Let’s be real: weed is expensive. And, it’s rough that insurance companies won’t cover the costs of the cannabis plant despite its medical purposes. This leaves many people wondering, “How can I save money at a dispensary?”
Don’t worry: we’ve got plenty of tips and tricks that will help bring down your average dispensary purchases.
Let’s talk about how to easily save money at dispensaries.
How Much Does the Average Person Spend at the Dispensary?
The average person spends between $33 and $50 per dispensary visit. Annually, the average consumer spends close to $650 on cannabis per year.
However, more frequent consumers may spend closer to around $2,500.
So, if you feel like you’re spending a lot of money on your recreational cannabis, that’s because you probably are.
Of course, you also have to consider regional factors. For example, in states with limited dispensary access, such as Maine, consumers often travel longer distances to make purchases, leading to higher average spending per visit.
On the other hand, states with more lenient regulations and a higher number of medical cannabis dispensaries, like Colorado and Washington, see lower average transaction amounts due to competitive pricing and easy accessibility.
Regardless, many marijuana users are spending way too much on their recreational weed every time they step into the dispensary. Here’s how you can save quite a bit of cash overall.
The easiest way to save on weed is one card away.
What’s the Easiest Way to Save Money at a Dispensary?
Far and wide, the easiest way to save money at a dispensary is to be a medical marijuana patient.
In states with fully legal weed, the price discrepancies between medical patients and recreational consumers is huge, with cardholders spending much less on their medical marijuana products overall.
We’ll talk about it more in detail later, but MMJ patients pay less in taxes on cannabis products, receive medical-only discounts, and experience priority service that recreational consumers simply won’t get. All of these benefits can help you save on your dispensary purchases over time — and right away.
If your state only has medical marijuana, of course, this is the only way you can buy at a dispensary. However, you can still take advantage of the myriad benefits that come with medical cannabis.
Let’s talk about how much money you’ll save at a dispensary being a medical marijuana cardholder based solely on tax rates.
Medical Marijuana Taxes vs. Recreational Cannabis Taxes
As we mentioned, medical marijuana patients are going to pay a lot less in taxes than recreational cannabis consumers.
Most states make medical marijuana cardholders exempt from paying certain taxes, such as sales or excise taxes.
Recreational consumers, on the other hand, often are left paying super high fees, ranging anywhere from an additional 5% to around 25%.
These fees can make your singular cannabis products a lot more expensive than their price tag shows.
However, medical patients won’t have to pay those fees. This helps you save a ton of money on each of your dispensary purchases.
If you want to know exactly how much money you can save at dispensaries being an MMJ patient, you can check out our medical marijuana savings calculator.
Join Dispensary Loyalty Programs!
How can I save money at a dispensary if I’m already a medical marijuana cardholder?
Dispensary loyalty programs, and paying attention to their specific daily deals, can do a lot for your cannabis savings.
With a dispensary loyalty program, you’ll accumulate points with every purchase you make. These points will add up, eventually granting you exclusive deals or dispensary discounts. You’ll get anything from a certain amount off your purchase to a free product entirely depending on how many points you save.
Again, pay attention to the daily dispensary deals offered, too. This is a great way to save money on weed every time you visit, and many dispensaries offer these every day of the week.
If Mondays have deals on edibles, make sure you buy them then. If Saturday is known for concentrate discounts, that’s the day to stock up on your wax.
Trust us: it makes quite a difference overall — and your wallet will thank you.
Other Benefits of Having a Medical Card
Did you know that if weed is fully legal in your state, medical marijuana patients will likely get discounts at most dispensaries just for being a cardholder?
That’s right: patients typically receive exclusive discounts on each purchase as long as they still have an active card. This makes your already-discounted weed even more affordable.
On top of the discounted prices and services, having a medical card can bring so many advantages that recreational consumers simply will never get.
For example, many medical patients receive employee protection. This means that employers cannot refuse to hire you if you have a medical marijuana card, or fail a drug test for THC. Having this kind of protection with your MMJ card brings a huge sense of relief for employees.
In the case that your state’s cannabis industry has a shortage on weed, medical patients will receive priority service in terms of getting their cannabis products.
So, you won’t have to worry about not getting what your mind and body deserve: you’ll always be at the top of the list.
Save Money at Your Local Dispensary With Elevate Holistics
Through and through, the best way to save money at dispensaries is by having your medical marijuana card, joining loyalty programs, and paying attention to daily deals.
With Elevate Holistics, you can get approved for a medical marijuana card online in minutes. Our prices are low, competitive, and affordable. Plus, we offer discounts for veterans or those on Medicare/Medicaid.
Our experts can also complete the state registration process for you, making becoming a patient more effortless than ever. All you have to do is select the “full service” add-on at checkout and we’ll handle the rest from there.
Click the button below to book an appointment, get approved for medical marijuana, and start saving money every time you walk into your favorite dispensary.
Pssst, if you want to save even more money on your MMJ card, you can. Simply use the code BLOG5 at checkout to get an additional $5 off your MMJ card just for reading this blog.
