Just go! The shops are used to people walking in and being complete newbies to every part of the experience, from indica to sativa to edibles to every strain on the shelf.

I’ll break down the dispensary experience so you know what you’re getting into:

You usually walk in to a reception area like a doctor’s office. Expect to rub elbows with about 2-3 armed security guards strapped to the nine with tasers and AK’s. Once you’re checked in, you go through a door usually to a small room. The back walls are usually lined with weed products, and there’s a glass counter that stretch around the back walls of the room filled with jars of weed. You’ll get assigned a budtender, who stands behind the counter and walks you through the entire experience. Some shops even give you a first time patient raffle ticket, so you can give it to the budtender to let them know to hold your hand more (and give you first time freebies).

When you pick your weed out, you can touch anything inside a package, but never touch any nugs or exposed products (open edibles, hash, etc). You can smell jars, the staff might pull nugs out with gloves or chopsticks, but you never grab em until they’re packaged up. 

You’ll pay cash, unless you’re in one of the few dispensaries that have credit card (you can tell if they’re verified legal shops, and the prices are usually 2x as much as the underground shops). Shops usually have an ATM on site, but you’ll be dropping a fat fee, so load up at your local bank before swinging by.

Don’t open your package inside the store, or outside – ideally open when you get home. Never smoke outside a dispensary. Unless you took a dab inside, which means they’re illegal anyway. Dispensaries usually have posted rules, just respect ‘em and you’ll be fine.

Hope that helps,
Stay regular super stoner~

I know that feel, I’ve always thought I had hyperosmia since I was a kid. Smells are super strong for me, and I get imprinted by odors easily, so bad situations mixed with strange smells draws strong associations.

The first thing I’d recommend is try dabbing, or vaping, or changing up whatever way your combusting the cannabis. A weed filled blunt has a different aroma than a bong hit or dab. Similar tones, but fairly different in their dank punginess.

The best way to get over a mental disorder like that is to start with small victories. Spark up by yourself, in a setting that you feel comfortable in. You could even burn a joint like some incense every now and then, and smell it throughout the day when you’re personally feeling good. Associate good feels with the smell every time.

Smoking weed actually helped me deal with the issue. It breaks down the bonds of your preconceived norm, and makes it easier to distance yourself from what was once a immutably defined state of being. I can see why people with PTSD use pot, it does wonders for strengthening the psychological id, and breaking down the barrier of the ego - and it’s inherent animalistic responses. It becomes effortless to take a step back from the situation and internalize the emotion rather than being controlled by it.

Hope that helps,
Stay regular super stoner~