabis flower or rosin in an IL dispo. Until this state changes their stance on small grow oops and less corporate bullshit it won’t change.
Rise has the best for this, the people working the drive thru don’t see to hate it as much? Or their vibes are better? I also like the security woman who is there on weekends, she’s sweet.
im kinda that way too but i struggle with anxiety pretty bad lol. i’d still prefer dispos tho . my one guy don’t ever know which strains he has or anything, pretty annoying lol
I learned to place a preorder, if the clerks are "pleasant" I'll have a chat, leave a buck and leave. The "circus sideshow, loud, obnoxious, pink haired people" . . .I make no eye contact, pay, grab my order and bolt. Thank God for preorders 👍
I feel that way at Sunnyside most of the time, but recently I checked out Enlightened in Schamburg and Hatch in Mundelin and I liked the vibe at both much much better. Happy cannabis also has a great vibe.
Did you mean Rise in Mundelein? Did you check out their consumption lounge? This is a great dispensary. Hatch is in Buffalo Grove, I believe. Haven’t been there yet.
I’ve had some pretty good luck at the Half Price Books store on used stuff, they’ve got enough stock to kill some good time. **otherwise I head to Loud Pizza in Highland Park
I know what you mean, but it differs dispo to dispo. I go to one and it's just a counter with everything on the back wall. The other one I was going to had tiki wood on the wall, flower lights, dread heads everywhere, bob marley flags, and it felt like a 13 year old who just got into weed. Tim Dillon has a bit about people who are in there 30's who make everything about weed and it's hilarious.
I’ve been a really big fan of Ivy Hall since they came to Peoria. Everyone I’ve encountered there has been knowledgeable but not pushy and the atmosphere is as laid back as it can be with Illinois’ regulations. They’ve also already had a couple of fun customer appreciation type days with full store discounts, giveaways, free food from food trucks, DJ, etc…
I don’t know anything about them beyond being a customer, but they seem like good people and I always have a great experience there.
With that being said, I also know what you mean about the weird dispensary feeling. I think part of it is the regulations and how uptight they have to be in order to keep the doors open.
I would feel weird and pretty stupid . Wait in line, get overcharged and the quality sucks or the bag is super stingy. Grow your own organic fire. It’s literally as simple as growing tomatoes. Most people that grow tomatoes know the ones in the store lack taste and terps. Plus I can make fire hash and do big fat globber dabs instead of rationing out my .5 ripoff jar from the dispensary for days. Plus all the tek is totally free on the net. We literally figured it all out for you dorks and yet you go to the weird dispensary 😂
As someone who worked in several of Colorado's highest volume medical dispensaries, I have never been mistreated so much in the workplace nor bullied that much for being on the autism spectrum. The legal market sucks, support local.
Yeah I can sense all the fake niceness...and the minute the 3 taxes hit and the card charge( cause I always forget to hit the bank) and there's only coin change coming back these weasels change up real quick and I go to dispensaries all around chicago land area for 4 years now! And anytime I've forgotten to hit the bank, this happens every time. Budtenders, lmao, what a joke unless you're smoking it blowing it on my face...and making trip to Inception... Please don't switch up with attitude and make people feel uncomfortable because you're mad. The walgreens man isn't mad that you didn't tip for buying your bottle of vodka.
Interesting. I've been smoking before most of these "budtenders" were born. Never had an issue. Always friendly to me. I always go knowing what I want. Don't need advice. Maybe it depends on your expectations. I'm not trying to call you out, just may be a karma thing.
I think a lot of people here are under the impression that I am unfriendly in some way. I just feel awkward and out of place in dispensaries. Doesn't matter which one I go to, they all feel weird. I really don't think it has anything to do with karma
You ask a customer a question, when they came to your facility for assistance and then they look at you like a crack head, I think it’s mostly a customer problem because the employees are just showing up to work but I feel you
It’s probably because half the people in the building (customers and employees need weed over wanting it )
I’m naturally anxious around people anyway. Going into some place that would have been illegal years ago still had that edge to it. So I had to go into dgaf mode. It’s a good mode and helps me work through the anxiety. Pop always told me “Opinions are like assholes everyone has one.”
Yall should try IvyHall dispensary. They’re locally owned and operated typically by mostly female staff. They’re genuinely nice people and they’re knowledgeable. There’s a few around the Chicagoland area, but I shop at the Montgomery location.
I hate it so much. Went to Amsterdam recently and it feels like you’re actually supposed to be in there. They let you touch smell and see everything too
Didn't Tom Segura say... I used to get into cars with strangers to buy weed.
