What Is on a Cannabis Dispensary Menu?
A dispensary menu is a list of cannabis products grouped by how you use them: flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, vapes, edibles, drinks, topicals, tinctures, and capsules. Most listings show THC and CBD percentages, strain type (sativa, indica, hybrid), package size or dose, and price. Some menus add terpene profiles, lab results, harvest dates, and the grower’s name. The exact lineup changes by state, by store, and by whether the shop serves medical patients, adult-use customers, or both.
Flower and Pre-Rolls
Flower is the dried bud you smoke or vaporize. It sells by weight: 1 gram, an eighth (3.5 g), a quarter (7 g), a half ounce, and an ounce. Pre-rolls come as singles, multi-packs, and infused joints that add kief or hash. Some shops offer deli-style service and weigh your flower from a jar. Others sell only prepackaged eighths and grams.
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Concentrates
Concentrates are extracted THC and other compounds. You will see shatter, wax, budder, batter, live resin, live rosin, hash, kief, and RSO (Rick Simpson Oil). Potency can run from 50% to 90% THC or higher. Dabbing needs a rig, torch, or e-nail. Some concentrates are made for vaping or for topping a bowl of flower.
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Vapes and Cartridges
Vape menus list cartridges, disposables, pods, and all-in-one pens. Distillate carts often show added terpenes and flavor names. Live resin and live rosin carts keep more of the plant’s natural compounds. You may see battery compatibility, voltage ranges, and coil type. A 0.5 g or 1 g cart is standard.
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Edibles and Drinks
Edibles include gummies, chocolates, mints, baked goods, and savory snacks. Drinks include seltzers, tonics, syrups, and dissolvable powders. Doses appear per piece and per package. In many states, one serving is 10 mg THC and a package caps at 100 mg. Edibles take longer to hit than inhaled products, so the menu may carry a warning to wait 30 to 120 minutes before taking more.
Topicals, Tinctures, and Capsules
Topicals are balms, lotions, salves, and patches. They do not produce a head high for most people. Tinctures are liquid drops taken under the tongue or added to food and drink. Capsules offer a measured dose without the taste. You may also see transdermal patches, suppositories, and sublingual strips.
How to Read the Numbers and Labels
THC percentage tells you how much of the product’s weight is THC. CBD percentage tells you how much is CBD. For flower, 15% to 25% THC is common in legal shops. Concentrates run much higher. The menu might list total THC or THC potency, which can include THCA. Strain names (Blue Dream, Gelato, OG Kush) are labels, not guarantees. Two batches of the same name can differ. Terpenes like myrcene, limonene, and pinene show up on better menus, and they can hint at aroma and maybe effect, though research is still catching up.
What You Won’t Always See
Menus do not show everything. Some shops keep accessories (papers, grinders, batteries, dab tools) on a separate list. Lab test results may be available on request or by QR code. Prices often exclude state and local taxes. Purchase limits (for example, 1 ounce of flower or 800 mg of THC in some states) may be posted on the wall, not on the menu. Product photos are sometimes generic, so the jar you get may not match the image.
Medical vs. Recreational Menus
Medical menus can carry higher potency limits, different taxes, and products only patients can buy. Recreational menus follow adult-use rules. Some states combine both into one menu and label medical items. If you are a patient, bring your card or state registration. If you are an adult-use customer, bring a government ID that proves you are 21 or older (19 in some states).
A Few Practical Tips
- Start with a low dose, especially with edibles. 2.5 mg to 5 mg THC is a common starting point.
- Ask the budtender what is fresh. Harvest and batch dates matter for flower and concentrates.
- Check the package label before you leave. It should match the menu’s THC and CBD numbers and dose.
- Do not assume sativa means energy and indica means sleep. Effects vary by person, dose, and product.
The menu is a starting point, not a script. Tell the budtender what you want from the experience, and they can point you to a product that fits.