{"id":39250,"date":"2025-08-06T06:00:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T10:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=39250"},"modified":"2025-10-13T14:57:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T18:57:17","slug":"which-medical-marijuana-states-allow-you-to-see-and-smell-the-cannabis-you-want-to-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/which-medical-marijuana-states-allow-you-to-see-and-smell-the-cannabis-you-want-to-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Medical Marijuana States Allow You To See and Smell The Cannabis You Want To Buy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019t see or smell the quality of the cannabis they wish to purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Deli-Style Marijuana Vs. Pre-packaged Marijuana<\/b><\/h2>\n

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 The reasons for doing so are varied; however, they are usually child safety, an outdated public health protocol, often due to COVID-19, or simply a lack of understanding of the needs of medical patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patients in states like Colorado have it made\u2013not 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Marijuana<\/p>\n

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 \u201cdeli-style\u201d. 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 \u00bd lb of sliced cheddar cheese!<\/span><\/p>\n

Another advantage of deli-style is that trichomes and terpenes don\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Navigating Bud Bars and Clear Jars<\/b><\/h3>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also usually a little window where patients can put their nose close to it like a dog\u2019s 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\u2019s been sitting out under lights for weeks is often not a reliable preview of quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing and Smelling Marijuana Gives Patients the Best Medicine for Their Money<\/b><\/h4>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If growers don\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What States Let Medical Patients See and Smell Cannabis Before Purchasing It?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Veriheal reached out to medical dispensaries in every state with a medical marijuana program to confirm how it\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping things consistent, we established four classes to group each state\u2019s medical marijuana program since we found so many differences, variations, and restrictions in each.<\/span><\/p>\n