Different states across the U.S. expose medical patients to numerous products and regulations when it comes to medical marijuana. Some states only allow certain products to be available to medical patients, while others have fewer restrictions.
Health insurance providers do not cover medical marijuana, so purchasing the right flower strain becomes crucial when patients must pay entirely out of pocket. One factor in the way for patients in many states is the fact that they can’t see or smell the quality of the cannabis they wish to purchase.
Many times, dispensaries package cannabis flower in opaque mylar bags, sealed jars inside cardboard boxes, or containers entirely covered with labels, which makes it impossible for patients to examine the quality of the product they are buying. Medical marijuana patients should be aware of their state’s policies on seeing and smelling cannabis before purchasing, not just for reference, but to help drive future policy changes for those currently denied that option.
Most dispensaries dispense medical marijuana as prepackaged marijuana, cannabis that they portion, bag, and seal, leaving patients with little to no chance of viewing the quality inside. Some use opaque mylar bags to conceal the contents inside, while others use dark-colored jars. The reasons for doing so are varied; however, they are usually child safety, an outdated public health protocol, often due to COVID-19, or simply a lack of understanding of the needs of medical patients.
Patients in states like Colorado have it made–not only do budtenders pull out huge jars of dank buds behind the counter for you to see up close, but they also allow patients to smell and squeeze them with tiny tongs as well.
The ability to use the senses to see, smell, and touch (kind of) the cannabis you want to buy directly from a display jar is called “deli-style”. This name references the classic delicatessen experience of previewing and seeing the actual meats, cheeses, and other foods customers wish to purchase beforehand. Budtenders in states that allow deli-style also weigh the marijuana on a scale right in front of you and then package it, just like a ½ lb of sliced cheddar cheese!
Another advantage of deli-style is that trichomes and terpenes don’t dry out or fall off sitting in a mylar bag for who knows how long. Longer wait times from longer transactions and possible contamination from being exposed to open air for short bursts of time are two potential drawbacks of deli-style marijuana.
In states where pre-packaged cannabis is the primary or sole method of sale in medical marijuana dispensaries, patients sometimes have other ways to preview potential quality. In-store displays known as bud bars are areas where patients view available strains under glass, getting an idea of what they may look like once purchased.
There’s also usually a little window where patients can put their nose close to it like a dog’s muzzle stuck in a rabbit hole in the hopes of getting a whiff of the aroma. While these devices may be practical to some people, looking at and trying to get a sniff of dried-out cannabis that’s been sitting out under lights for weeks is often not a reliable preview of quality.
Some brands of cannabis sold in medical dispensaries utilize clear jars to prepackage their flower. This is a great way to see the color, bud structure, and trichome coverage indicating potential quality; however, not being able to smell the medicine is still a disadvantage to the medical patient.
If growers don’t properly process cannabis after harvest with an optimal cure, cannabinoid content, and terpene profile, and it smells hay-like, the quality and potency of the medicine suffer. In states where clear jars are only sometimes an option, beggars can’t be choosers, and seeing the quality of the marijuana is a good indicator of quality, instead of throwing it away on schwag.
Meanwhile, dispensaries in other states, like Florida, mostly feature pre-packaged cannabis, but a select few will rip open the bag for you at the counter to see and smell before buying. Some states do it both ways.
The United States has 50 states and many other territories that all do their own thing, including laws, restrictions, and regulations for medical marijuana. Most of those states make the sale of cannabis flower legal to qualified patients, while others only allow for non-smokable forms of cannabis.
Veriheal reached out to medical dispensaries in every state with a medical marijuana program to confirm how it’s done within their particular borders. In addition to speaking to dispensary managers and associates, Veriheal also contacted some state medical marijuana program headquarters to confirm whether patients in their states can see and smell the marijuana they wish to buy.
Keeping things consistent, we established four classes to group each state’s medical marijuana program since we found so many differences, variations, and restrictions in each.
Let’s explore the classification for all states with medical marijuana programs that allow for smokable cannabis flower.
No. Despite being one of the newer states to legalize medical marijuana in 2021 with the Compassion Act, Alabama is not registering patients or caregivers as of yet. The issue stems from legal delays, which could push the program’s launch even past this year.
Yes. Step right up and get your favorite phenotype of Matanuska Valley’s very own Alaskan Thunder**ck (ATF) or any other strain in the Last Frontier served up to you deli-style. There are no packaging restrictions in Alaska.
Yes, but. The majority of medical marijuana is prepackaged in Arizona; however, some select dispensaries allow for deli-style. Now that it seems like we’ve got COVID under control, medical patients are being underserved by policies that are no longer needed and affect the affordability and quality of the medicinal flower they buy.
