If you have found yourself repeatedly asking Google or Siri: “Can you order medical marijuana online?” or “Is buying medical marijuana online legal?” and you have not gotten a satisfactory answer, don’t panic. Elevate’s got you covered.
These days, you can access almost all goods and services online (including your medical marijuana card — we’re good at that). Having said that, ordering actual medical marijuana may not be as easy as it seems online. That’s why, today, we will discuss the dynamics of buying medical marijuana online and whether or not you should try this digital form of dispensary shopping. Let’s get into it.
Is it Possible to Order Medical Marijuana Online?
It depends.
If you reside in a state where cannabis is illegal, buying cannabis online is unlawful. This is because the US classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, making it prohibited and punishable under the law. In addition, shipping cannabis across state lines is illegal under federal law. Thus, despite websites offering to ship your cannabis irrespective of your location, it is still considered drug trafficking and punishable under the law. This explains why marijuana delivery services such as Eaze and Nugg don’t ship to states where cannabis is illegal.
However, if you reside in a state with legalized marijuana, you may order cannabis online if delivery services are legal in your state. Please note that there are some states where delivery services are unavailable, as the state doesn’t allow them. If you live in any of these areas, you will have to walk into a dispensary to get your medical marijuana.
If you live in a state where medical marijuana and its delivery are both legal, all you need to do is search for legitimate online dispensaries. Thus, buying medical marijuana online in these states is entirely legal — and quite easy to do!
One last thing here — please remember that not all cannabinoids are against the law. So, even if you reside in a state where cannabis is not legal, you can still purchase CBD products with 0.3% THC or less because it is federally legal. Shipping across the states is not prohibited unless your state has explicitly stated otherwise.
What States Allow Online Purchases of Medical Marijuana?
At the moment, ordering medical marijuana online is available in a limited number of states. These include:
- California
- Arizona
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
- Illinois
- Maryland
- New York
- Florida
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Colorado
- Oregon
Medical marijuana can be ordered from a state-licensed dispensary that specializes in cannabis products. Patients must be at least 21 years old and have a valid medical marijuana prescription from an authorized healthcare provider.
Each state may also have additional requirements for ordering medical marijuana online, such as proof of identification or residency status. Furthermore, many states also require that patients register with the state’s medical marijuana program before they can order cannabis products online.
How to Order Medical Marijuana Online?
Ordering medical marijuana online is a convenient option, but it’s crucial to first ensure it’s legal in your state. There’s a noteworthy distinction to be made here: the option to order online often means placing an order for pickup at a nearby dispensary, as opposed to the less common option of having it delivered directly to your doorstep. Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Visit your dispensary’s website
Start by visiting the website of your chosen dispensary. It’s essential to have your medical marijuana card handy, as it’s your key to access. Plus, you’ll need to confirm you’re at least 21 years old – a standard legal requirement. Often, you’ll be asked to create an account or log in, particularly when it comes time to view products or make a payment.
- Browse through the products
Once you’re in, it’s time to browse. Most websites offer filters to help you search by product type, potency, brand, or price. To pick the best products, it’s wise to read descriptions, reviews, and educate yourself about each product’s specifics.
- Choose your preferred products
After selecting your products, take a moment to review your order. This step is crucial to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want and to check if there are additional fees or taxes.
- Confirm your order
Finally, confirm your order. It’s important to note that while many states allow the online ordering of medical marijuana, direct online sales and home delivery are often still restricted. You’ll typically need to select a date and time to pick up your order at the dispensary. Also, if the option to pay online isn’t available, be prepared to pay in person when you collect your order.
Should You Buy Cannabis Online?
So, should you go about buying medical marijuana online? The answer to this question totally depends on your preference, but we have made a list of some pros and cons of buying cannabis online to make your decision process just a little bit easier.
What are the Benefits of Buying Cannabis Online?
