States all over the U.S. now allow adult-use cannabis.
The black market also still exists in those states, but it is decreasing in size with every day because people want easy access to safe products.
Is your cannabis tested ?
The biggest advantage to purchasing cannabis through a licensed dispensary vs the the guy down the street is that dispensary products are lab tested.
When a consumer purchases from the unregulated market, they likely have no idea what was involved with cultivating the cannabis that went into the flower, edible, concentrate, etc.
Cannabis that is sold at licensed adult-use dispensaries is required to undergo extensive testing, the results of which can be found right on the label.
Quality assurance
Reputable licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries only put the best products on their shelves and in their display cases.
To make sure that happens, the dispensaries review all of the flower and other products that come in to separate the best from the rest.
In an unregulated market, consumers are at the mercy of what people want to sell them, which often involves mixed results.
Fresh Product Drops
Veteran consumers know that there is a big difference between when cannabis flower is ripe and fresh and when it has been sitting around for a while.
A huge benefit to shopping at dispensaries compared to the unregulated market is that consumers can find out almost immediately when a new product has dropped.
In an unregulated market consumers get what they get, which is often cannabis that has been improperly stored, likely sat around for a bit, has been handled too much, and had to travel great distances.
This kind of mishandling can affect the quality of cannabis as well as its overall effects.
Support workers and craft companies
When cannabis consumers shop at reputable licensed dispensaries, their dollars go towards supporting craft cannabis farmers and companies instead of supporting violent, murderous cartel operations.
Support society
Legal adult-use cannabis purchases are taxed, with these dollars going to fund all types of things like schools, substance abuse treatment programs, and even police.
This means everybody who lives in a legal cannabis state can benefit, not just cannabis consumers.
All taxes raised by legal cannabis purchases goes towards the public good, which is not something that can be said about the unregulated industry.