When the first dispensaries opened up shop for recreational sales in Ohio, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Then I looked at the prices.

Stupidly expensive. Like, double the street prices expensive. I still had to buy some because I’d been dreaming about walking into a store and buying weed since I was a high-schooler, but damn. I can see why Colorado’s economy went through the roof when they pioneered this stuff over a decade ago.

I eventually went back to buying it off some old stoner from up north. Let’s call him Kyle. Kyle’s prices were great and it was decent quality. I just never knew what strain I was getting, the THC content, when and where it was grown, whether or not there were pesticides or Miracle Grow on it, etc.

When I go into a dispensary – actually before I even set foot in one, I can go to their website and sort through dozens of different strains. Everything has the THC content and lab results listed. Contrary to what literally every weed dealer will tell you, sativa vs indica actually does make a huge difference. I would never smoke an indica again if I had the choice.

Actually, I do have a choice!

Kyle has good deals, but so does Temu. With either of those guys, you know nothing about what you’re getting, other than it’s cheap and convenient. And they both want to up-sell you for every penny you have and they’re constantly pinging your inbox to persuade you to buy more, and more often.

There’s no real quality control or regulations.

Neither of them care if you get some bad product. Kyle doesn’t care if he sells you some old junk that’s been in a five gallon bucket in his basement for a year. He’ll tell you he just got it in the mail from his buddy who owns a dispensary in California. He’ll even give you a cute made up strain name. Oof.

So I told him I’m taking a break. Don’t call me; I’ll call you.

The dispensary stuff is overpriced, but I at least get some peace of mind in knowing what I’m getting. And no one tries to persuade me or up-sell me on anything. It’s more expensive, but I’m smoking less because there’s less pressure and more THC. What a time to be alive.