Specials

MedMen October 8 is “MedMen Day,” and the Nevada stores are offering an array of promotions. And on Halloween, MedMen Buds members receive double points.

Essence “Stay tuned for details,” Essence Marketing Manager Nathan Gomez coyly promises.

Planet 13 Offers daily promotions for locals. Text “planet” to 833-864-7637 for special offers.

The Source Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotion benefiting the local Ink Ribbon Foundation. Halloween costume contest the week before Halloween with prizes at each store. Deals to coincide with the first Vegas Golden Knights game. Expect Nevada Day pop-ups.

The Grove Locals will benefit from half-ounce and ounce deals this month, at $100 and $180, respectively. The Grove will also offer a variety of pop-up deals throughout the month.

Seasonal strains & offerings

MedMen: MedMen’s favorite fall offerings are from Cannabiotix and Desert Grown Farms. In October, MedMen will add these new products to its lineup: Plus gummies, Dosist pens and the topical Papa & Barkley.

The Grove: New flavors (birthday cake and blondie) for Vert cookie squares will debut in October. “They taste like they were just pulled out of the oven, by far my favorite edibles on the market,” the Grove’s director of operations, Tiffany Hoven, says via email.

The Source: On October 13, the 8 Fold Halloween collection of disposable vape pens and pre-rolls will debut. The limited-time edition will feature 13th Floor (fun sativa blend), Twisted Circus (fruity sativa blend), Supernatural (indica blend) and Night of the Undead (calming indica blend).

How to recognize a good product

• All products sold legally in Nevada are going to be very high quality because of the extensive regulations, according to Nevada Dispensary Association Executive Director Riana Durrett.

• Make sure you are purchasing a legal market product by shopping at a legal dispensary. “It goes through quality assurance testing, and there are strict regulations on the packaging and labeling so you know what you’re actually getting, unlike on the illegal market. You don’t know what’s in that,” Durrett says. “Law enforcement has seized illegal market products that are laced with other drugs [and/or] have harmful substances in them. It’s likely that the recent surge in vape-related illnesses are at least in part due to illegal market products.”

• In Nevada, dispensaries are legally obligated to provide consumers access to product test results, which are called certificates of analysis. They have all the information on file and will be happy to share, so don't be afraid to ask.

• Speaking of asking, Durrett advises consumers to ask their “budtender” for advice on what to choose. They can steer you to the highest-quality products, such as those that are organic or grown in a specific soil.

• “With the state tracking system in place, along with in-house “seed to sale” software, customers can know exactly what mother plant their product came from; you just have to know what to ask your budtender, or sales associate,” says the Grove’s Tiffany Hoven. “Customers can request testing, soil amendment reports, ingredients, etc., to help make the best decision when it comes to the quality of the product.”

• Do not focus on THC levels. That's a classic tourist mistake, according to Durrett. Instead, focus on the terpene profile and how it was grown. Those aspects will be what most affects the experience of consuming cannabis. A budtender will help guide you toward the right product for your needs.

• To find an up-to-date list of legal dispensaries in Nevada, visit the Nevada Dispensary Association's website, nvdispense.com/resources