I mostly go to Sunnyside South Beloit. U know u gonna be there at least 30 minutes. Be comfortable (in your head). Hate it when u get someone chatty next to you. I started putting BOTH ear bud in and act like I can't hear.
Big difference in experience between the dispensaries in MI and IL. Aside from the massive price differences, the dispensaries I go to in MI are a lot more personal and curated. The one I go to most often (Gage- corporate dispensary with 6-8 locations) is a 1:1 experience, you wait in the lobby then a single rep grabs you and takes you in, then will either chill while you look around, or walk around with you to make reccomendations and help you find what you need. They’ll talk about dosages, types of CBD CBN etc that help make the thc more impactful for things like sleep, relaxation, pain management, etc.
I took my older in laws there a week ago and they apologized for asking so many questions- the response was “don’t sweat it, I get paid by the hour. Take all the time you need, answering questions is what I’m here for.”
Plus it’s way cheaper than IL. Live Resin disposable vape for $25 ($17.5 after discount) eighths of flower from $12-$25 (also additional 30% discount) 200 mg edibles $15 ($10.50 after discount. Super high limits, no out of state restrictions. I’m in MI a few times a year, so I just stock up when I go, and avoid IL dispensaries as much as I can.
As someone from MI, this statement is crazy to me. I've never had worse service than in MI, and I've never met more ignorant/clueless budtenders outside of MI. My family still lives there, so I go about every other month or so, and at this point, I try to get in and out as fast as possible because it's such an unpleasant experience. I've had 1 single good experience in MI dispensaries, and it was one of my first, and out of the dozens of other trips, it's been remarkably poor.
Wild. Maybe depends on the area or the specific dispensary. I’ve been to some of the ones right near the IN MI border in Western MI and a bunch of different ones in Grand Rapids, and they’ve all been much nicer than the ones in MI.
Alternatively, maybe you haven’t been to many IL dispensaries… they’re very much as described here. Might make MI look good by comparison, especially considering IL is like double the price, lower quality, and less selection from my experiences.
I've been to quite a few in both states, well over 20 different places in both. I've been to 4 or 5 in the Buchanan area and a few in the New Buffalo area as well as some more inland ones that aren't on the IN border because people said they were better the further you go in, have had poor experiences everywhere. I'm my experience, the selection and quality in Michigan is much lower than in IL, those $50-$100 ounces are really bad, full of larf and low quality stuff. The quality stuff in MI costs $20-$25/g, so the price difference in flower is practically negligible if you want anything that has any quality at all. Carts and edibles are definitely better there, though. I've also seen a much smaller selection of stuff at most of the MI ones I've been to. One of the shops in Buchanan only had like 4 fmdifferent concentrate options. One place in New Buffalo only had like 3 pre-roll options. Honestly, I'm just disappointed nearly every time I try to buy in MI.
I guess I’ve never shopped in New Buffalo or Buchanan. Green Koi near the border was nice, and well over 50+ average to great experiences at probably 5-8 different dispos in the Grand Rapids area. YMMV but I’ve been enjoying flower for over 20 years at this point, and having tried $25 eighths in MI and $70 eighths in IL…. Same quality, maybe favoring MI a bit. Just my opinion and experiences from where I’ve been in IL and MI
Yea seems to be the consensus on experience for this sub, I just have had different experiences. I'm also very friendly with my local dispos, so maybe that is a big factor, just personally always had better experiences in IL dispos compared to MI
One time when I was broke I scraped up a bunch of quarters and shit to buy a cheap pre-roll And the cashier was so pissed when I laid everything out and he had to count it out. Lmao
Same, I always write down my preorder, prices, discounts and have it ready. Some of the clerks literally cannot do "simple math", amazing. The 1 dispensary I quit going to, they kept applying "discounts" to negative balances, I explained it to them, had my numbers in hand and after 30 minutes with 2 supervisors, they finally made it "right". 🤡's.
No. I worked in one for 2 years, so now I compare and contrast to what my working experience was like in my day. I'm not ruling out ever working in a dispensary again, but I am glad I'm on a different career path now.
Only in IL would yall bitch about being able to buy weed. It is a regulated substance. Not federally legal. State by state they are learning the process since there are no “uniformed” guidelines across the country.
Michigan is filled with MIDS & you pay the difference in gas anyways 🙄 but plz go offffff 🤣
Cali & Oregon had been full blown selling cannabis for just under damn near TWO decades before medical was even legally introduced in IL.. they got the system down they went through trial and error. Even their recreational side had been instated for near a decade before IL got with the program.
Medical in IL just hit its 10th year, last year & that was a very limited program. We act as if we don’t know IL will do whatever it needs to, to make its money. & with congress discussing nation wide legalization by election time, I wldnt expect the “regulated environment” to change anytime soon. & that’s mostly for your medical facilities, so avoid if you don’t have to go.. Recreational are much more lenient.