“COVID-19 caused dispensaries to stop doing deli-style, and they never went back.”, said one Arizona budtender named Alex that we spoke to for this piece.
No, but. Arkansas only allows for medical cannabis to be prepackaged; however, some dispensaries have bud bars on display to see and smell the medical cannabis. Some brands also offer their cannabis in clear jars to see before purchase.
No, but. The Golden State is another victim of outdated COVID-19 policies regarding the dispensing of medical marijuana. California counties did away with deli-style dispensing in 2020, and it seems as though just about every county only allows for prepackaged cannabis since then.
We reached out to a representative at the California Department of Cannabis Control to confirm, and even he wasn’t 100% sure if there were any counties still doing deli-style. “It isn’t really a thing anymore.”, he said during a brief chat.
Yes! The mighty Centennial State–home of the majestic Rocky Mountains, the 1st state to legalize cannabis, and one of the last places where medical patients can see, sniff, and choose the buds they want.
No, but. Medical marijuana patients in Connecticut can only purchase cannabis flower in prepackaged containers according to state law. Nick, a budtender at Bluepoint Wellness, confirmed that some dispensaries have display jars for viewing.
No. The Delaware medical marijuana dispensary manager we spoke to mentioned that the program has gone completely prepackaged since the COVID era as well. He was hopeful that once Delaware’s Adult Use program goes into effect, the option for deli-style dispensing will resume.
According to comments by Delaware’s marijuana commissioner, there is an opportunity for dispensaries to seek a “variance” to allow for deli-style dispensing; however, this variance doesn’t seem to have gone any further since his comments were made last year.
Yes, but. The Sunshine State attempted to go recreational in 2024, but the initiative spearheaded by one of the state’s largest medical marijuana dispensaries failed to meet the threshold of votes needed. Medical marijuana patients, on the other hand, can frequent any of the approximately 721 (and counting) medical dispensaries found in Florida.
Most dispensaries only offer prepackaged flower to patients, but some Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) like GrowHealthy confirmed that they open the prepackaged cannabis you wish to buy right there at the counter for you to see and smell.
No. The 50th state was the 1st state to legalize medical marijuana by state legislature passage. Despite several updates over the years, it appears that state law mandates that cannabis flower be prepackaged before sale to qualified patients.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation makes it pretty clear that deli-style and display is outlawed, according to their FAQs section: “Dispensaries are not permitted to display unpackaged products through something like a window case under the current Act or Rules.”
No. Kentucky is another state still working on rolling out its medical marijuana program, so the rules on dispensing cannabis to patients aren’t quite clear right now. It currently looks like no Kentucky county will have more than one medical dispensary allowed, a big setback for patients before the program has even started.
No, but. According to some dispensary managers we spoke to in Louisiana, seeing and smelling the cannabis before you purchase it is not very common, but some dispensaries do practice it with sample jars.
Yes! Maine is another mountainous wonder that has no restrictions concerning the dispensing of medical marijuana. Most dispensaries in Maine provide their customers with a deli-style purchasing experience.
Yes, but. Medical dispensaries can offer deli-style sales to patients only if they comply with Maryland’s Deli-Style Approval Procedure, created in 2022. The requirements include an inspection by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission and subsequent written approval by the same commission. If not approved, the dispensary can only offer pre-packaged flower to patients.
No, but. Massachusetts was the first East Coast state to legalize cannabis for adult use. Their medical marijuana program still services thousands of patients; however, those patients can only buy prepackaged flower. Some budtenders we spoke to told us that there are displays of cannabis that sit out for months at a time, not a very good gauge of the quality that patients can expect.
Yes! Michigan is one of the least restrictive states for growers of cannabis. Really good marijuana is abundant everywhere in Michigan, especially for medical patients who can often choose from both deli-style and prepackaged flower options.
Yes, but. Qualified Minnesotans can view and sniff their marijuana from display sample jars with screens for aromas.
No. Deli-style sales are not permitted in Mississippi. We spoke to the manager at River Remedy in Byram, Mississippi, who told us that they and other medical dispensaries in the state enjoy selling prepackaged flower because they’re often understaffed and because it keeps things simple.
Yes! Deli-style dispensing is allowable by law in Missouri. Its availability depends on the brand and the dispensary.
Yes! Montana allows deli-style sales on a store-by-store basis. Budtenders in several different dispensaries in the Big Sky State mentioned that some dispensaries offer deli-style, others offer only prepackaged cannabis, and some allow prepackaged cannabis to be opened to see and sniff for quality. Dispensaries offering deli-style must utilize a specific standard operating procedure mandated by the Montana Department of Revenue.
No. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission is still ironing out the regulations for its medical marijuana program that was approved by voters in dual medical cannabis initiatives–Initiative 437 and Initiative 438.
No, but. Nevadans can only get their medical marijuana prepackaged since state regulations changed during COVID-19; however, some dispensaries have display jars where patients can view different strains of flower.
No, but. We reached out to a contact for the Therapeutic Cannabis Program in New Hampshire. This official confirmed that “all cannabis must be prepackaged at the point of production before being made to sell at medical dispensaries.”
He also confirmed that many medical dispensaries in the state are returning to using smeller jars to see and smell the products since they went away during COVID-19.
No, but. The Garden State mandates prepackaging of cannabis, an unfortunate factor in a state that pulls in over $1 billion a year in medical and recreational sales. Some dispensaries have bud bars, display jars, and brands that feature clear packaging. New Jersey medical marijuana patients haven’t paid taxes on their medicine anymore since 2022, so that alone is a win.
Yes, but. Many dispensaries in New Mexico went the way of prepackaging their cannabis during COVID-19, but others like UltraHealth still serve medicine up deli-style.
No, but. The land of the delicatessen ironically does not let medical patients see, smell, or get their cannabis deli-style–it must be prepackaged by law. Bud bars with display jars in some dispensaries let patients get a glimpse of how their bud will potentially look and smell after purchase.
No. According to several dispensary managers we spoke to, updated laws to North Dakota’s medical marijuana program require prepackaged flower.
No. Ohio doesn’t allow for deli-style purchasing of cannabis. State politicians’ efforts for standardized packaging to “protect the children” have succeeded in making prepackaged cannabis flower for medical patients the norm.
No. Oklahoma was one of the few medical-only states that allowed for a deli-style experience in its medical dispensaries. On June 2, 2025, all of that changed when state laws were modified, mandating that all medical marijuana be prepackaged. Stores still selling medicine deli-style are allowed to phase out their current stock before switching over.
Yes! While it’s true that Oregon is the only state on the West Coast that allows deli-style sales, many dispensaries have shifted away from it over the last 5 years or so.
No. Pennsylvanians with a medical card must now accept prepackaged cannabis flower as their only option since the state changed the regulations during COVID-19.
Yes! Deli-style cannabis browsing and purchasing are legal for medical marijuana patients living in Rhode Island. Solar Cannabis Company is a deli-style dispensary that lets patients select, sniff, and see the flower they want with no fear of getting burned by poor quality.
Yes! Deli-style is available in the state of South Dakota, however, in limited numbers.
No, but. Some dispensaries like Dragonfly Wellness have display cases with clear jars to examine quality. They also allow customers to smell samples if a sample is already opened and available, depending on the brand.
Yes! Vermont dispensaries present patients with a deli-style experience when they purchase their medicine.
In an interview with Visit Vermont, Scott Sparks, a Vermont-based cannabis entrepreneur and owner of several dispensaries, had this to say about buying marijuana in Vermont:
“What could be more Vermont than walking into an old red barn built in 1870, catching a whiff of old barn board, mixed with the aroma of cured flower, and getting to see and sniff individual containers of bud to get the juices flowing?”
No. All 3 of these states do not allow for medical marijuana to be sold deli-style and only allow prepackaged cannabis by law. Washington state, however, allows for tribal groups to establish their own rules and regulations regarding how they prepare and sell cannabis in their dispensaries.
Washington D.C., though not considered a state, is a major East Coast metropolitan area that has been on the cutting edge of cannabis reform. It was one of the first on the East Coast to decriminalize cannabis possession in 2015, while medical marijuana started in 2013. Patients in Washington, D.C., can find deli-style and prepackaged cannabis in many dispensaries in the city.
READ: A Complete Guide to Purchasing Quality Cannabis Flower
While you may think it’s an injustice that your state doesn’t let you sniff or see the flower you wish to buy to examine its quality, folks in other states don’t even have any options at all. Georgia, Iowa, and Texas don’t allow for any cannabis flower to be accessed by medical patients. Other places like Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming don’t even have a medical marijuana program at all!
In that context, is seeing or smelling the cannabis you wish to buy a deal-breaker? Many patients are grateful to just have safe access to medicine; however, other patients need certain strains with quality cannabinoid and terpene levels to treat their conditions properly. All states should allow both prepackaged and deli-style dispensing options for their patients, for that reason, ensuring they get the quality care they need and pay for.
Remember, medical marijuana patients–the power is always in your hands to contact your state representatives regarding the quality and limitations of your state’s uninsured medical marijuana program you pay out of pocket for. The hope is that all patients can have options and access to the best quality medicine possible in the name of compassion, not commerce.
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