Once a substance most associated with hazy dorm rooms and your hippie cousin, marijuana has come into its own in recent years.
With these changes in attitude and accessibility, cannabis has become downright mainstream.
You can have up to one ounce of marijuana in your possession outside of the home, and up to 10 ounces within your home.
Buying medical cannabis requires a state-issued license, but medical buyers don’t pay taxes.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has said enforcement of marijuana laws in states that have legalized cannabis is just not a priority.
Consuming too much can certainly be unpleasant—you might face a pounding heart, dry mouth, or some paranoia—but won’t result in hospitalization or death, as alcohol can in extreme cases.
However, buyer beware: There are no regulations that require CBD products to undergo testing to prove they are what they say they are, so skip the gas station products and only buy CBD from reputable sources.
“You can try stuff and learn what you like or don’t like,” says Gregg Weiss, vice president of technology and marketing at Happy Valley, a cannabis company with dispensaries in Gloucester and East Boston.
Your ID will be checked at the door then, inside, knowledgeable staff—often referred to as “budtenders”—will help you understand the differences between flower, edibles, tinctures, and concentrates and choose the cannabis product that is right for you.