Verify the license before you verify the menu
Legal online cannabis sales in the US run through state-licensed retailers. Each license has a number. That number appears on the storefront, on the receipt, and in a state registry you can search. Look it up before you create an account.
Two dozen states and the District of Columbia allow adult-use sales to people 21 and older. Medical programs cover more states. Delivery rules differ from storefront rules, and city rules can be stricter than state rules. A retailer licensed in one city may not deliver to your address in the next city over.
A site that hides its license, ships across state lines, or sells without an age check is not a legal cannabis retailer. Cross-state shipping of cannabis is a federal offense in every case.
Parameters to confirm at checkout
- Purchase limit. Limits apply per transaction and per day. Examples: 28.5 grams of flower in California, 1 ounce in Colorado, 2.5 ounces in Michigan, 3 ounces in New York. Concentrates and edibles convert to flower-equivalent weight under state formulas.
- Residency. Some medical programs require in-state ID. Adult-use sales require a government ID showing age 21 or older.
- Delivery zone and hours. Enter your ZIP code early. Confirm the cutoff time for same-day delivery.
- Taxes. State excise tax, state sales tax, and local tax stack. The menu price often excludes all three. The final total can run 25 to 40 percent above the listed price.
- Fees. Delivery fees run about $5 to $15. Minimum orders run $30 to $100. Cashless ATM payments add a $3 to $5 charge.
- Payment method. Card networks block cannabis transactions. Expect cash on delivery, debit through a cashless ATM, or ACH transfer.
Read the batch data, not the strain name
Legal products carry a batch number and a harvest or packaging date. Ask for the certificate of analysis, or COA, from the batch you are buying. The COA lists potency and results for pesticides, heavy metals, microbials, and residual solvents.
Check the packaged date. Flower older than six months loses terpenes and moisture. Edibles in legal states cap at 10 mg THC per serving and 100 mg per package. A label above that cap signals a hemp-derived product sold outside the state cannabis system, with no state testing requirement.
Pitfalls
- THC percentage chasing. A 32 percent flower label measures total THC, not effect. Lab variance between batches runs several points.
- Delta-8 and other hemp-derived products. These ship to states without cannabis laws and carry no state batch testing.
- Gifting loopholes. A site that sells a sticker and gifts cannabis is unlicensed in most states.
- No return policy. Most licensed retailers replace defective products but do not accept opened returns. Ask before you pay.
- Stale inventory. Clearance flower is often old flower. Check the date.
Quick checklist
License number verified in the state registry. Delivery address inside the licensed zone. Purchase limit understood. Taxes and fees added to the total. COA on file for the batch. Package date under six months. Payment method confirmed.