With the opening of recreational sales in CT today, we wanted to take a moment and recognize the difficulties the new paradigm raises for medical marijuana customers.
Speaking about a recently rebranded medical dispensary in Connecticut, we are noting a few specific issues that dispensaries should be considering in light of their opening for adult-use customers today and going forward.
Medical users require, and deserve, a more personalized experience. Over the years MMJ users have been accustomed to assistance in the store to discuss different MMJ products and how they can help managing pain, inflammation, and other conditions. Over the past 2 months, a local medicinal dispensary rebranded and restructured their store, the quality of patient interactions has declined as staff has increased to accommodate the recreational market. The personalized advice from “budtenders” and other obscure titles has lost its efficacy.
Patients don’t expect to speak with a doctor, but they do deserve recognition of their needs. MMJ dispensaries aren’t pharmacies, but we want to see them treat patients differently from recreational customers. This means more attention to the MMJ patient, often with the discernment needed to hear about their condition and desired outcomes. This is critical to making cannabis product recommendations that are in-line with the patients needs.
Medical patients deserve product consistency. We understand that supplies can be limited and the best products for MMJ patients can sell fast. Having a system in place for alternative products that budtenders can recommend will give patients much greater confidence if the product they have trusted and benefited from in the past isn’t available and they need to try something new.
We’re talking to dispensaries about these issues, and if your canna-business wants insightful expertise in marketing and web development, lets get connected.