The fact that cannabis is illegal federally but legal in some states makes it difficult to know what you can and cannot do with it. If you sent cannabis across state lines in the mail, for example, you might be faced with trafficking charges.
Purchasing online is also something that gets mixed up into that legal web. We’re going to take a look at buying THC products online today, giving you insight into the legalities of doing it, things to look out for, and alternatives that you can explore.
Hopefully, you’ll more feel comfortable purchasing THC products online after reading this. Let’s get started.
1. Online THC isn’t a Legal Loophole
The first myth to bust is the idea that you can buy cannabis products online and have them shipped to you in a state where cannabis is illegal. If you live in Minnesota and you want to have cannabis shipped to you from Colorado, you are breaking the law.
Even though cannabis laws might seem arbitrary in a moral sense, there are still very real consequences that come when you break them.
So, be sure to look very closely at the legalities of cannabis and THC products in your state and know that you’re not going to put yourself in any legal danger.
2. Sites That Ship Illegally are not Legitimate
The fortunate thing if you don’t know the legalities of cannabis in your state is that most companies wouldn’t think about sending marijuana to you if it was illegal.
There are certain companies that are in the business of doing this, though, and those are companies that you should be on the lookout for. If there’s a company doing this, you should avoid them.
Avoid them even if they’re in your state and they could ship cannabis to you legally. Any business that would flagrantly risk shipping cannabis across borders is one that’s making certain sacrifices.
Their risk probably signifies risk on your end. Their products are sure to be untested or lower-quality because illegal businesses typically don’t welcome inspections and visits from legal entities.
So, even if there is an online store that will ship THC products to you in a state where it isn’t legal, you can never know if they’ll ship you something safe.
3. Make Sure The Product is Tested
Another big factor in your health and safety is ensuring that you’re buying from a legitimate dispensary that tests their products.
There are a lot of dispensaries and businesses that sell cannabis illegally, as we mentioned, and those companies hold the risk of sending you dangerous products. You can look at the companies website to check their online customer reviews, see their qualifications, as well as call and ask them what their standards are.
Illegitimate dispensaries are a problem in this regard, so the industry has created a simple step for you to identify those that are safe. Dispensaries that have had their products tested and are legitimate tend to display a QR code on their websites and doors.
If you’re not seeing any sort of QR code or indication that a company is legal, you can use a pot-tracking website to see if the company has its licensing.
This may seem like overkill, considering people have been using cannabis blindly for decades. In the past, you’d purchase cannabis from someone who hardly knew the person that they got it from, and that person scarcely knew the person before.
The chain of people from the growth of the plant to the actual purchase was massive. There was hardly a way to know whether it was safe.
The Variety of Products Available Increase Danger
The difference now is the fact that so much more goes into creating various THC products. It isn’t as if the company is just growing cannabis and selling it.
Sure, cannabis flower is a big part of the industry, but a lot of products are chemically concocted, baked, and make in ways that totally separate the THC from its original home.
When the company making those products isn’t monitored, there’s no telling whether the products they’re making are safe for you. Consuming a poorly-made THC oil, for example, could be incredibly dangerous.
So, if you’re not worried about the legal status of a particular business, keep in mind that their products might actually put you in harm’s way.
4. Look at The Online Customer Reviews
Reviews are always an excellent place to get a feel for the value of a company. If anyone’s going to tell you the truth about particular online THC stores, it’s the people who have been ripped off by them.
Look at a few different business listing sites to get reviews from the company in question. You could just look at one set of reviews, but there’s no telling if that company has crafted and paid for those reviews themselves.
The wider the sample, the better chance the reviews you’re reading are legitimate. Companies that scam the system in real life tend to be good at doing it online as well.
Look for a variety of reviews on multiple sites that support the quality of the product and the fact that you’re actually going to get what you’re ordering.
5. Know Safe THC Alternatives
Many people aren’t aware that there are a lot of alternatives to THC that have a slightly different chemical structure. When researching your options for cannabis products online, note some of these other products and see if they might better options for you.
This is a good idea when you live in a state that hasn’t legalized cannabis. One such alternative is something called Delta-8 THC. Delta-8 is legal and has an extremely similar chemical structure to standard THC.
The difference in composition makes the effects slightly different, and there’s more research needed to know exactly what kind of medical benefits it provides, but its legality makes it a much safer option for those buying products in states that haven’t legalized yet.
