By Daron Babin
For many in this country, acquiring weed is as easy as calling that rowdy liberal friend in your group and asking them that age old question..."Hey man, do you know how to buy weed around here?" This is of course, if you aren't already connected. This also assumes that you aren't a current medical marijuana patient or live in a state that has recreational marijuana legalized with operating dispensaries. Both of which we will address a little farther on in this article.
Almost half of this country are states where laws are antiquated, and in some cases what is considered a zero tolerance state. So if you're going to seek it out and take the risk, then follow these simple rules to avoid conflict or problems with law enforcement officials. When you ask what I mean by zero tolerance, let's use Arizona as an example. If you do not have a medical marijuana card and get caught with a roach in your possession, its considered a felony. So this is why learning how to buy weed is very important if you plan on taking the risk where the laws are not evolved.
1. Do not begin approaching strangers asking for the plant in a no tolerance state.
2. Do not seek out people on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other social media platform asking if they know where you can score.
3. Do not answer posted ads in classified ads (i.e. Craigslist) asking how to buy weed.
4. Contrary to popular belief, asking the doorman at a popular hotel, co-op or condos is not the best idea. If they're not cool...then you run the risk of an introduction to security, the co-op board or the condo police. At the least, you may receive a red flag from them as a resident (no matter how brief a stay) which means you'll need to be uber cautious on that property if that's where you intend to consume.
Now, let's talk about the do's of how to buy weed.
1. Do your research, make a list of all of your "cool" friends. Ask someone you know well first. When you ask one of those hip friends, there's a very good chance that they will know how to buy weed and get you hooked up.
2. When learning how to buy weed, know what your options are. If you're in a completely illegal market, then your options will likely be greatly limited to what "the guy" has at that moment. If you're in a state where you have options, then when figuring out how to buy what you are hoping for...ask yourself "what reason you are buying it for?"
2a. Looking for a sleep aid? Ask for an Indica.
2b. Looking for a pain killer? Well there's quite a few strains that can help here...and one of the most thorough places to look for that information is at Leafly. Click here to learn more about painkiller strains: https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/best-cannabis-strains-for-treating-pain
2c. Looking to find something to help manage anxiety? Here's an article to help you learn what strain is best to help with this: https://extract.suntimes.com/extract-news/marijuana-strains-anxiety-relief/
I could go on and on with all of the various medical reasons that one may wish to know how to buy weed for. Your best bet is to just do a little research ahead of time, and know your options. Also, ask questions of the person you are purchasing from. If you are in a state that is legal and regulated, your options will be aplenty. So your research should still be done so you are a bit more knowledgeable before you go into a dispensary to buy what you are looking for. One thing to remember, not every dispensary carries the exact strain you might be looking for.
So once you have honed in on what your need is, and the potential strains that can assist you...then you should call around and ask who has what you are looking for. Its best to call, because sometimes the info on the website could be a little dated. If all else fails, when asking about the strains you are interested in...if they don't have it, you can always ask what they are carrying to help you with your particular ailment. Then when you hang up, look it up to verify their provided info. Once verified, you at least know that there's someone locally you can trust when you call up to ask about specific strains for specific ailments. Remember, they can't make health claims about its effectiveness. But they can verify what a particular strain is used for by the majority of patients. They can also share anecdotal evidence that they have witnessed with respect to certain strains used for specific treatments of specific chronic conditions.
3. Now, let's go back to those illegal markets. Whatever you do, once you are connected...and have a day and time set up to go pick up your weed, make sure you have exact change. You'd be surprised how many of these guys you are acquiring from do not have "change" for a larger bill. Then you are forced to buy more than you originally wanted.
4. Know what the possession limits are in your city/state. You can visit our friends over at NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) to learn the specifics about your state's laws. Click here to learn more: https://norml.org/laws
5. Manage the expectations of the person you are going to buy from. As there is also ettiquette when you are visiting someone's home, apartment or condo in a zero tolerance state. This part of learning how to buy weed is important. You can spook your new hookup by bringing 3 or 4 people with you. Its not a party. Its a transaction for an illegal substance. When you bring extra people, even if its just one person more than they expect...they can think that this extra person is law enforcement. This can make the experience bad for everyone involved. If you are going with the friend that connected you, that's usually ok. Always ask first to manage the expectations of your new hookup.
6. If you are in a recreational or medical state, double check the laws for local delivery services. Both https://leafly.com and https://weedmaps.com will provide lists of delivery services. Check the ratings and reviews first. Do NOT order from anyone claiming to be one of these delivery services in states that have medical marijuana but delivery is not allowed. This could clearly be a sting operation set up to catch people seeking to break local laws. If you are in an illegal state and happen across one of these ads in a classified ad (i.e. Craigslist), do NOT call or order anything from this listing. This too could be local law enforcement.
What this article did not do as of yet, is address the reasons for acquiring recreational marijuana. Learning how to buy weed in a recreational state also requires a little boning up on the rules before doing so. Know what the possession limits are. Know where its ok and not ok to consume. Also, if you are not a resident of the recreational marijuana state you are in and you are looking to buy weed...be aware that the possession limits for out of state visitors will likely be different for you than a local. So do your homework first.
As always, be mindful of your local, state and federal laws. Do your research. Know what you are dealing with. If you are traveling into a recreational marijuana state as a visitor and plan to buy weed and travel back to your state, please know that this is not a good idea. For numerous reason, this can create many long term problems with law enforcement should you get caught. We encourage you to respect state laws, be responsible when buying weed and especially when consuming it.
Cannabis Radio does not recommend breaking any local, state or federal laws.