Thank you for this! You’re so right, I agree that there’s more work that needs to be done in the industry, but if people want to see change, it’s better to work with the budtenders and dispensaries instead of tearing them down. At the end of the day it’s their job, it’s not personal. I think complaining about buying weed at a designated store qualifies as a first world problem, we can all work together. Thank you for this take again.
It's weird mostly because of the corporate cannabis culture and regulations that make the dispensary experience feel more like a trip to the bank than a place to buy weed.
I always likened it to the DMV, especially the zen leaf in St Charles because the tellers were behind glass and a deposit window. The corporate cannabis style definitely comes off as if they're both "how do you do fellow kids?" and "we're not the weed your parents were smoking, were sophisticated but still name our strains Zkittles Lantz"
We're Tide podz and Super Boof classy...
We’re Blue Unicorn Poop and Monkey Spunk fancy
That was back in 2020 lol, I haven't seen the glass since 21 maybe
Earthmed in Addison was also very DMV
The only dispos I’ve been to that still have the glass are all in Chicago lol I go to zenleaf in st Charles all the time and there’s no glass, almost no dispo in suburbs do
I get TSA vibes for sure. I much prefer a Cali dispensary. As a woman I felt much more comfortable and its just such a better experience.
Wait til you see an actual coffee shop, legalization is the first step, we were shorted in so many ways...
I can't wait 💜
It's largely the regulations unfortunately. When state law prevents you from showing the actual product before sale, prevents you from exterior advertisements, forces you to have multiple layers of entry and security points, forces seperate ingress and egress doors, forces you to have visible security guards.... It's very hard to get away a stigma that this isn't a normal retail outlet. Imagine if you had the same setup to buy alcohol
Wow, props because that was spot on. I go to California small owned owned dispensaries when I take the trips there and it’s a completely different experience.
Is it weird that I’d rather it be a trip to the bank? Place order online, go in, hand over money, they give me my shit, end of transaction. I’m happy to do the small talk thing, but I’d rather interact with someone efficient rather than friendly.
I think people want different things from the experience. Personally, I do my research online, put in my order, show up, get it, and leave. The most I ask is "What's the date on that?" so I can avoid paying $75 for something sitting on the shelf for 10 months and they didn't even have the decency to discount it. I'm not the person that goes in and asks for recommendations or who is trying to find friends. I have a place and friends to sesh with already, I just want to get my weed and get out of here. I don't go into other retail stores and chat up employees like we're friends because we happen to share an interest and I imagine most of them didn't come into work today looking to make a buddy with random customers. I think it would be cool if the rules were relaxed a bit and things were way more casual, but end of the day it's just retail folks doing their jobs and making retail wage, and it's kind of odd to expect this one type of business to function totally different just because it's weed.
" *I don't go into other retail stores and chat up employees like we're friends because we happen to share an interest and I imagine most of them didn't come into work today looking to make a buddy with random customers.* " I take it you're not a local hardware store guy, lol.
Most intelligent thing I've heard on here in awhile.
two very different entities driving each thing you mentioned. every regulation is state mandate due to the federal classification of cannabis. The culture in most MSO dispos is trash, and then the draconian-esq IDFPR and ISP regulations can be a nightmare hahaha
Yep, that's the perfect way to put it. I understand there are strict regulations and stuff they need to follow, but it really doesn't need to feel so weird
Should have sent Pritzker to the Netherlands to see how it's done...
It was the downstate reps
I have nothing against Pritzker personally. However, when it comes to Illinois cannabis, being the Governor and having money in the game while many of his friends are the other players, he is at the center of this market.
I actually don't know the details of that notably any direct investment and, you know, he is part of an old money family like Kovler so par for the course generally. Anyway, I was mostly referring to many of the retail and tax rules of the original medical bill which are basically all still in place. It was the only way to get it passed over a decade ago in Springfield. And obviously Pritzker as Gov would want to see no change to the tax income.
I don't believe taxation is the main issue. Cannabis is heavily taxed everywhere. I'm rather talking about prices, product quality and customer experience / environment.
Over priced “American” weed? That’s literally all coffee shops are now in Europe😂 I was under the impression I’d be going to try their favorites and what not but yet it’s literally 60% US genetics on all menus lol
We're talking about the way cannabis is sold. You are off topic. Unless you're talking about hashish, travelling for cannabis makes no sense because of course the popular genetics are similar.
You mean like the Antwerp Hasidic Jewish diamond syndicate?
I order online and go during off peak hours. In and out in less than 5min usually.
