Buying Weed Online: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think

Long gone are the days when buying marijuana (weed) was a sneaky, hush-hush, under-the-table dealing due to strict laws and regulations forbidding it. Of course, there is still a lot of controversy and numerous hoops to jump through for the cannabis industry, but consumers are now thankfully able to purchase weed over the Internet in certain areas, which seems to be where people buy just about everything now. 

Be careful, though, because there are obviously many illegal ways to purchase it, seeing as it is still illegal federally and is classified under the same drug schedule as heroin and cocaine. Shipping it through big carriers such as the United States Postal Service (USPS), FedEx, and UPS is generally illegal. However, in June 2019, USPS did release guidance that “some products derived from industrial hemp are mailable under specific conditions.” Requirements include proof or a license from a state’s Department of Agriculture allowing industrial hemp sales as well as a mandate that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of the hemp being shipped is under 0.03 percent. 

Of course, USPS requires shippers to fill out a form confirming what is in the package, and liars face harsh penalties. Also, USPS and the other shippers always reserve the right to inspect any packages that seem suspicious. Nevertheless, weed can indeed be purchased via the Internet and delivered to your door. Below is an outline on how to purchase weed online – and it’s easier than you think. 

Purchase It Locally/Legally

If you don’t reside in a state where weed is legal, it is best to steer clear from trying to order it online unless it meets the mailing approval requirements, as outlined above. Since hemp products containing less than 0.03% of THC are legal, you should have no problem obtaining them from an online retailer (Botany Farms is one of the most widely-known ones). Things can get tricky and legally questionable with any other products, though, so be careful when trying to purchase it online. 

However, if you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, or Washington, you’ll have a much easier time obtaining weed seeing as those states and D.C. have made it legal. The best place to start if you’re in one of those states is simply looking for local dispensaries to obtain it from. These days, most dispensaries have websites and you can purchase weed directly from there. 

People who reside on the West Coast of the U.S. should also look into using the website Eaze, which has turned out to be the most widely-used site for now. The site sells all kinds of weed-related products from local dispensaries including flowers, pre-rolls, vapes, and edibles. It is simple to use and similar to Amazon or eBay.  

Payment Procedures

Of course, if you’re purchasing cheap weed online, you cannot pay with cash like you would buying face-to-face from a dealer. Some places, though, will have an employee deliver locally after your online purchase and allow you to hand off cash. However, similar to shipping providers, your payment options when buying weed online are currently limited. Since weed is still illegal federally, federal law prohibits major credit card companies and payment facilitators (e.g., MasterCard, AMEX, PayPal) from conducting cannabis transactions. 

Some dispensaries have taken the risk of accepting credit card payments and have since been sanctioned or shuttered, so it is best to stick with a dispensary or website that processes payments legally. Other dispensaries allow cryptocurrency payments for weed, but many businesses (and consumers) are still shying away from this method. 

Instead, most online dispensaries utilize Automated Clearing House (ACH) or bank transfers. These are relatively simple and eliminate the need for any cards, wire transfers, or physical checks. They allow dispensaries to ensure you have the necessary funds in your account and take the money directly out of it. While this sounds great, it obviously requires third-party service that can facilitate the transfer. Many companies that do this are hesitant to get on board with weed payments due to the legal issues, but one prominent service in the industry that allows cannabis purchases is CanPay. 

How You’ll Get It

It is worth mentioning that most online weed sellers will ship products in discreet, basic packaging. Respected sellers will use an industrial strength vacuum sealer to conceal the scent coming from the weed and to also keep it as fresh as possible and avoid contamination during shipping. This method makes the package look more like a normal parcel, but sometimes can raise red flags to the shipping carriers. Again, be aware that the carriers reserve the right to check your packages, so if this happens, your shipment may get delayed. 

Look Out for Sketchy Sales

As a rule, you should always make sure the dispensary is licensed and legally compliant before ordering anything from it. The first step is to just browse the website. Does it look brand new? Are there inconsistencies? Is the spelling and grammar correct? Does the website provide a license number? Of course, you should never buy weed off of a social media site like Facebook or Instagram, as you have no idea of knowing if the weed you’re buying is from a respectable source. The same goes for any individual not affiliated with a licensed retailer who reaches out and offers you weed. 

You’ll want to be sure the place you are buying weed from online has conducted respected third-party lab tests on the products they are selling and provides documentation of lab results and analysis directly on the websites. Also be aware of the “normal” costs for weed and the specific products you are looking to purchase. If the website is selling weed for much higher or much lower than “typical” costs, be careful, as it may be a scam or it may be selling poor quality or dangerous products. 

You don’t want to receive tainted weed that could make you sick, and you also don’t want to buy it from an illegal source and then have to deal with law enforcement. Ultimately, just be smart about where you get your weed and how you buy it. As long as you are diligent in making sure your source is legitimate, it is much easier to purchase weed online than you might think.