7 Ways to Save Money on Medical Marijuana

7 Ways To Save Money On Medical Marijuana

saving money with weed

Cannabis is powerful, life-saving medicine.

However, if you’re a medical marijuana patient, you might find that the costs can easily add up. Most insurance companies still don’t cover the cost of cannabis medicine, so it’s up the patient to find creative ways of saving money on cannabis. That doesn’t mean that budgeting your cannabis is impossible, but it does require some work and adjustments.

Here are 7 ways you can save money on medical marijuana:

Grow your medicine. But first, read up on your state laws when it comes to home cultivation. In some states with medical cannabis laws, patients with an MMJ card can grow a limited number of plants at home for consumption. If this sounds appealing to you, you’ll also have to do some research on the cost of growing your plants: there are costs associated with equipment, water, energy, soil, and light. Another option is to learn how to make your own infused butters, oils, and tinctures right at home.

Be conservative with your doses. Ask yourself just how much cannabis you need for it to mitigate the symptoms of your condition. Smoking as much and as often as you can is not always the solution. In many cases, you only need a low dose, say 10-15mg of cannabis, which will last you a few hours. Alternatively, if you’re new to cannabis, you should also experiment with microdosing.

Purchase your cannabis in bulk. Buying cannabis in bulk, just like with tissue paper and other necessities, can save you money in the long run. Ask your local dispensaries if they have current or upcoming deals for purchasing large amounts of pot. This is helpful even if you don’t necessarily consume a lot; for example, if you smoke 1/8 of herb in a week, you’d be better off financially by taking advantage of bulk deals then just storing the rest of it properly. However, keep in mind that purchasing cannabis in bulk is only worth the money if the cost per gram is reduced in the total cost.

Ask about promos and offers. The dispensary business is extremely competitive in most states, and to stay in business many of them offer great promotions on bud and cannabis products on certain days of the week. It also doesn’t hurt to negotiate and ask for free products, perhaps in exchange for referring them to others, or doing a review on social media. Ask about loyalty programs as well that entitle you to get free samples or discounts. Make friends with the budtenders and other workers, and leave good tips when you can.

Buy only the most cost-effective products. If you suffer from chronic pain a few days out of a month, it may help to invest in a $75 bottle of more powerful tincture instead of smoking an entire gram in one day just to get the relief you need. Or if you are suffering from multiple conditions that require varying doses of cannabis, you might find that having a range of different products may be more cost efficient. For example, many patients use a combination of dried herb, edibles, and topicals to address different conditions.

Make your cannabis more effective. There are certain things you can do and eat to get more out of less pot. For one, eating foods that are rich in good fat, such as oils and butters, can help make edibles or other forms of cannabis more potent. Eat some delicious salmon, avocado, or nut butter to assist your body in breaking down the cannabinoids more efficiently. Contrary to popular belief, ingesting cannabis on an empty stomach isn’t always the best best way to save on pot since this can actually cause your liver to filter out the valuable compounds in cannabis.

Make some lifestyle changes. Have you considered a long-term plan for improving your overall endocannabinoid health? Exercise is one important, simple change you can start doing today that will not only keep you healthy but it will also improve the circulation of cannabinoids. This is also a good time to reevaluate your diet and see if you can start adding more anti-inflammatory foods to reduce your symptoms.

Cannabis medicine can rack up a serious bill, and many products out there aren’t cheap. With some careful adjustments, you can easily save money on your habit to stretch your dollar.