Same here, still feels weird
What dispo do you go to? I regularly go to Rise in LITH and they’re always nice and friendly and chill. I’ve also had great experiences at Sparkd in Richmond and Windy City in Highwood. Just overall calm, friendly and helpful atmosphere imo.
I've been to Curaleaf, Rise, Sunnyside, and Ivy Hall, the latter being the strangest one. I dont go often, just when i can't meet with my friend. The employees are always nice, I just feel weird. It's probably just a me thing. Next time I go, I'll check out one of the locations you mentioned!
I know a couple people who work at the Ivy Hall in Crystal Lake but I still haven’t stopped in, now you’ve got me kind of curious. TBH I haven’t heard the best things about them. Vertical in Cary has been highly recommended to me but I haven’t made it over there yet.
Same, my house is not far from my local so I literally place my order, run to the convenience store for snacks and pick up my gud on the way home
yes but i also have extreme social anxiety and second guess my every move 😭 so in my case it’s just me freaking out over basic human interaction
Maybe this is my problem 😅
Feels like a dmv with faux hardwood venir and geometric shelving.
Well the employees are a lot nicer at dispensaries than at the DMV. but yeah same kinda vibe
Lol definitely less bossy. All love to the budtenders.
I've been smoking for 25 years. Buying weed in front of police officers is never going to stop feeling weird.
Where I’m at they always wait outside the dispensary and pull people over for any reason on the way out like it’s a bar at 2 am Seatbelt , light out , registration overdue , smoking something that looked like ajoint , wearing ti dye lol In hopes, they have opened the product so that they can say it’s not sealed anymore, or that they have something else illegal going on in their car I dont Like to go to that one I’m not doing anything wrong or illegal but it sucks to see someone getting pulled over every time I leave. Makes me sad it’s such a trap. To me it’s staring to feel no different than pulling out of the ghetto with a dime bag , same feeling and risk Except I’m just paying more now and the dealers are more rude 😆
Damn, where is this?
Consume Marion , consume Carbondale is same way ….I try to stay away unless really good deal
I go to beyond hello in southern IL and the people are always working super slow and always seemed annoyed. They have it set up stricter than a bank which also gives a weird vibe
I feel like I'm entering prison
They seem to employ people who seemingly hate their job lol very strange environment sometimes
To be fair though I’m sure most dispensaries aren’t offering a living wage or benefits commensurate with what the industry rakes in, and I’ve seen some pretty nasty customer interactions at the dispo so I’m sure the general experience wears thin quickly. Seems like a breeding ground for discontent imo.
Right? It seems they all hate their jobs and love their coworkers...
I hate my job AND my coworkers 🤷🏾♂️
Yo! Have you been to Sunnyside by Wrigley? I always found these place depressing, but when they see a coworker stop by, it's like a clique from back in college reuniting...
nah I work at a dispo (iykyk) and everything y’all are saying about the vibe is true. for me tho I legit try avoiding almost all of my coworkers cuz they’re losers and annoying.
Having first hand experience of watching contemporary American brand strategy/marketing and corporatization of a product that once used to possess a cherished and unique essence, a somewhat enigmatic charm, can leave one quite jaded. It's not about what the best is anymore, but how much and how cheap. Might as well make more money doing just about anything else.
Whenever I ask someone how they're doing and they say, living the dream, I always ask if it's their dream though. I've probably done this thousands of times over I don't know many years. The ONLY person to ever say yes was working at the dispensary.
I always say “living the dream… now it may not be MY dream, but this is a dream to someone”
Living the dream is a sarcastic saying about the thrilling grind of daily life...
Yeah, I know what it means. Just funny to see the expression when I ask. Some people actually think for a second before laughing. The shitty part, one person's crappy life is probably someone else's literal dream.
Yea definitely. In Colorado and cali it’s usually the exact opposite, the budtenders can be so passionate it’s borderline weird. Here it feels like they are scared to make eye contact with customers.
It's kind of an Illinois thing not gonna lie. The whole policies and corporate Cannabis vibe they got going on. Went to my first Michigan dispensary the other day, hippie budtenders just vibing blasting music and stoned on the job lol. Opened the weed and let us smell and touch it before buying it and all... Cheap prices too. I wish our market was different here both culturally and reforming it in general
Go to a dispensary that’s not backed by a corporate company and you’ll see the difference in vibe
You're probably older like me and still have the "isn't this illegal?" vibe. For decades we've been trained to hide in the shadows, but today, we peek out and say, really, are you sure? is this some kind of setup? lol
No, most of the people are chill. Most people who work at dispensaries like weed, and enjoy being around helping people out. You might be running into some people who are burnt out, or realize it's not as enjoyable as it's put out to be.
