Your first dispensary visit: what actually happens

What actually happens, step by step

Have a valid government photo ID ready. The shop must see it at the point of sale.

A budtender asks what you are looking for and brings options to you. You tell them what you want, they ring it up, you pay, and you leave with everything in a sealed bag.

The words you will hear

Nobody expects you to already know this language. Here is what the counter staff mean when they use it.

• •Budtender: the person helping you at the counter.
• •Flower: the dried plant itself, sold by the gram or by the eighth (3.5 grams).
• •Pre-roll: a rolled joint, ready to light.
• •Vape cart or cartridge: a small vaporizer for concentrated oil.
• •Edible: a gummy, chocolate, or drink infused with THC, measured in milligrams.
• •mg: milligrams of THC, the number that actually tells you how strong an edible is.
• •Batch: the production lot. COA (certificate of analysis): the lab test results for that batch.
• •Personal use amount: the state’s cap on how much you can buy or carry at once.

The ID check

You need a valid government photo ID showing you are 21 or older: a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or passport card, military ID, or tribal card all work. A college or university ID does not count.

A shop can ask to scan your ID to build a customer profile, but it cannot refuse to sell to you just because you say no to that. Staff are also required to refuse service to anyone who is visibly intoxicated, so do not show up already high expecting a normal visit.

Paying

Bring cash or a debit card. Most dispensaries cannot take credit cards, because cannabis remains illegal federally and the major card networks will not process it. Apps like CanPay, Pay by Bank (Dutchie Pay) or Aeropay work at many shops, and most have an ATM on site, usually with a fee.

Some shops use a "cashless ATM" at checkout instead: your total gets rounded up to the next $5 or $10 and you get the difference back as cash or as change, plus a possible fee. Mastercard called this practice deceptive in July 2023 and told banks to stop it. Ask what fee applies before you agree to that checkout.

Adult-use purchases carry Maryland’s 12% cannabis sales tax. Registered patients and caregivers pay none; bring your patient ID number along with your photo ID. Each shop page on this site shows the payment methods that shop publishes, so you can check before you drive over.

How much to buy your first time

Maryland caps what any adult-use customer can hold at 1.5 ounces of flower, 12 grams of concentrate, or products containing up to 750 mg of THC total. That's a legal ceiling. Most first-timers buy far less.

For a first visit, buying small gives you room to try something without committing your whole budget: an eighth of flower (3.5 grams) or a couple of low-mg edibles is a common starting order.

The patient line

If you are a registered medical patient, say so when you walk in. Maryland dispensaries are required to give registered patients either an exclusive hour or a dedicated, priority line, separate from the general adult-use queue.

What not to do

Do not open your product or use any of it in the parking lot or in your car. Smoking cannabis is prohibited in any public place, including outdoor spaces such as parks, streets, and sidewalks, so do not smoke in the shop lot. Smoking and vaping cannabis are prohibited in indoor areas open to the public. Smoking cannabis in the passenger area of a vehicle is its own separate violation.

Keep the bag sealed until you are somewhere use is allowed. Keep it out of reach, such as in the trunk, so nothing looks like use in the car.