Horror stories spiral around the interwebs about fake weed or illegal cannabis purchases. You don’t want to be the subject of those kinds of posts and their realities. Although the use of marijuana has become legalized for medicinal use and even recreational purposes in several areas of the U.S., not being in the know can cause problems in your cannabis shopping. This guide can help you lawfully buy real weed online.
Is it Legal to Buy Weed Online?
The decriminalization of marijuana is slowly working its way through the different states in the U.S. Still, you will need to read up on the specific state laws for your area in order to comply with the rules. There are all sorts of intricacies that you need to know about: the amount of weed you can carry, whether you can buy weed at all, how many cannabis plants you can own, how many mature cannabis plants you can have in your garden, whether you can use it in groups, as well as whether it can be used for either or both medicinal and recreational purposes.
In some states, anyone selling weed will need a license to make, process, and retail the product on the national level. It’s good to check if your go-to shop has a license. Some states will also need you to provide a doctor’s recommendation or a medical card in order for you to purchase and use weed. In all those scenarios, you will need to provide a photo ID or proof that you are 21 years old and above.
While you’re reading about your state laws, you might also need to consider whether you’re allowed to get cannabis delivered right to your doorstep. Many states do not allow for this even when medical patients might not be strong enough to actually go to a local marijuana shop. Times are constantly changing and delivery policies might evolve. Still, the option of buying a bong with some marijuana on the side might be the practice where you’re from. That’s a practice place like D.C. has done before.
Benefits of Online Weed Shopping
Just like with any other digital purchase, you won’t have to do as much work if you’re simply tapping or clicking away for your next weed fix. A wide collection of products is available on the internet for you to browse and read on to your heart’s content. Additionally, there’s less room for catastrophic results because you can read customer reviews to help you make your choice.
To add to all these positive aspects of the internet buying experience, not having a physical store could make your weed purchases cheaper. Lastly, you won’t have to leave the house to get your leaves! No more long dispensary trips, just quick and easy delivery or shipping.
Watch Out For It: Synthetic vs. Authentic Weed
Watch Out For It: Synthetic vs. Authentic WeedJust because you can rely on the wonderful help of strangers on the internet commenting their reviews on a shop, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be cautious about synthetic weed. Synthetic cannabinoids are also referred to as fake weed, Spice, K2, or synthetic marijuana. These are used as marijuana stimulants and have been a thing ever since 2002.
Worsening matters, they can be toxic, causing potentially dangerous side effects on the body. The aftermath can end with you vomiting, hallucinating, and being confused. Your body will be agitated and your heart rate will increase at a rapid rate. On the harsh end, other bodily reactions include symptoms of psychosis, suicidal thoughts, a damaged kidney, and brutal physical behavior. You might even have to ask for emergency medical services or head to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
These synthetic cannabis products can be in the form of actual legal buds, herbal smoke, marijuana alternatives, or simply be labeled as fake weed. Aside from the last form on the list, it can be very challenging to tell whether the product is real or not.
Brand names to look out for are Blaze, Blueberry Haze, Dank, Demon Passion Smoke, Genie, Hawaiian Hybrid, K2, Magma, Ninja, Nitro, Ono Budz, Panama Red Ball, Puff, Sativah Herbal Smoke, Skunk, Spice, Ultra Chronic, and Voodoo Spice.
These fake weed products are categorized under the drug class of new psychoactive substances (NPS), uncontrolled hallucinatory materials at the same level as illegal drugs.
How Does Fake Weed Work?
Synthetic weed influences the part of the brain affected by THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. This is the exact part of authentic cannabis that gives you that high, psychoactive feeling. You can break fake weed in tea, vape it, or smoke it. Others might call it herbal incense or potpourri.
While some users claim it gives you the same high as marijuana, it is short-lived. The taste can often be too overpowering and make your lungs and throat writhe in pain after you smoke.
One of the main issues with fake weed beyond its harmful side effects is that it isn’t regulated too much. This can make it unsafe and unpredictable when you use it.
