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RECREATIONAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY FAQs

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FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

California adult-use sales started on January 1, 2018 for all recreational cannabis dispensary users.

No. You do not need a doctor’s recommendation to shop at our recreational cannabis dispensary. You only need a government-issued identification card showing that you are 21 years old or over. Medical patients between 18-20 need a doctor’s recommendation.

Absolutely! And new members receive 10% off their first purchase. (Before tax) 

In 2018, state laws will limit the quantity of cannabis a person can buy per day. Because of this, Alternatives is required to scan your ID card. Your personal information will NOT be stored ANYWHERE. Alternatives takes privacy very seriously.

We make every effort to be as affordable as possible for Sonoma County. Government entities dictate the tax rates on cannabis. With the legalization of adult-use cannabis, the city and the state will increase taxes on cannabis sales at all California dispensaries and delivery services. The specific tax increases depends on your city. These tax increases started January 1, 2018.

If you would like to learn more about California Adult-Use Cannabis taxes, please visit California Department of Tax and Fee Administration website

No. Most public spaces prohibit smoking or vaping cannabis products. This includes Alternatives’ parking lot.

You can view information on cannabis use and effects on NORML.org and Americans For Safe Access.

You can gift one ounce of non-concentrated cannabis (flower) and eight grams of concentrated cannabis at one time.

CBD is only one of over a hundred various cannabinoids found in the cannabis sativa plant. But unlike THC, CBD does not have a psychoactive effect, so it does not get you high. Many people report that CBD helps them feel more focused, rested, and relaxed with less pain.
That is why CBD oil has become a medicinal alternative or additive to THC-containing cannabis.

The short answer is yes. The amount of THC in cannabis today is much stronger than in decades past. One study found that THC levels in 1995 were roughly 4% in 1995 and 12% in 2014. 

This is due to the increasingly competitive business of cannabis. The more THC, the more profitable it becomes. Cultivators create THC-hybrids that slowly decrease the level of CBD in plants.

It also has been a result of improved growing techniques that lead to healthier and more potent plants

When you smoke for the first time, you want to know how it will affect you. Is marijuana a stimulant or depressant? Will it put you to sleep or give you a boost of energy?

The answer is both. The effects depend on the strain and the active terpenes. Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found on plants, but they do more than determine a plant’s scent.

Certain terpenes will make strains lean more toward sativa qualities. Sativa will stimulate your brain and give you a head high. Other terpenes produce a body high that creates a more indica or depressant effect, leading to lethargy.

Eating top weed strains have a much different effect than smoking them.

Cannabis is digested so it doesn’t get absorbed into your bloodstream as quickly as when smoked. 

The liver processes the edible and creates a more potent THC substance. Small amounts of cannabis placed in edibles have the same effect as smoking larger quantities

The cannabinoids found in cannabis interact and attach to the receptors in your brain. While your brain already has natural cannabinoids, adding new ones can cause an increase in chemicals. 

These chemicals turn on reactions like feeling hungry even if you aren’t hungry. Your desire to eat is the brain telling the rest of your body that you are hungry. 

There has never been a recorded incident of overdosing on cannabis, meaning no one has ever died due to consuming too much of it. 

That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some negative side effects when abused. It can lead to anxiety, paranoia, and loss of coordination, leading to nausea or vomiting. 

Please consume cannabis like any other substance: with caution by taking small amounts at first. We like to tell customers to “Start low, Go slow.”

If you find that you smoked or ate too much cannabis the best thing to do is to remain calm. 

Next, drink plenty of water to flush your system out. You can also chew on black peppercorn, which reduces the effects of THC. 

Change your scenery by taking a walk and getting some fresh air or relax in a warm bath to calm yourself. 

Have some CBD oil available as it is the counteractive component of the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

Cannabis is still classified as illegal under federal law, but California has specific recreational and medicinal laws on possessing cannabis, growing, buying and selling cannabis. 

Here is California’s current daily purchase limits.

In California, if a minor (under age 21) has a valid medical recommendation from a California doctor, they are welcome to purchase marijuana

There are over 3000 published, jury, peer-reviewed scientific articles confirmed many medical benefits to taking marijuana. We encourage you to do your own research on reputable sites such as NORML, Project CBD, and Society of Cannabis Clinicians (we are a member.) Google Scholar is marvelous for research. For example, if you search on Google Scholar for “Cannabis and Pain,” there are hundreds of thousands of research articles.

Let us count the ways! We have the full range of offerings. You can smoke dried weed as a flower, vaporize and inhale cannabis, use it as a cannabis concentrate, like oil or tinctures, ingest it as an edibles, apply it topically as a lotion or rub, and use it in a suppository. Don’t feel overwhelmed by your options, we are here to share our expertise.

No matter which method you try, remember to start with small doses and increase it over time. If you don’t like the effects, try another method.

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