If you have a question, know you’re not the first!

Begin here with some of the most common questions we’ve fielded in recent months and over the past half decade.

What is The Weed Business Guide and do I really need to spend the money to get the info?

• TWB Guide is a designed to read like a 10-week course, guiding you through all of the steps necessary to start a medical marijuana dispensary, delivery service, cooperative or collective. In addition to the Guide, we are continually compiling all members only content to make sure the information provided is thorough and up to date.
• Of course you’ve heard the adage “spend money to make money” – well, this is true only if you are spending your money wisely. Perhaps the most important aspect of starting any business is knowing your industry – that is the unique knowledge provided by membership with TWB. Standard business practices you can learn almost anywhere, but the details of having them applied specifically to the Marijuana industry is money well spent.

What is the format of the package? How is it delivered to me?

• The information is presented and updated through our members only part of the website. After paying a one-time fee for a life-time membership, you can access the info day or night in a series of web pages. We also have a downloadable pdf full of additional info for you as a bonus.

How much does it cost to open a dispensary?

• It costs anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 to open a dispensary and anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 for a collective or delivery service. The price greatly depends on the state that the business will be in. Following along in our course will help you figure out all the details that will determine what your initial cost will be based on the options you choose.

I am interested in selling medibles to dispensaries. Do I need a license to do that?

• Yes, you will need a license to manufacture as well as a license to sell. You can sell to dispensaries if you do not have a storefront of your own.
• For general information, read our introductory post Medical Marijuana Edibles
• For more in depth information, read our members only page Manufacturing and Selling Edibles

Can I sell weed I grow to a dispensary?

• This is highly dependent on what state you live in.
• For general info read How to Make Money Selling to Dispensaries
• For state specific info, revise your local laws for business info from our State Map and read How Many Plants and Dispensaries One Caregiver Can Supply

I want to set up the most amazing grow facility you’ve ever seen! What do I need?

• Short of a degree in greenhouse engineering, you can consider that you could spend years researching and conducting trials to create a space
  • Mechanized water, nutrient and CO2 balance, vegetation vs flowering cycles and spaces, lighting optimization and automation, plant hybridization and cloning, soil mediums vs hydroponics
  • Ensuring your source materials and the sustainability of your energy and water supply – alone – could take years to perfect
• Basically, owning and operating a grow facility takes, more than anything, time and patience for experimentation
• Of course we have done some research for you to discover the most succinct and reliable start-up package, but beyond that be prepared for some (VERY rewarding) work!

I am interested in starting a Marijuana business, can you please let me know the appropriate steps.

• This are variations on the Medical Marijuana laws for each state, so your first, middle and last steps are research, research, research
• otherwise the process is fairly similar anywhere you go:
  • Get licensed, pick a location, find some start-up cash, get networked with caregivers and patients, operate by the book and keep excellent records

What is the difference between a Dispensary, a Delivery Service, Cooperative or Collective?

• Even the biggest differences between these terms is how you interpret the law.
  • Dispensaries have to transport their wares (unless required to produce on site),
    • So many dispensaries have the legal capacity to deliver to patients
  • Cooperatives are allowed to be compensated for their time, and Collectives can be compensated directly for products.
    • Technically then, both can generate revenue as non-profits
• We have elaborated on these definitions and relationships in the Member Guide

My state is about to legalize, what should I do?

• Start your research now!
  • In many states, there are windows for those who are prepared and want to be one of the first businesses.
  • Get online and learn about these deadlines so that you can stay ahead of the game.

How current is your information?

• The Weed Business blog and member content are both updated weekly. We do our best to keep our research roll creating new content. This is everything from keeping up with new states as they sort through their laws and documentation, to searching for ways that we can provide a business perspective on tried and true topics like making edibles and understanding differences between strains.

Do you have information specific to my state?

• The state specific information we provide has been engineered directly from the law to showcase all aspects relevant to business ownership. There are lots of sites with lots of different state related info, and honestly, the majority of what we’ve found people publish is what is easiest to fit into a table. We know how challenging it is to provide state specific info that is unique to each state, but also accurate and beneficial to business ownership. That is why we started with the actual law, and broke it down into a common format that is easy to read.

Is There any Way to be Certain I won’t get in Trouble?

• It is true that Marijuana is still illegal on a federal level. There is a risk to starting a Marijuana Business until this federal law is modified or redacted. The flip side is that there are risks to everything in life, and careful consideration of all factors is important to making your decision. There are no guarantees, but if you run your business by the state’s book, don’t engage in activity that could be misconstrued as being affiliated with other drugs and stay off federal land the likelihood that you will draw federal attention can be dramatically minimized. Weighing the potential benefits against the low likelihood of risk will make you understand why there are so many dispensaries already in business, and why you should be one of the elite ranks of business owners growing every day.