How to Tell if it’s Synthetic Weed
Aside from the cannabis itself, synthetic cannabis also carries a combination of traditional herbal plants with the marijuana which is in an array of colors: blonde, brown, red, and the usual green. The clumps of fake weed can come in plastic containers. The danger does not stop at the formulation and look, but also with the labels deliberately leaving out the fact that it is “unfit for human consumption”.
How Do You Know the Weed is Legit?
There are some ways to check if you’re on the right track just upon opening the website. Here is a list of must-haves for any weed online shopping transaction:
1. Licensed shops ask for your age
Once you click on a legit store, you will most likely be greeted by a pop-up window asking for your age or birth date. This helps them determine if you are 21 and up, which is part of following the law. If you’re not being asked for age verification that could be an eerie sign about the legal status of their shop.
2. Dispensaries have proper professional websites
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but, in this case, you would have to beg to differ. A customer-friendly layout that displays all of the products, customer reviews, and ratings, as well as clean graphics, reveals just how legit a company is. This might not be the end-all-be-all rule, but it does reflect a lot on how much the owners care about their brand. If they have the time to create a proper website, they might be less likely to also be on the black market.
3. Dispensaries have certified products
Check if the dispensary has certification if it is needed in your state. Make sure to read the THC levels on the label too. They have to match the laws in your state and a lacking THC label can also be scary and unsafe to use.
4. They use safe online payment methods
If a website asks you to pay for the item using e-transfer or cryptocurrency that is a big red flag waving at you. Trusted checkout processes with clear instructions while using reputable websites or systems can save you from a scam. The use of PayPal, credit cards, or any other legitimate legal payment system is key.
Warning Signs for Shady Weed Shops
There are a lot of gray areas about cannabis, but don’t make the mistake of settling for a gray-area weed shop. There could be dire consequences. Here are a few red flags so you can pack your bags before you make that purchase:
1. Flakey Delivery Promises
Check the customer reviews about how consistently the shop is able to keep their end of the bargain. Once you’ve bought the item or items, if you keep having to ask about updates on your item and it is not delivered on the date stated by the shop, you most likely got scammed. If you do get your items and they had good reasons for the delay, you need to proceed with caution before placing another order.
2. Beware of Extremely Low Prices
You click on a new weed website. The prices are three times lower than they normally are! You’re excited to order, and that’s perfectly normal. Anyone would want a great deal. But at what cost does that price cut come down to? They had to trim down somewhere. Was it cheaper materials? If so, you might have to watch out for synthetic marijuana or any other sort of fake or harmful substance that might be replacing your weed.
3. You Can’t Trace the Contact Info?
Authorized cannabis shops have email addresses connecting them to proper websites. If the email address is an informal or personal contact then things look bleak. You don’t want to get involved in an illegal transaction.
4. No Explicit Policies
We’ve all been there: you clicked on the checkbox without reading the terms or conditions of the agreement. Marijuana has a gray area that could risk you a fine or jail time and this is probably not the kind of situation where you want to miss that part. The privacy policy is especially important here. Not to mention the practices of the shop in relation to delivery, shipping, and returns.
5. No Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can be helpful to shake out any dangerous dealings. Low-quality products usually have low ratings and dozens of comments from dissatisfied consumers. On the other hand, there are websites with no comment box, ratings, or review section anywhere. If you can go on a website with customer reviews that will be the safer option.
Additionally, some websites display customer reviews created themselves. These pages don’t allow you to make your own comments; they have tailored their own feedback to show only those which are positive. You might need to be wary about these websites too. Fake reviews are just as good as no reviews.
Delta 8 THC Online Purchases?
Delta 8 THC is the hip, chill cousin of the cannabinoid Delta 9 THC, which already naturally occurs in cannabis. Delta-8 still gives that relaxing feeling for stoners, but in a mild way. The cannabis connoisseur community’s new craze, this hemp-derived substance walks a fine line in terms of legality because it is derived from hemp, a material legalized under federal law through the 2018 Farm Bill. You will still need to update yourself with the state policy on whether Delta 8 is classified under types of substances that you can lawfully buy and consume. Make sure to check if the Delta-8 products you buy have been tested by a third-party lab. Because Delta-8 is still one of the newer cannabinoids created it is of interest for its unpredictable effects.
