The Medical marijuana business got its beginning in 1996 when California became the first state to pass laws regarding the use of marijuana medically called Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. It allowed patients with a valid doctor's recommendation to be able to use marijuana therapeutically in treatment of their medical conditions.

However it didn't state where or how the patients were to get marijuana.

As additional states also passed their own laws allowing patients to use marijuana on a doctor's recommendation, the same thing happened. It was OK to use, but no provisions were made in how to obtain it.

PATIENTS COULD USE MARIJUANA BUT WHERE WOULD THEY GET IT?

This was the beginning of the whole medical marijuana business industry. Patients were now being allowed to use marijuana but had nowhere to turn to except to the black market to procure it.

Years ago, the prospect of building a medical marijuana business legally was impossible. Laws had prohibited the use and cultivation, but times have definitely changed!

Patients with doctor's recommendations for marijuana demanded a safe, controlled, and regulated system to be able to obtain their medicine. Also, since the law was catered to extremely ill patients, most who are unable to grow their own or able to leave the house to obtain it, there had to be a centralized system to get it. The solution to the problem was "Dispensaries," a place where caregivers or patients able to themselves could go to get it.

However there were no laws in place either to support or regulate dispensaries. In fact, even the word "dispensary" is not recognized by most states. It's just what you and I call these places that distribute marijuana for medical patients.

OOPS… WE NEED TO PROVIDE SAFE ACCESS NOW

Recognizing this new problem that was overlooked, states now had to pass laws governing the distribution and acquisition of marijuana for medical purposes. In 1996, when California voters approved prop 215 that exempted certain patients and their primary caregivers from criminal liability under state law for the possession and cultivation of Marijuana, further refining was needed.

Patients will be expecting you and your dispensary employees to be experts on medical marijuana. Many will come in brand new with doctors recommendations and have no idea about best methods of ingestion or even that there are different medical strains available that can help with their conditions. You need to be an expert on strains and the medical effects they have.

My personal recommendation for your a medical marijuana business is to carry 60% of your inventory as Indica strains (these are most widely requested for pain relief.) I would then split the rest as 20% Sativas and 20% Hybrids.

Carry good edibles (don't forget to have a food handlers license!)

Popular Indica strains include:

OG Kush, Blackberry, Chemdawg, Abusive Kush, (Anything Kush will be great)

Popular Sativa strains include:

Jack Herer, White Widow, Super Silver Haze, Trainwreck, Sour Diesel, Green Crack

Popular Hybrid strains include:

Grandaddy Purple, Skywalker OG, Purple Kush, Blue Dream