Learn before you shop
Plain answers to the questions our budtenders hear most. New to cannabis or new to New York’s rules, start here.
- Cannabis Edibles Dosing GuideHow much of an edible should you take? A beginner's dose is 2.5 to 5mg of THC. Here's why edibles feel stronger, how long they last, and how to dose safely.
- How to Read a Cannabis Certificate of Analysis (COA)A Certificate of Analysis is the lab report that proves what's in your cannabis. Here's how to read THC, terpenes, and safety results at a glance.
- Indica vs. Sativa vs. HybridIndica is linked to relaxing, evening effects; sativa to energizing, daytime effects; hybrids blend both. Here's what those labels really mean, where they fall short, and how to actually choose.
- What Terpenes Are and Why They MatterTerpenes are the aromatic compounds behind how a strain smells and feels. What the common ones are, how to read a profile, and how to shop by nose.
- Your First Dispensary Visit in New YorkVisiting a New York dispensary for the first time? Bring a valid 21+ ID, expect to browse a menu with a budtender, and know you'll pay at pickup. Here's the full walkthrough.
Who writes these guides
These are written with the Farm Hands who work the counters in Fishkill and New Paltz. The topics come straight off the floor, the questions people ask ten times a day that never make it onto a product label. If a guide says something, it is because a Farm Hand says it to a shopper standing in front of them. We update them as New York rules change and as the shelves change. If the question you have is missing, ask at the counter or send us a note, and it usually turns into the next guide.
What a first visit actually looks like
You walk in, show a valid government-issued photo ID at the door, and someone says hello. That is the entire check-in. Past the door the floor is open and labeled, and you can walk it at your own pace or flag a Farm Hand the moment you arrive. There is a menu kiosk if you would rather read than talk to anyone. When you are ready, you check out at the counter and leave with a sealed bag. Most first visits run about ten minutes, and nobody is going to rush you through them.
What New York adult-use rules mean for you
The rules are simpler than most people expect. You must be 21 or older, and you need a valid government-issued photo ID on every visit, every time, no matter how old you look. No medical card. No appointment. No registration. The state sets purchase limits per transaction, and a Farm Hand will tell you where you stand before you check out. Products are sealed at the counter, and the state asks that they stay sealed while you travel. Both stores hold New York State Office of Cannabis Management retail licenses, OCM-RETL-24-000045 in Fishkill and OCM-RETL-24-000119 in New Paltz.
Common questions
How do I ask a Farm Hand a better question?
Give context instead of a product name. Say it is your first time, say which format you are curious about, say what you tried before and what you thought of it. Context turns the whole wall into two or three suggestions in about a minute.
What ID counts at the door?
A valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. A state driver license or non-driver ID, a United States passport or passport card, and a military ID all work. A picture of your ID on your phone does not count, so bring the physical card with you.
Is there a weed guide for total beginners?
Start with the basics guides above, then bring what they raised to the counter. The Farm Hands at the Fishkill and New Paltz stores walk new shoppers through the floor every single day, and there is no version of the beginner question they have not already answered.