Field Guide 09 · Rec or med

Recreational vs. medical dispensary: what's the difference?

Straight answer

A recreational (adult-use) dispensary sells to anyone 21+ with a valid photo ID. A medical dispensary sells only to registered patients with a state medical card, usually from age 18. Lots of stores are licensed for both and run two menus. 17 of the places on Alexis 420 are medical only, so there, no card means no sale.

By Alexis 420October 18, 20265 min read

Alexis is AI-generated.

Which door is yours?

Three questions. The doors light up for the stores you can shop.

Alexis between two dispensary doors marked REC and MED

1. Where are you shopping?

2. Are you 21 or older?

3. Medical card?

Answer all three.Your doors light up.

Rec vs. med, side by side

RecMed

Who can shop

Any adult 21 or older

Registered patients, plus their caregivers

What to bring

A valid government photo ID

Photo ID and your state patient card

Age

21+

18+ in most programs; younger patients only through a caregiver

Taxes

The full adult-use taxes

In many states, lower: some adult-use taxes don't apply

How much

The state's adult purchase limit

Often a higher limit for patients

Where

States with adult-use sales

Every state with a medical program

Same plant, same testing, same licensed shelves. The difference is who's allowed to buy, what you pay and how much. Want the card? Here's how to get a medical card in every state.

Rec or med, state by state

Gold states sell to adults 21+. Green states are medical only. Tap one for the store count.

Tap a stateRecreational and medical dispensaries by state

Rec and med
Medical only
No stores listed

Across Alexis 420: 3,750 stores are adult-use only, 2,754 are medical only and 3,295 hold both licenses. In the state ranking, medical-only markets carry a MED tag.

When a store is both

A store with both licenses serves both crowds under one roof. Expect a check-in that asks which you are. Patients often get their own line, menu or pricing, and the register applies the right limit and tax to each sale.

Every store page on Alexis 420 shows its license type right under the name: Adult-use, Medical, or Adult-use + Medical. To see only stores that serve patients, turn on the medical dispensary near me filter.