Cannabis dispensaries are closely regulated, and they all provide the essential service of dispensing medical marijuana. If you go to multiple dispensaries, however, you'll see differences that make some especially good to use. Should you need to fill a medical marijuana prescription, use these tips to choose a great cannabis dispensary that'll serve you well.

Choose a Dispensary Close to You

No matter what else you consider, find a cannabis dispensary that's close to you. If it's not near your home, then it should at least be near your place of work, near your school, or not too far out of the way during your commute.

Most patients who take medical marijuana aren't dealing with one-time pain that's caused by a specific injury or operation, but they suffer from chronic pain. Assuming you have chronic pain, you'll want to refill your prescription multiple times -- and having a dispensary that's conveniently located will make it easy to pick up refills. 

If you take medical marijuana for months or years, even a few less minutes spent driving to the dispensary for each refill will add up to a lot of time saved.

Check the Cannabis' Quality

Because cannabis is a grown product and not produced in a laboratory, there are inherent variances in quality among plants. Even with the most diligent growing practices, plants, and harvests will still vary at least a little. 

Because there can be variances among cannabis plants' quality, you'll want to make sure whatever dispensary you choose uses only the best available cannabis to derive their medications from. There are a few ways to check the quality of a dispensary's cannabis.

First, you can look for reviews of the dispensary. Just as customers review restaurants and stores, many medical marijuana patients leave reviews of their dispensaries. Look for a dispensary that has overall high reviews, and specifically check for a few reviews that mention the quality of the products.

Second, ask the staff at a dispensary where they source their cannabis from. Some dispensaries grow their own products, while others buy from wholesalers on the open market. The former is preferable, as dispensaries that grow their own plants have complete control over plant selection and horticulture of the plants.

Finally, you can also ask the staff if they have results from independent labs. If a dispensary has sent their products for testing, they'll be able to show you exactly how much CBD is in their cannabis.

Remember these tips as you search for a reputable dispensary near you.