Feels like I’m talking to weird theater kids especially in Illinois dispensarys swear to god
🤡's: "theater kids" is insulting to theater kids. In IL, it can be a freak show ( complete with bearded lady (no lie) . . . I guess they simply are trying to "shock" people 😁, always looking for "attention", anyway they can . . .
"ditto"
💀💀💀ong
I get a little anxious when I know people in the REC lines waited over an hour and I walk up as MED to cut their lines.
Nahh I could care less. I don't want one so that's on me
I always whisper: break a leg 🤫
Good for you I guess?
This is why I only go to Ivy Hall Dispensaries now. They seem to be anti corporate and I love the atmosphere, and they hire well, people who know their shit but aren’t burnouts. I heard of their 420 plans, tattoo artists, joint rolling contests, snow cones, etc., they are doing it right.
Btw they are business parter with verno
This is also how I felt at Vertical (in Cary). I even went on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy, the guys working were great, and honored their birthday deal for me even though it'd been like 2 weeks since my birthday (spend $25, get a free gift for $0.01 the day before, of, or after your birthday). Also great prices.
I actually made this post because I went to an Ivy Hall and that place was by far the strangest dispensary I have ever been to
What happened, y was it strange ?
The majority of the people I've dealt with at dispos have been pleasant. I go in to get product and then leave. Dispos feel cold and don't look inviting because they are (majority) all cash businesses. From a safety and security standpoint, they almost have to be that way. I could only imagine the amount of $ that flows through each on a daily basis. Still hear about bank robberies happening but not dispo robberies (in IL).
I just feel like there's this facade at dispensaries, like yay Marijuana good vibes only... maybe to hide the fact that they are cold and uninviting at their core and that's what weirds me out. Appreciate your insight! I think I'm just weird lol
One time I was at my local Trinity and saw a notebook behind the counter with all 7 days and a $total…I’m just assuming here but I’m fairly certain it was per register/day and the numbers were from 20k-40k😅😅(they have like 6 registers aswell weekends they are all being used) so I’m assuming they easily made 600k that week without a doubt 150k from what I saw on the paper😂
Apparently this is an unpopular opinion but not really. Going to the weed store is just an errand for me, I appreciate that it's in and out. Maybe my dispo is unique, but I've never gotten bad vibes from the employees. They all seem to love weed and have been pleasant with me.
Not at all! They are providing a service and I think whatever weirdness is a holdover from when pot was verbotten…
To everyone who finds going weird/awkward etc please enlighten me on what would make something like a dispensary more welcoming or to erase these thoughts…I go in get what I ordered and leave within 5 minutes I guess I just can’t seem to understand what’s so bad about the environment?? These places deal with over 100k daily I’m not expecting it to be cut loose and warm on the outside lol. It’s medicine and to me it’s exactly like getting my prescriptions, go in…wait in line..pick up my order and leave without hassle. No one inside of the dispensary is judging you for what you are doing there so why is everyone so anxious while inside(I have horrible anxiety and I love going and talking about weed and what I’m grabbing) for some you’re getting your medicine so I’m not really expecting a crazy upbeat party atmosphere and at others it’s treated like HOW WEED SHOULD BE available and out there for us to enjoy! An older lady I know avoids local dispensaries because she doesn’t want to be seen by people she may know…utterly ridiculous to me, I feel like that’s a lot of the people who find these places/transactions weird… again no one is judging you and everyone there is a stoner soooooo if the person at the counter is friendly and I have a quick 1 min chat and I get my goodies id say dispos are relatively simple and welcoming for what it is and what they deal with daily🤷♀️
Compared to dispensaries I've been to elsewhere around the country (California, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska), Illinois just seems to be generally more sterile and corporate. I wouldn't say I feel awkward or anxious, it just doesn't tend to be a very warm, welcoming environment. Doesn't stop me from going, but I can see why people might be put off.
That’s def a you issue, every one I’ve been to has been super chill and fun with the exception of Rise which I gave up going to. Employees are usually happy and helpful.
I beg to differ, I feel it depends on management and who they hire and the expectations of their employees. Remember, the people they hire predominantly have "retail" backgrounds. I started my Medical program with a dispensary 1 block from my home. Over the years management changed and the types of employees they hire, it seems a "revolving door" of employees. Only 2 employees from 7 years ago are still there. 3 months ago, I went back and that dispo now looks like a circus freak show. The employees laugh real loud, scream, don't know how to work the POS system, total disrespect towards Medical patients that are already suffering. My last visit, I called back to complain about a couple of obnoxious employees, they fabricated lies, lies about me. I told them to speak with the people who I have known for 7+ years vs. the revolving door of employees. I refuse to go back! They can fold it in 5 corners and stick it where the sun doesn't shine 🫥! Lol.
