How to Choose a Location for Your Dispensary

Consider Where You Want To Start Your Dispensary

Before you can even start looking for commercial properties to suit your dispensary, the first and arguably most important consideration is which state, city, or town you should choose for your dispensary. This is particularly important as every state has different cannabis laws. In some cases, laws even differ between municipalities.

Some entrepreneurs have the opportunity to state a dispensary in their home state whereas some might want to look further afield. You might find more success starting a dispensary in a cannabis hotspot such as Nevada or Washington. At the same time, you might find it cheaper and easier to get licensed and start a business in other states.

You should also consider how much competition you’ll have. While some states are particularly attractive locations for starting a dispensary, you might want to choose an area with fewer dispensaries. That way, you’ll have less competition to deal with and your business can become the prime hotspot for marijuana consumers in that area.

Consider Where You’ll Attract Your Desired Customers

When you’re trying to choose the right location for your dispensary, you should also think about where you’ll attract your desired target market. Naturally, you’ll want to attract plenty of customers to your dispensary, and doing so will be significantly easier if you pick the right location.

Places that are rife with tourists are popular dispensary locations, especially as you can attract many eager customers. You could also consider opening a dispensary in a popular shopping area where plenty of potential customers walk by each day.

You might even want to take a targeted approach. For example, if you’re focusing your marketing efforts on attracting elderly users who need medical marijuana, you could open your dispensary in a location with a high population of senior citizens. You could also consider areas that are popular with younger people such as college students. However, you’ll also need to take zoning laws into account.

Find A Location That’s Compliant With Zoning Laws

Not only will you need to consider the laws regarding where you can sell cannabis to consumers, but you’ll also need to consider local zoning laws. Many states have restrictions on where exactly you can operate a dispensary, and these can make it particularly tough to find a good commercial property.

Usually, these rules state that you can’t open a marijuana business within a certain distance of areas such as schools, parks, playgrounds, and other areas frequented by children. Some areas have even stricter laws and you may need to start your dispensary in an industrial park or another area without many people around.

These laws can make it tough to find the perfect location, especially as you might be restricted from opening your dispensary in an area with high footfall. However, this is one of the many obstacles that come with opening a dispensary and you’ll need to ensure you choose a legally compliant location before you start.

Find A Building That Suits Your Needs

While finding the right location for your dispensary is important, it’s also important to find a property that suits your needs and the needs of your business. You might find a property that’s located in the perfect area, but if it’s not big enough to suit your dispensary, it’s simply not worth it.

With that said, you don’t need a huge space either. As long as you have space for customers to walk around and display products, as well as plenty of space for your stock and your point-of-sale, you should be able to operate fairly comfortably.

Make sure that your building is suitable for everything you need. Along with space for your customers and staff, you’ll also want to ensure you can fit any equipment you need and you’ll also want perks such as air conditioning and staff bathrooms. Try to find a place in a great location that’s also perfectly-sized for your dispensary.

Work With A Cannabis Real Estate Agent

Since there are rules and restrictions regarding where you can open a dispensary, finding a good commercial property for your business can be tough. However, you can find certain services that can make the whole process a lot easier.

Even though cannabis is now legal in various states, some landlords refuse to accept cannabis businesses as it’s still federally illegal and seen as a high-risk business. As such, you’ll need to find legally compliant properties that accept marijuana businesses.

The best way to do this is to consult with cannabis real estate agents. These agents will know the ins-and-outs of where you can operate legally and can show you various properties where you can run your business smoothly.

Conclusion

When it comes to how to choose a location for your dispensary, there are many things to consider. Not only will you want your storefront to be big enough, but you’ll also want somewhere with plenty of customers nearby as well as somewhere that doesn’t break any zoning laws. You might want to consult with a cannabis business real estate agent for help.

Take some time when picking a location as picking the right location can help boost the success of your business significantly. However, wherever you choose to open your dispensary, you can start attracting customers as long as you put some time and effort into promoting your business. For help with promoting your cannabis business, check out CannabisPromotions.