First-time customers ask us the same three things at the door: "Do you check ID?" "How does the menu work?" "What do you recommend?" Here's what actually happens, start to finish, so the visit is not your first time figuring it out.
At the door — ID check, no exceptions
You'll show your ID before you walk past the lobby. We're required by Washington State law to verify everyone's age every visit, even if you've been here a hundred times. Anyone under 21 cannot enter the retail floor — including kids in strollers. (We know. The law is the law.)
What works as ID: a Washington driver's license, an out-of-state driver's license, a US passport, a US passport card, a military ID, or a Tribal ID with a date of birth. What doesn't work: an expired ID, a photo of an ID, a temporary paper ID without a photo.
If your ID is vertical (i.e. issued to you when you were under 21) and you're now over 21, that still counts — but we'll look closely at the date of birth, because the state pays close attention to vertical-ID transactions and so do we.
On the floor — what the menu looks like
A typical Washington dispensary menu is broken into seven or eight categories:
- Flower — the bud, sold by weight (eighth, quarter, half, ounce).
- Pre-rolls — joints, already rolled. Single or multi-pack.
- Vapes — cartridges and disposables.
- Concentrates — wax, shatter, live resin, rosin (used with a dab rig).
- Edibles — gummies, chocolates, drinks, baked goods.
- Tinctures — drops, sublingual.
- Topicals — lotions, balms (most don't get you high).
- Accessories — papers, lighters, batteries, dab tools.
You can browse the menu on your phone before you walk in (it's at /menu — same products you'll see in the case), or take it slow at the counter.
At the counter — what to ask a budtender
The most useful thing a first-time customer can say is some version of:
"I haven't done this in a while," or "I'm new — what would you recommend?"
We're not going to push you toward the most expensive thing on the shelf. We're going to ask three questions:
1. Tolerance. Have you used cannabis before? When was the last time? 2. Intent. What are you hoping it does? Sleep, social, focus, recovery, just curious? 3. Format. Do you want to smoke, vape, eat, or drop something under your tongue?
From those three answers, we can usually narrow to two or three products. We'll tell you what we'd start with and why. We'll usually steer you toward a smaller-quantity / lower-dose product on a first visit — it's better to come back next week with a follow-up question than to dose wrong on day one.
The thing first-timers are most often surprised by: how willing we are to talk. Take 10 minutes. Ask the dumb-feeling question. We've heard it.
At the till — cash, ATM, the math
We're cash-only — every Washington dispensary is, because cannabis is federally illegal and the major card networks won't process for our category. There's an ATM in the lobby; expect a $3 surcharge typical for a cannabis-store ATM. Bring extra and you'll be fine.
If you signed up for our customer system (we ask once at the counter — it's a phone number or email, not a "loyalty card") you'll see your visits add up over time and you'll get the email or text discount we run on your account.
You don't have to sign up. Plenty of customers don't. But when first-time customers ask, we usually pitch the signup with: "Sign up real quick — first visit's 30% off and you'll be in the system for next time."
On the way out — what's in the bag
Your products go in an opaque exit bag — Washington requires it, no branded packaging visible. The receipt's in the bag. If you ordered online, your order is already staged with your name on it.
What's NOT in the bag: medical advice, dosing guarantees, anything we promised would treat or cure something. We don't make those claims. We can't, legally, and even if we could, every person's body chemistry is different. What's in the bag is what's on the label.
In the parking lot — don't open it here
Washington law prohibits consuming cannabis in any public space, including dispensary parking lots, sidewalks, parks, and most outdoor areas. The product is sealed in the exit bag for a reason — it's labeled for transport, not for use on-site.
Some specific things we want first-timers to know:
- Don't open the bag in the parking lot. Even smelling the package can trigger a complaint. Wait til you're home.
- Don't smoke or vape in the lot. Same issue, more obvious.
- Driving impaired is a DUI under Washington law, same as alcohol. If you've consumed, get a ride.
After your first visit
Most first-time customers come back within two weeks. The most common feedback we get on a second visit:
"I should have asked you sooner."
Right answer is to ask. Wrong answer is to guess.
If something didn't work the way you expected — wrong dose, wrong format, wrong strain feel — tell us when you come back. We can usually narrow to a better fit on the second try.
Welcome to the shop.