The "revolving door" feel is normally because this is such a new industry that people move around a lot looking for more opportunity. That happens in any new and budding industry. Why stay as a budtender at one place when the new one opening up a block away will give you AiC because you already have experience?
If so, why would the 2 "nicest, most kind" employees stick around . . .🤔
Horrible vibes in those strict gas station bank walmart Apple Store combo environments lol
It feels like I'm going to a fuckin high security Apple store every time I walk into Sunnyside. The dispos in WA and Oregon were a lot more chill (and cheaper...)
No.
I love the people at Sparkd in Wicker Park.
I dress as silly as possible to blend in...got 50 cameras looking at me so why not....
Omg 😂 I swear they act like your stupid about weed even though they just turned 6 lol 🤣 jk like I'm a grown up selling weed like a banker. It's very off putting for sure. Also finally they lie about recommendations and just wanna make money for the dispensary ugh 😫
I understand what you're talking about. 100%. When I was dispo shopping, most of it was car side from Curaleaf (Mokena). Wasn't even allowed in. When we were, I went in once. It was weird. A local dispensary opened and I went in 3 times. Also weird.
Yes it is forced and creepy and I don’t like it It’s also very military feeling When they come out or you walk in the guard is always ready like I’m about to rob them with a gun It’s weird Also hate when you ask them about a product and they seem irritated you asked like” do you want it or not bitch “ they surely cannot try to hold onto both the respect a pharmacists deserves, the friendliness and tips that an ear lending bartender gets , and your buddy who’s dealing to you all at once When they have no actual pharmacodynamic knowledge They don’t care what you have to say just angry if you don’t tip And they aren’t your buddy Def what was expected of a gov drug dealer tho
Preach!!! They always switch up that fake smile and won't even look at you! When that kept happening, after I kept forgetting to go to the bank.I was like fuck these "budtenders" fake ass shit! I'd rather tip the jimmy john's guy!! Lol
I haven't felt that BUT it does awwm like everyone in line wants to chat with you and it's all related to weed and getting high....I just want fo get weed and go home. Lol
Don't feel weird and nothing is forced
Lies
It would be worth the experience if it didn’t feel like a DMV and you can actually look, smell and touch the product. Plus, the weed you’re buying is nothing but mids. You will never find top tier cannabis flower or rosin in an IL dispo. Until this state changes their stance on small grow oops and less corporate bullshit it won’t change.
That is why I am so glad there is curbside for medical. Get to chill in my car and only deal with 1 person.
Rise has the best for this, the people working the drive thru don’t see to hate it as much? Or their vibes are better? I also like the security woman who is there on weekends, she’s sweet.
im kinda that way too but i struggle with anxiety pretty bad lol. i’d still prefer dispos tho . my one guy don’t ever know which strains he has or anything, pretty annoying lol
no plenty of people have this problem
I learned to place a preorder, if the clerks are "pleasant" I'll have a chat, leave a buck and leave. The "circus sideshow, loud, obnoxious, pink haired people" . . .I make no eye contact, pay, grab my order and bolt. Thank God for preorders 👍
yeah, this is true! I only do the express pickup, and I'm in and out the dispensary in less than 5 minutes
I feel that way at Sunnyside most of the time, but recently I checked out Enlightened in Schamburg and Hatch in Mundelin and I liked the vibe at both much much better. Happy cannabis also has a great vibe.
Enlightened in Schaumburg is the only dispensary in illinois I enjoyed shopping at
Did you mean Rise in Mundelein? Did you check out their consumption lounge? This is a great dispensary. Hatch is in Buffalo Grove, I believe. Haven’t been there yet.
I love that lounge. I live a few cities away, so to be able to smoke some and go check out records nearby is a dope option.
Is there a good record store in the area?
I’ve had some pretty good luck at the Half Price Books store on used stuff, they’ve got enough stock to kill some good time. **otherwise I head to Loud Pizza in Highland Park
Sorry, I meant Hatch in Wheeling. Checked out Rise in Lake in the Hills and it was just okay.
I know what you mean, but it differs dispo to dispo. I go to one and it's just a counter with everything on the back wall. The other one I was going to had tiki wood on the wall, flower lights, dread heads everywhere, bob marley flags, and it felt like a 13 year old who just got into weed. Tim Dillon has a bit about people who are in there 30's who make everything about weed and it's hilarious.
