Oklahoma has a lot of cannabis dispensaries. Thousands of dispensaries. More than any other state in the nation.
And they are all different in their own unique way. But they all have lots and lots of flower in jars on the shelves. That, they share in common. And that brings up a question that you may find yourself asking:
Have you ever wondered where these shops get their weed?
How do they supply their shelves with all of that flower? There is a great variety of strains, and varying quality of flower, from low grade to high grade.
This article will explore how cannabis goes from cultivation to retail, or as the cliché, from “seed to sale.”
All retail cannabis originates from a licensed Oklahoma cultivator.
All cannabis that is sold in Oklahoma must be grown in Oklahoma. That is the law, and anything to the contrary violates both Federal as well as Oklahoma law.
So if you are buying legal weed in Oklahoma, then you are smoking Okla-grown bud. And that makes me want to give you a high five! Thank you for supporting our local industry! This is important because there is still a black market in Oklahoma, and that market contains both intra-state and inter-state cannabis.
Some people still purchase their cannabis on the black market, either because they don’t have a medical patient card (which doesn’t make sense, considering anyone that wants one can get can a medical card in Oklahoma); or because some people find the illicit market to be cheaper.
For those of us, which is the majority of cannabis consumers in Oklahoma, we purchase our flower legally from a dispensary. And the dispensary purchases its inventory of flower from various (licensed) growers.
Oklahoma Dispensaries must Buy their Cannabis inventory from various Licensed Growers
Some dispensaries in Oklahoma grow their own flower. But even those shops still purchase flower from other growers. In fact, of the dispensaries that do grow their own, they still primarily purchase outside flower. This is because customers demand a great variety of flower, from a variety of different growers.
It is not enough for a grower to grow a handful of strains (or even dozens of strains) and then sell them directly to the consumer through another entity (this is called vertical integration). Simply growing the weed is not enough; successful dispensaries must have more than just flower and with regards to flower, they must have many, many strains, rotating in and out. This can be difficult to manage for many small cultivators.
So even dispensaries with in-house grows still purchase the majority of their flower from outside growers.
Successful Dispensaries only work with trustworthy growers in Oklahoma
As we’ve previously discussed, dispensary managers should be selective in what growers they choose to work with. Dispensary managers should look for the following criteria:
- Will this grower allow me to see their facility?
- Do they operate a clean-room facility?
- Are they transparent in their cultivation practices and willing to answer questions?
- Do they harvest perpetually or seasonally?
- Do they return phone calls and emails?
- Are they consistent with their quality?
- Do they have a recognizable brand?
The most important component is transparency and willingness to be open about cultivation practices. Many are unaware that much of the cannabis on the market is produced in filthy locations such as old barns and chicken shacks. Therefore, it is crucial that dispensaries be able to verify the cleanliness of the facility and the cultivation practices employed.
Dispensaries in Oklahoma love working with Smokey Okies Cannabis
Smokey Okies operates a clean-room facility and holds very high standards for our operating procedures. We have policies in place to ensure consistent quality flower, every batch, every week, every cycle.
We also have curated a menu of old classics, and the latest and greatest of the breeding world, so that we have fresh, new offerings regularly coming out.
We are also transparent in our practices and in our business relationships. We are family owned and operated and we are local Okla-homies.
For these reasons, Dispensaries love working with us. We are easy to contact and get ahold of, we make purchasing easy and convenient, we always have quality product on hand, we always have a variety of strains to offer, and our quality is very consistent.
If you would like to purchase our flower, simply send us an email here.