- Run the same 8 questions your customers ask, in all four AI tools
- Score your store from 0 to 12 so you can measure progress
- Know which websites the AI trusts in your city, which is your to-do list
licensed dispensaries in our 50-city test were never named by ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini or Perplexity when we asked for the best dispensary in their city.
2,407 licensed stores, 200 AI answers, October 16, 2026. See the studyMost owners guess. They ask ChatGPT once, from their own phone, logged in to an account that already knows their store, and either panic or relax. Neither tells you anything. A real check uses the questions your customers type, runs them in a clean window, and writes down two things: whether your store is named, and which websites the answer leans on.
The second part matters more than most people think. The sites an AI cites in your city are the sites it trusts. That list is your to-do list for the rest of this playbook.
Set up a clean test
Five minutes of setup keeps you from fooling yourself.
- Use a private or incognito window. For ChatGPT, use it logged out or start a temporary chat. Your own history bends the answer toward you.
- Put your city in the question. Without it, the AI guesses your location from your connection, which may be miles off. Your customers usually say the city or neighborhood out loud anyway.
- Run each question twice. AI answers move from one session to the next. If you show up in one run and not the other, you are on the edge. That counts as "mentioned," not "named."
- Screenshot everything. Next month you will want to compare.
The four places to ask
| Tool | Where | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | chatgpt.com, logged out | Stores named in the text and the business cards, plus the source links under the answer |
| Google AI Mode | google.com, tap AI Mode | Stores named, the map cards it shows, and the links on the right side |
| Gemini | gemini.google.com | Stores named and the sources it lists when you expand them |
| Perplexity | perplexity.ai | Stores named and the numbered sources at the top |
Google also shows AI Overviews on regular search results for some questions. In our September test of 104 cannabis searches, an AI Overview appeared on about 1 in 5, mostly on question-style searches. You will catch those in lesson 2.
The prompt kit
These are the questions customers actually type. If you arrived from your store's back office, your store and city are already filled in. Tap copy, paste, read.
The first five questions test whether AI recommends you to someone who has never heard of you. The last three test whether AI knows you when someone asks by name. Most stores do better on the second set. The first set is where new customers come from.
Score what you see
Run "best dispensary in your city" in all four tools, then the "your facts" question in ChatGPT and Google. Tap what you saw. Named means your store is in the main answer. Mentioned means it shows up lower, in one run only, or as a passing line. Your score saves in this browser.
Your AI scorecard
Saved on this deviceWrite down the sources
Under every answer there are links. Write down every website that shows up, and how often. In our study, the sites AI leaned on most were the same handful in almost every city: Weedmaps and Leafly, best-of list sites, Google Maps, Reddit, Yelp, and a few dispensaries' own websites. Each one points to a lesson.
| If the answer cites | It means | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps cards | Google is answering from its own map data and the websites behind it | Lesson 2 |
| Best-of list sites | ChatGPT and Gemini lean on "best dispensaries in" pages to pick names | Lesson 3 |
| Weedmaps, Leafly, Yelp | Your listings are being read. Their accuracy and reviews decide how you come across | Lesson 4 |
| Review quotes and ratings | The AI is summarizing what customers wrote | Lesson 5 |
| Other dispensaries' websites | Their sites are readable and specific. Yours may not be | Lesson 6 |
| Reddit, local news, magazines | Real people and editors are talking about stores in your city | Lesson 7 |
A store that AI trusts shows up in all four tools for the big question, gets its facts right everywhere, and has its own website cited at least once. In our study that was rare: only 45 of 2,407 licensed stores were named by all four tools.
Common questions
Why does ChatGPT give me a different answer than my customer gets?
AI answers change with location, the wording of the question and the session. That is why the test uses a private window, your city name in the question, and two runs. Look for the pattern across runs, not one answer.
Should I ask while logged in to my own ChatGPT account?
No. Your account remembers what you have searched and talked about, including your own store. Use a logged-out or temporary chat so you see what a stranger sees.
How often should I run this test?
Once now as your baseline, then once a month. AI answers move as new reviews, lists and pages get published, so a monthly score shows whether the work is landing.
Does it matter if AI names my store but gets the hours wrong?
Yes. Wrong hours or an old address send customers to a closed door. It usually means one of your listings is out of date. Lesson 4 shows how to find and fix it.
Finished this lesson?
Mark it done. Your progress saves in this browser, no account needed.
