By Dr. Dank

Cannabis Columnist

Several apps are out there to help patients navigate their local cannabis market. They’re like Google Maps for cannabis, and they allow their users to find dispensaries in their cities, see which ones offer specific products or the best deals, and even give them directions to the shop. They’re any cannabis lover’s best friend.

Leafly, MassRoots and Weedmaps are just a few such apps.

INFORMATION

Leafly is like a cannabis bible. It contains credible information on strains and side effects, and also lists doctors and dispensaries.

Leafly doesn’t list CBD shops as dispensaries like Weedmaps does, but it does list a few Dallas-area shops, such as CBD Plus USA of Plano and CBD American Shaman of Dallas.

Leafly also has a news section, where people can find the latest in cannabis politics, pop culture, lifestyle and tips.

Meanwhile, Massroots could be considered the Twitter or Facebook of the cannabis community.

CHATTER

It is a cannabis-centered social media network that connects users across the country, helping them chat about how high they get and share photos of exquisite strains. It also has information on the latest strains and products.

DIRECTIONS

Weedmaps users can look at photos and prices of products before they buy – everything from pre-rolls to wax, edibles, tinctures, topicals and flower.

They also can check store hours and see what deals their favorite shops might have for the day.

I used to use Weedmaps to hunt down the strongest strains I could find. I would scroll through shop menus for a long time before calling in my order over the phone, which I could then either pick up or have delivered to me, just like a pizza.

Weedmaps users can also search for cannabis brands, such as Cookies or Marathon OG, and the app will show them a list of dispensaries in their area that have those brands’ products on their shelves right now.

Sean Yuen, owner of The Glass House TX, said his shops get some of their products from nationally recognized hemp-growing and marijuana-growing brands.

“Canna Hemp, one of the companies we deal with, is in the majority of dispensaries in Las Vegas,” he said.

“A lot of the brands we have are already linked with Weedmaps, and that’s a big thing.”

Only a few Dallas-area dispensaries have found their way onto Weedmaps: all four of The Glass House TX locations and CBD Lifestyles of DeSoto.

The app lists the Dallas-area shops as recreational, CBD hemp-only dispensaries, but aside from its lack of marijuana, The Glass House TX’s menu resembles that of a recreational or medical dispensary in a state where marijuana is legal.

Dallas hasn’t yet caught up with the cannabis industry that is booming around the country, but the fact that Weedmaps lists any Dallas shops at all is a step in the right direction.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Dank is not a real doctor. It is the pseudonym chosen to protect the identity of the author of the column. Dr. Dank grew up in a state where marijuana for medicinal and recreational use has been legal for a number of years. The Courier does not advocate the use of marijuana or any illegal substance. Under current state law, possession is illegal in Texas and punishable with prison time and fines.