The incorporation of various THC-like cannabinoids into products has made it possible to experience the benefits of cannabis without actually consuming cannabis. In most states, so long as that cannabinoid isn’t actually THC, the company selling it will be totally free to do so legally.
6. Call Customer Service
Calling customer service helps you know that the company is real. It’s too easy to create a website with a payment platform and scam people.
Scam sites are common but there are ways to notice them. The first one is to use your gut. You can tell when a website looks professional.
Considering the volume of website-builder platforms that produce professional-looking sites, though, you can’t rely on the way the site looks. Discussions with an actual person who works for the company might be the best way to discern who you’re working with.
Ask them about the company’s qualifications, the specifics of the product, and how the process of purchasing online typically goes. The individual on the other end of the line should be able to answer all of your questions.
If they seem like they’re withholding or they don’t know what they’re talking about, that’s a sign you should look elsewhere. Online reviews, as we mentioned, are another really important metric for a business’ safety.
7. Only Go with Local Delivery
Many dispensaries offer delivery services. You purchase the cannabis online and have it delivered to your house just Search the dispensary near me now. This is one of the safest ways to buy cannabis online.
There aren’t any shipping costs or hassles, the person comes quickly, and you probably know the dispensary you’re buying from. This only occurs in legal states, but it’s a dream come true for anyone who has ever had trouble acquiring cannabis.
Think of the millions of people who have struggled for decades to try and safely get cannabis without going to jail for it. Now, out of the blue, we have the ability to pull out our phones and order THC just like we would order a pizza.
The beautiful thing is, you can rest assured that a company will not deliver cannabis if they’re illegitimate. The process of driving around a company car with illegal, untested cannabis is extremely dangerous and the company would not last long.
There are well-established dispensaries in your area if you live in a legal state. Ask around the community to see which dispensaries are best, and you’ll hear the same names pop up.
Dispensaries that stick around are trustworthy and won’t offer you an unsafe product.
8. Understand How THC Works
Part of your safety also falls on your end. You should know what you’re getting into when you purchase cannabis!
The cliche statement of “this stuff is a lot stronger than what I had back in the day” is absolutely true. Medical cannabis is a lot different than what most people are used to.
It’s more akin to picking out a prescription medicine than it is to buying cannabis from the guy down the street. It can have powerful effects and you should understand how your body reacts to it. Some strains might have an intense effect on your level of anxiety.
You could experience panic if your body and mind don’t agree with a particular strain. You may also get nauseous or have a particularly bad time with some strains. Most users and most strains are entirely enjoyable, so we’re not trying to scare you away by any means.
That said, cannabis is a powerful psychoactive substance. You have to break yourself in or you might experience a lot of discomfort for a few hours, and that’s not fun for anyone.
Part of your safety, then, requires that you gently explore your limits and avoid consuming powerful THC products with no personal tolerance.
9. Use a Third Party Site
Online THC stores can be difficult to read in terms of their legitimacy. The great stores have websites that look like they were made in 2008, while the scammers might have a beautiful, user-friendly, professional site.
It’s pretty tough to be an average person and know where to put your credit card information and where not to. The risk, though, is that we get our money and our identities stolen from these sites.
The financial risk is comparable to the health risk when it comes to buying from shady sites. One beautiful thing is that there are a lot of third-party sites that work with reputable dispensaries and provide various services.
For example, companies like Eaze streamline the process for customers and vet their dispensaries before they start working with them. This makes the process a lot easier from the point of view of making sure things are safe.
Plus, your payment information is going through a third-party site and not that of the actual dispensary. Use these businesses if they have thousands of reviews, easy customer service, and a very direct platform that expresses their process.
10. Don’t Make Exceptions
The ease of ordering cannabis and THC products online is very convenient. When you live in a state that has legal cannabis, though, you probably live near a lot of dispensaries.
The nearest big city is home to dozens of legal dispensaries in most cases. Online options are often shady and don’t pull through safely, so it’s never a bad idea to drive out to the dispensary.
You know what you’re getting, you can speak with an employee about what the particular strain might do to you, and you know you’re not getting scammed. It’s unfortunate that so many people want to scam those looking for THC products, but it’s the truth.
So, when you’re not sure about purchasing THC online, throw on a mask and go down to your local dispensary.
Want to Learn More about THC Products?
We hope that the process of buying THC products goes smoothly for you. There’s a lot more to learn, and we’re here to help you figure it all out. As the industry grows and changes, it gets harder to understand how to navigate it.
Explore our site for more insight into cannabis, THC products, the marijuana industry, and more.