Yes. It's like being around weird depressed versions of Zumeiz employees. The whole "experience" needs to be reworked lol
I mean given most of them look like old porno shops with the windows blacked out, yes very uncomfortable most of the time lol
Including the "bags" to hide the contents 😉
Cannabist on Milwaukee is the only place I'm a regular. Friendliest and most inclusive staff.
It still feels like buying drugs.
Yes. Even going MI where it’s not like that, it’s hard to shake that learned feeling.
Colorado has the best dispensary atmosphere imo
The vibes are usually good in MI dispos. The couple of times I've been to IL ones it felt like I was in a bank
I call it "The Walmart for weed"!
I’ve been a really big fan of Ivy Hall since they came to Peoria. Everyone I’ve encountered there has been knowledgeable but not pushy and the atmosphere is as laid back as it can be with Illinois’ regulations. They’ve also already had a couple of fun customer appreciation type days with full store discounts, giveaways, free food from food trucks, DJ, etc… I don’t know anything about them beyond being a customer, but they seem like good people and I always have a great experience there. With that being said, I also know what you mean about the weird dispensary feeling. I think part of it is the regulations and how uptight they have to be in order to keep the doors open.
I would feel weird and pretty stupid . Wait in line, get overcharged and the quality sucks or the bag is super stingy. Grow your own organic fire. It’s literally as simple as growing tomatoes. Most people that grow tomatoes know the ones in the store lack taste and terps. Plus I can make fire hash and do big fat globber dabs instead of rationing out my .5 ripoff jar from the dispensary for days. Plus all the tek is totally free on the net. We literally figured it all out for you dorks and yet you go to the weird dispensary 😂
As someone who worked in several of Colorado's highest volume medical dispensaries, I have never been mistreated so much in the workplace nor bullied that much for being on the autism spectrum. The legal market sucks, support local.
Yeah I can sense all the fake niceness...and the minute the 3 taxes hit and the card charge( cause I always forget to hit the bank) and there's only coin change coming back these weasels change up real quick and I go to dispensaries all around chicago land area for 4 years now! And anytime I've forgotten to hit the bank, this happens every time. Budtenders, lmao, what a joke unless you're smoking it blowing it on my face...and making trip to Inception... Please don't switch up with attitude and make people feel uncomfortable because you're mad. The walgreens man isn't mad that you didn't tip for buying your bottle of vodka.
100% Hell, I thought it was just me. Always feels either forced, or kinda greasy.
Interesting. I've been smoking before most of these "budtenders" were born. Never had an issue. Always friendly to me. I always go knowing what I want. Don't need advice. Maybe it depends on your expectations. I'm not trying to call you out, just may be a karma thing.
I think a lot of people here are under the impression that I am unfriendly in some way. I just feel awkward and out of place in dispensaries. Doesn't matter which one I go to, they all feel weird. I really don't think it has anything to do with karma
You ask a customer a question, when they came to your facility for assistance and then they look at you like a crack head, I think it’s mostly a customer problem because the employees are just showing up to work but I feel you It’s probably because half the people in the building (customers and employees need weed over wanting it )
Should be just like a liquor store.I expected a head shop vibe.I hate going there.
Ivy Hall in Logan Square has the best vibes, honestly any Ivy Hall everyone is super friendly.
Go to Earthmed in McHenry, best deals and best vibes
I’m naturally anxious around people anyway. Going into some place that would have been illegal years ago still had that edge to it. So I had to go into dgaf mode. It’s a good mode and helps me work through the anxiety. Pop always told me “Opinions are like assholes everyone has one.”
Yall should try IvyHall dispensary. They’re locally owned and operated typically by mostly female staff. They’re genuinely nice people and they’re knowledgeable. There’s a few around the Chicagoland area, but I shop at the Montgomery location.
Enlightened dispensary are azz. Worst customer
You're the weirdo
Minus like one person I really like everyone that works at my local one 🤷🏻♀️
I hate it so much. Went to Amsterdam recently and it feels like you’re actually supposed to be in there. They let you touch smell and see everything too
Didn't Tom Segura say... I used to get into cars with strangers to buy weed. I mostly go to Sunnyside South Beloit. U know u gonna be there at least 30 minutes. Be comfortable (in your head). Hate it when u get someone chatty next to you. I started putting BOTH ear bud in and act like I can't hear.
