My Journey Into the New World of Legal Weed

Recreational use is now legal under state law in half of the 50 states, and has mixed legality in 20 others — medical use is OK but recreational use is not — leaving only five (Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina and South Carolina) where it’s still outlawed. (Note: Since pot has never been legalized on the federal level, there may still be some legal risk involved, especially for non-U.S. citizens and those living near an international border. For more information about the laws in your state, visit the website of the nonprofit Marijuana Policy Project at mpp.org/states.)

Since cannabis is widely legal and no longer needs to be discussed in hushed tones, it has an entirely new vocabulary. When I go to a dispensary, it feels like an AP chemistry class broke out.

In southern Connecticut, where I grew up, you either had pot or you didn’t, and usually you didn’t. We had heard of Acapulco Gold, because we listened to Cheech & Chong albums (remember “No stems, no seeds that you don’t need”?), but we were never going to see any of it.

So today, for many people in my age group, the seemingly boring practice of buying legal marijuana is quite a, well, trip. “As a teenage stoner from the 1970s, I marvel that we can do this legally, in broad daylight, and discuss our options like we’re getting wine recommendations from a sommelier,” says my friend Sarah D., 62, an author of young adult novels. (My pals all asked that I use only first names and last initials for this piece, resolutely clinging to the idea of marijuana as taboo.) “And the choices are so specific. You can say ‘I want a cerebral high where I contemplate the wonders of the universe,’ or ‘I want a mellow high that helps me forget my cursed life.’ Whatever mood you want, they have it.”

“In junior high school, we’d hide in the woods to smoke before going to the 7-Eleven for microwave food,” recalls Michael P., 61, an editor who lives in Chicago. “Weed was all the same: dried out, harsh and terrible, in hindsight. The quality now is amazing. It actually tastes good, and I can use a dry-flower vape so I don’t stink up our apartment.”

I personally use cannabis mostly for insomnia — and OK, the occasional rock concert. So far I’ve been to dispensaries in four states but have never walked in without trepidation, as though a state trooper might leap from behind a column and yell “Gotcha!” And there’s always an element of uncertainty — it was legal, then illegal, then legal again, and who knows if it will remain legal? The best strategy, clearly, is to stock up. But … how?

“Going to a dispensary can be wildly confusing, and even dangerous if you don’t have the right information,” says Danielle Wildstein, 49, founder of the Blue Oak Dispensary in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Here are Wildstein’s tips on how to make the most of a dispensary visit. 

Narrow the options. Start by asking whether cannabis can help with whatever it is that ails you, and if so, what strains of the plant are recommended. Cannabis does have medicinal and therapeutic properties, and people take it for, among other things, pain, anxiety and sleep.

Be unique. Don’t just ask for whatever it is your friends are taking. Everyone’s metabolism is different.

No bong necessary. Smoking is so yesteryear, with its attendant sore throat and potential lung issues. Consider edibles, tinctures and other options.

Start low, go slow. “We tell seniors, ‘Take a small amount at first and listen to your body,’ ” Wildstein says. Cannabis has become far more powerful per bite or puff than it used to be, and everyone has a story — usually involving edibles — of someone overdoing it and even ending up in the ER. Just remember: You can always take more.

Be realistic. Cannabis may ease your symptoms, but so far the science does not indicate it cures anything.

The high is optional. You can lessen the effect of cannabis by either microdosing (taking tiny amounts over time) or by seeking cannabis that has much more CBD (the medicinal ingredient) than THC (the psychoactive ingredient). CBD has been shown to have similar medicinal effects, without the high.

One big caveat: Whether you seek weed for medical or recreational use, be sure to consult with your doctor about its applications, side effects and more effective alternatives to marijuana, if any —particularly if you suffer from a chronic disease. Go to aarp.org/cannabis for more on marijuana use today.  

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.