Convenience
You can easily place an order, make your payment, and get your medical marijuana delivered to you in good time. Plus, this minimizes physical contact, an essential measure in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the comfort of your home, you can place an order for your medical cannabis from an online dispensary. This is an encouraging advantage because some health challenges may not allow you to move around comfortably.
More Privacy
Whether for recreational or medical purposes, sometimes, you can feel some sort of stigma associated with when you shop at a physical dispensary. (But this shouldn’t be the case, regardless.) Nobody knows your business except the seller and perhaps your delivery agent when you shop from online dispensaries. Thus, if you want to maintain your privacy as a medical marijuana patient, you can resort to purchasing your cannabis online from legitimate dispensaries.
Faster
This particular advantage depends on your choice of online dispensaries. Nonetheless, many of these dispensaries offer you fast and easy shipping, as some offer as fast as next-day delivery. Remember that getting your dosage of medical marijuana in time is crucial to you as a patient.
Cheaper
Physical dispensaries have factored in different considerations when fixing the prices of their marijuana. This includes all their overhead costs, which hardly exist in the case of online weed dispensaries. With the reduction or elimination of these overhead costs, online dispensaries can make their products available to you at a lower price. While you also need to factor in the cost of shipping to your location, remember that several online dispensaries have free delivery incentives for customers who purchase products up to particular quantities. Since insurance companies do not provide coverage for medical marijuana, you always have to pay out of pocket. Getting your monthly dosage at a cheaper cost may make online dispensaries a good alternative for you.
Access to a Wider Range of Products
A lot of physical stores stock only limited forms of cannabis, which is sometimes due to the high demand for these products. At other times, they don’t stock other products because of limited space – you could visit a dispensary and find that they do not have the product you need. This is where online dispensaries are better because they usually have a more comprehensive range of products available for you to select from.
What are the Disadvantages of Buying Cannabis Online?
No Room for Physical Inspection
Visiting the store in person allows you to check the product you are buying before paying. In contrast, when shopping online, all you have is the product description and the online reviews, which may sometimes be inaccurate. Consequently, this increases your risk of getting low-quality cannabis, which may be ineffective for your health needs.
You can take the time to research a brand’s third-party lab-test results if you want to know their products’ quality better. Unfortunately, these aren’t always easy to find, nor do all brands provide them.
Gives Room for Scammers
There are so many illegal suppliers of marijuana online, and if you don’t do your due diligence, you may fall victim to scammers who will rip you of your money and not deliver at all. Unfortunately, buying medical marijuana online comes with these risks.
However, here are some tips to avoid online scammers:
- Buy from government-certified online dispensaries.
- Treat ads with caution as some of them lead to scam websites.
- Start with purchasing only a small quantity to avoid huge losses.
- Try to read online reviews.
- Pay attention to the website as, more often than not, these scammers have poorly designed websites.
Complicated Return Policies
Most physical dispensaries have flexible return policies for cases where you are not satisfied with your purchased cannabis product. On the other hand, many online dispensaries have no refund policies, and for those who have them in place, these policies are often complex. The steps involved in returning a cannabis product you purchased from an online dispensary can be stressful. You’ll have to deal with processes such as filing a claim and shipping it back to them for inspection, among others.
What’s Elevate Got to Do With It?
You can do anything and almost everything from the comfort of your home these days, including buying weed and even getting your medical marijuana card. Here at Elevate Holistics, we provide various telehealth services to our clients, including helping you get your medical marijuana card conveniently, hassle-free, and all from the comfort of your home.
At the end of the day, the decision is entirely yours when it comes to buying medical marijuana online. But, we have to say, in terms of telemedicine appointments, getting your MMJ card over the internet is one smart choice. When you go through reputable services like ours, you don’t have to worry about any stressful appointments, traveling, or hardly making time in your schedule. (Our appointments are only 30 minutes, after all.) Even if you’re not someone who is super technologically savvy, we make the process easier than you could ever imagine.
So, ready to get started? Book an appointment with Elevate and receive your MMJ card. From there, you can purchase medical cannabis where you want — whether online or from your favorite in-person dispo.