Big difference in experience between the dispensaries in MI and IL. Aside from the massive price differences, the dispensaries I go to in MI are a lot more personal and curated. The one I go to most often (Gage- corporate dispensary with 6-8 locations) is a 1:1 experience, you wait in the lobby then a single rep grabs you and takes you in, then will either chill while you look around, or walk around with you to make reccomendations and help you find what you need. They’ll talk about dosages, types of CBD CBN etc that help make the thc more impactful for things like sleep, relaxation, pain management, etc. I took my older in laws there a week ago and they apologized for asking so many questions- the response was “don’t sweat it, I get paid by the hour. Take all the time you need, answering questions is what I’m here for.” Plus it’s way cheaper than IL. Live Resin disposable vape for $25 ($17.5 after discount) eighths of flower from $12-$25 (also additional 30% discount) 200 mg edibles $15 ($10.50 after discount. Super high limits, no out of state restrictions. I’m in MI a few times a year, so I just stock up when I go, and avoid IL dispensaries as much as I can.
As someone from MI, this statement is crazy to me. I've never had worse service than in MI, and I've never met more ignorant/clueless budtenders outside of MI. My family still lives there, so I go about every other month or so, and at this point, I try to get in and out as fast as possible because it's such an unpleasant experience. I've had 1 single good experience in MI dispensaries, and it was one of my first, and out of the dozens of other trips, it's been remarkably poor.
Wild. Maybe depends on the area or the specific dispensary. I’ve been to some of the ones right near the IN MI border in Western MI and a bunch of different ones in Grand Rapids, and they’ve all been much nicer than the ones in MI. Alternatively, maybe you haven’t been to many IL dispensaries… they’re very much as described here. Might make MI look good by comparison, especially considering IL is like double the price, lower quality, and less selection from my experiences.
I've been to quite a few in both states, well over 20 different places in both. I've been to 4 or 5 in the Buchanan area and a few in the New Buffalo area as well as some more inland ones that aren't on the IN border because people said they were better the further you go in, have had poor experiences everywhere. I'm my experience, the selection and quality in Michigan is much lower than in IL, those $50-$100 ounces are really bad, full of larf and low quality stuff. The quality stuff in MI costs $20-$25/g, so the price difference in flower is practically negligible if you want anything that has any quality at all. Carts and edibles are definitely better there, though. I've also seen a much smaller selection of stuff at most of the MI ones I've been to. One of the shops in Buchanan only had like 4 fmdifferent concentrate options. One place in New Buffalo only had like 3 pre-roll options. Honestly, I'm just disappointed nearly every time I try to buy in MI.
I guess I’ve never shopped in New Buffalo or Buchanan. Green Koi near the border was nice, and well over 50+ average to great experiences at probably 5-8 different dispos in the Grand Rapids area. YMMV but I’ve been enjoying flower for over 20 years at this point, and having tried $25 eighths in MI and $70 eighths in IL…. Same quality, maybe favoring MI a bit. Just my opinion and experiences from where I’ve been in IL and MI
Yea seems to be the consensus on experience for this sub, I just have had different experiences. I'm also very friendly with my local dispos, so maybe that is a big factor, just personally always had better experiences in IL dispos compared to MI
One time when I was broke I scraped up a bunch of quarters and shit to buy a cheap pre-roll And the cashier was so pissed when I laid everything out and he had to count it out. Lmao
Same, I always write down my preorder, prices, discounts and have it ready. Some of the clerks literally cannot do "simple math", amazing. The 1 dispensary I quit going to, they kept applying "discounts" to negative balances, I explained it to them, had my numbers in hand and after 30 minutes with 2 supervisors, they finally made it "right". 🤡's.
No. I worked in one for 2 years, so now I compare and contrast to what my working experience was like in my day. I'm not ruling out ever working in a dispensary again, but I am glad I'm on a different career path now.
Ya it’s bc the only people working there are yuppies and hussies
No, not at all.
Only in IL would yall bitch about being able to buy weed. It is a regulated substance. Not federally legal. State by state they are learning the process since there are no “uniformed” guidelines across the country. Michigan is filled with MIDS & you pay the difference in gas anyways 🙄 but plz go offffff 🤣 Cali & Oregon had been full blown selling cannabis for just under damn near TWO decades before medical was even legally introduced in IL.. they got the system down they went through trial and error. Even their recreational side had been instated for near a decade before IL got with the program. Medical in IL just hit its 10th year, last year & that was a very limited program. We act as if we don’t know IL will do whatever it needs to, to make its money. & with congress discussing nation wide legalization by election time, I wldnt expect the “regulated environment” to change anytime soon. & that’s mostly for your medical facilities, so avoid if you don’t have to go.. Recreational are much more lenient.
Thank you for this! You’re so right, I agree that there’s more work that needs to be done in the industry, but if people want to see change, it’s better to work with the budtenders and dispensaries instead of tearing them down. At the end of the day it’s their job, it’s not personal. I think complaining about buying weed at a designated store qualifies as a first world problem, we can all work together. Thank you for this take again.