What You Need to Know About Opening a Dispensary

Updated on January 14, 2021

As marijuana becomes a more valuable industry throughout the U.S., many entrepreneurs want to know how they can get started in owning a piece of this growing enterprise. The first thing you need to know is what the rules are in your state. Make sure that you do plenty of research into the kind of guidelines that are present for your location. Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug. You can get into plenty of trouble if you don’t have the right licensing in place to cultivate and sell plants. With that in mind, it’s worth speaking to a knowledgeable attorney before jumping into a career in this industry. Once you’ve got the right information, follow these steps. 

Plan Your Business

First, figure out exactly what kind of business you’re going to run. If you’re just creating a dispensary where you sell strains of marijuana created by other people, then you will need a different kind of license than if you were growing the product yourself. Just because you can get your medical marijuana card NYC in minutes, doesn’t mean that it’s easy to launch a business without prior planning. You’ll need to consider the market, think about your startup and ongoing costs, and decide who your target market is going to be. Remember, planning the costs of this venture will mean thinking about things like monthly rent, initial inventory, display cases, office supplies, and even the cost of paying for staff. 

Get the Right Help

It’s unlikely you’re going to be able to run this full business on your own. With that in mind, you’ll need to begin looking for help as soon as possible. Research competitors in your industry and find out what kind of help those businesses have. Aside from suppliers and manufacturers, is there are a team of customer service reps who can help customers make informed decisions? If you’re going to be running a dispensary with multiple employees, you’ll also need to find out whether those other people on your team will need their own licenses and certifications to work with you. Consult with your lawyer before you take the risk of getting anyone into trouble. 

Protect Your Business

Finally, once you’ve got the legal issues addressed, and you have the right help to make your business a success, you can look into making money. Remember, at this point, the best thing you can do is open a business account for your banking, and a get a professional credit card. Just like any other company, you’ll need to pay your taxes every year, and it will be much easier for you or your accountant to sort through your cash flow if you have a separate account for personal and business expenses. Your business credit card will also mean that you can access important things for your company when you don’t have a lot of capital in between sales. Remember, just as you need to work with the right legal professionals when planning your business, it’s also worth getting professional support for your accounting too.

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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.