Are you interested in opening up your own pot shop? If you have some business sense, you can make a good deal of money by selling marijuana legally through a pot store (also called a dispensary, coop, club or collective). Owning a marijuana store may bring in the big bucks, but like any business expenditure you will need to invest your fair share of time and money. However, if you have the drive and the business capital, you can make a substantial income selling weed to medical marijuana patients in your area. This guide on how to start a medical marijuana dispensary will show you what it takes to open up a successful pot store.

Keep in mind that, although marijuana dispensaries are similar to other retail operations in many aspects, there are some unique concerns that come along with the territory. For one thing, marijuana is still illegal to possess or distribute according to federal law (although the Obama administration is not currently spending money or resources on enforcing marijuana laws). Also, you may run into problems on the local level with various law enforcement agencies, as marijuana distribution regulations can be quite complicated.

The first course of action when setting out to open a marijuana dispensary is to find out what the laws in your state are. In order to last, you will need to conduct an operation that follows the precise letter of the law. Of course, marijuana laws can get very complicated, so in order to make sure that everything is on the up and up as far as law enforcement is concerned, you will need to read up on the details of all regulations and procedures that dispensaries in your city and state are required to abide by. If you fail to do this, you may find that your marijuana club is shut down in a short time, and you may wind up with criminal charges filed against you.

Currently, marijuana is legal for medical use in only 14 states in the Union.http://www.mpp.org/library/medical-marijuana-overview.html You must live in one of these states before even considering opening up a dispensary. If you are not sure about the laws in your state, check with this site, which is a guide of marijuana laws state by state provided by the organization Norml. Once you are sure that medical marijuana is legal, you will need to contact your city government to find out what specific regulations you need to be aware of before starting up.

You also may wish to consult an attorney who is familiar with this area, and you can find one on the Norml legal committee if you wish.http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3378

Once you know what the laws regarding medical marijuana are in your particular neck of the woods, you can start thinking about all of the necessary procedures required to open up your dispensary. There are plenty of details involved, although in some ways a dispensary may be easier to run than other types of stores due to the fact that you are selling a somewhat limited assortment of products. Of course, any benefit brought about by the simplicity of inventory may be trumped by all of the red tape required, and also by the care in which you need to run your shop. This is why it is an excellent idea to learn the ropes from a marijuana distribution professional.

One way to go about this is to contact an established dispensary in your area and ask the owner to give you a rundown on how to operate legally and successfully. You may need to compensate them for their time, but this can be well worth it.

There are also plenty of training courses and medical marijuana "colleges" that you can attend to learn the ins and outs of the business. Some examples are the Cannabis Career Institute and MedicalMarijuanaEducationAndTraining.com.

Once you have educated yourself on marijuana laws and feel knowledgeable enough about the industry to get started, you will need to put all of the pieces together and begin setting up shop. There are several concerns that you will need to deal with in everyday operation, including:

1. Staff: You will need to hire sales clerks who are familiar with marijuana regulations, as well as security staff to protect the shop and the safety of patients coming and going. Be aware that some shops experience problems with customers being robbed upon leaving the store with their weed.
2. Patient education: You should provide adequate signage about appropriate conduct, and be sure that patients are aware that they should not use any of your product until they are in a safe and legal location.
3. Advertisement: You will need to bring in clientele, which may require advertising in weekly newspapers, the Internet and/or other outlets.
4. Pricing: You will need to stay competitive while still making a suitable profit to keep your store going.
5. Shop layout: You will likely need a waiting area, as well as an inner room where you will display your wares. Patients will need to check in at the waiting area, where they will present their eligibility to purchase pot along with their photo identification.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, although it is legalized for medical use in fourteen states. The content in this page is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. Please do not think that just because it is legal in your state that you can freely sell or smoke. You must have a medical card that allows you to possess marijuana and permission from the applicable government agency to open up a pot dispensary.