The Future of Cannabis Retail

On a recent visit to my old stomping grounds of Orange County, Calif., I took advantage of an opportunity to tour a new licensed medical cannabis dispensary in Santa Ana called People’s Choice.  My expectations for the experience were typical: Although I had heard great things about its customer experience and design, I have learned over the past three years of designing cannabis retail stores across the country that most people’s definition of “a great dispensary experience” naturally falls a little short of what a designer’s definition entails.

I have learned to keep my expectations of stumbling across thoughtful retail design, branding, merchandising and layout fairly low, likely as a coping mechanism for maintaining an optimistic, at-least-you-can’t-fall-off-the-floor perspective on this new and emerging retail industry in which my design studio specializes.

Well, People’s Choice blew my expectations out of the water. Occupying an entire two-story building so expansive that it can claim the title of “largest dispensary in California,” the owners have created a welcoming, comfortable and elevated environment that not only facilitates a sale, but allows their patients and customers to learn about the history of marijuana and literally step into what the future of this industry will look and feel like.  Open retail spaces, free of secure barriers and cordoned-off product rooms; lounge and waiting areas that invite people to stay, experience and enjoy the atmosphere; abundant natural light streaming through windows that are unobstructed by security bars or blackout film; product displays that showcase gorgeously packaged items that make you want to buy – and buy more.

This coming November, voters in California will decide whether or not cannabis should be legal for any adult over the age of 21 to purchase.  If passed, the multi-billion-dollar, semi-clandestine California cannabis market will become a legitimate and regulated industry that will fundamentally change the cannabis landscape as a whole.  One in six Americans will live in a state where legal, adult-use cannabis is available for purchase. Eleven other states will be voting on cannabis in November as well, including at least four others that will attempt to legalize for adult use. With 25 states now offering some form of a medical marijuana program and four states already running adult-use programs, 2016 has proven to be a cornerstone year for progress and expansion of this complex new retail industry.

People’s Choice clearly sees what the future holds for them. Every day, more and more dispensary license holders across the country are realizing the same thing — design is essential to their success as retailers. They are understanding the value in creating a destination and a unique experience that will differentiate them from their competition. They have learned that design can provide them something tangible that adds real value to their business and brand. And they are realizing that their customers’ expectations may not be so low forever.  And that, to me, is something worth contributing to.

Megan Stone is the owner and founder of The High Road Design Studio (Phoenix). She is an award-winning interior designer and consultant specializing in the design needs of cannabis retail businesses. She is the pioneer of cannabis retail design, helping to reinvent peoples’ expectations and perceptions of the cannabis industry in its public-facing spaces. Her team has provided interior design and brand identity services to cannabis retailers in eleven states for both recreational and medical markets. Megan’s background in the building, hospitality and medical marijuana industries allows her to create efficient and impressive spaces for her clients, satisfying their needs and elevating their businesses and brands to new levels of success.