- See how AI uses your rating, review count and review text
- Set up a weekly review system that follows Google's and Yelp's rules
- Copy request scripts and reply templates that make reviews specific
Read a few AI answers about dispensaries and you start to see the same kinds of sentences. "Weedmaps lists it at 4.9/5 from 469 reviews." "Reviewers often mention its kind and welcoming staff." "Yelp's top recommended dispensary, though based on only a small number of reviews." The AI is doing what a careful friend would do: checking the rating, checking whether enough people agree, and repeating what they said.
That gives you three things to build: a strong rating, enough reviews to be believed, and review text that says something specific.
How AI uses your reviews
| What AI reads | What it does with it | Real example from our study |
|---|---|---|
| Rating and count | Uses them as proof for a pick | "Weedmaps lists it at 4.9/5 from 469 reviews." (ChatGPT, Denver) |
| Low count | Hedges or downgrades the pick | "Yelp's top recommended dispensary, though based on only a small number of reviews." (Perplexity, Detroit) |
| Review text | Turns it into your description | "Reviewers often mention its kind and welcoming staff, as well as easy-access parking." (Gemini, Chicago) |
Notice the last one. Nobody at that store wrote "welcoming staff and easy parking" into a listing. Customers did, often enough that the AI repeated it. Your reviews are writing your AI description right now, whether you are managing them or not.
The rules you cannot break
Give a discount or points for a review.
Google removes incentivized reviews and can restrict your listing. Yelp bans it too. Many states also restrict cannabis promotions.
Ask happy customers first, then send only them to Google.
That is review gating, and Google prohibits it. Ask everyone the same way.
Ask for Yelp reviews like you ask for Google reviews.
Yelp's rules tell businesses not to ask for Yelp reviews at all. Point requests to Google, Weedmaps and Leafly.
Have staff or friends write reviews.
Fake reviews get removed in bulk and can take real ones down with them. It is also a consumer protection problem.
A system that runs every week
The stores at the top do not get reviews by luck. They ask every customer, the same way, every day. Here is the simplest version that works:
- One tap. Get your direct Google review link from your Business Profile. Every request uses that link, so the customer lands right on the stars.
- Ask at the right moment. A text a couple of hours after purchase, while the visit is fresh, sent through your loyalty or text platform to customers who opted in. A small card or QR code at the counter catches the rest.
- Mostly Google, some Weedmaps and Leafly. Send most requests to Google and the rest to Weedmaps and Leafly, the two listing sites AI cited most in our study.
- Ask a question, not for stars. "What did you come in for, and how did your budtender do?" gets you a review that says something. "Please leave us 5 stars" gets you nothing to quote.
- Reply within a day. Every review, good or bad. Short, human, specific.
- Watch the pace. A steady number every week looks real. Fifty in a weekend and nothing for a month looks like a campaign.
Request scripts you can copy
Swap in your own review link. Your store name fills in automatically if you came from your back office.
Replies that help you
A reply is the only part of a review you write. Keep it short, thank them by first name, and repeat the specific thing they liked in plain words. Never mention a product they bought, a medical condition or anything private, even if they did.
Put your reviews on your own website
Gemini and Perplexity cited a dispensary's own website in more than 9 out of 10 answers in our study. A dedicated reviews page on your site, showing your real Google reviews with names and dates, gives them a clean place to read what customers say about you, in your own domain. Keep it real: every review word for word, good and mixed, updated automatically.
Google does not show review stars in search results for reviews a business displays about itself. A reviews page is for people and AI tools to read, not for stars in Google.
Common questions
Can I give a discount for leaving a review?
No. Google removes reviews that were posted in exchange for anything of value, including discounts and loyalty points, and can restrict the listing. Yelp bans it too. Ask every customer the same way and let them decide.
Can I only send review requests to happy customers?
No. Filtering customers first and sending only the happy ones to Google is called review gating, and Google's policy prohibits it. Ask everyone. Fix the problems the unhappy ones raise.
How many reviews do I need?
There is no magic number, but the market sets the bar. In a study of 3,475 dispensaries ranking in Google's top 20 local results across the 24 largest legal cities, the average was 1,011 reviews at 4.7 stars. Steady weekly growth matters more than a one-time burst.
Should I reply to every review?
Yes, within a day if you can. Replies show the store is active and give AI more context about you. Never mention what a customer bought or anything about medical use in a reply.
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