Get named on the lists, threads and stories AI reads

The single clearest pattern in our 200 answers: AI tools name the stores that other people have already named. A readers' choice award. A "best dispensaries in" list. A Reddit thread where locals argue about where to go. A local magazine roundup. When those sources agree, the AI repeats them. When nobody independent has said your name, the AI has no reason to say it either.

Where each tool listens

Share of answers citing each kind of independent source:

So the order depends on which tool matters most to your customers. For ChatGPT, lists come first. For Google, the local conversation. For Gemini and Perplexity, all three.

Best-of lists: the ChatGPT lever

There are three kinds of list, and they work differently:

• Readers' choice awards from local papers. Alt-weeklies and city magazines run yearly "Best of" polls with a dispensary category. In Denver, ChatGPT's first pick was the store that won the local paper's 2026 Readers' Choice award, and it said so. Find your city's poll, get nominated, and tell your customers when voting opens. Promote the vote, never pay for it.
• "Best dispensaries in [city]" directory sites. A handful of these appeared in most ChatGPT and Gemini answers. Make sure you are on them with correct facts, claim your page where you can, and ask to be considered when they update. Some sell featured spots. Only consider that on a site that already shows up in AI answers for your city.
• City guides and roundups. Time Out, Thrillist, event sites like Do303 and Do312, and local magazines publish dispensary roundups. These are written by editors. You get on them with a story, not a payment. See the pitch below.

Reddit: the Google and Gemini lever

Google AI Mode linked to Reddit in almost half its answers, and Gemini in more than half. Both want to know what locals actually say. You cannot fake that, and trying gets you banned. You can be part of it:

1. Find the threads. Search Reddit for your city plus "dispensary." Your city's subreddit and your state's cannabis subreddits are where the "where should I go" questions get asked.
2. Read the rules first. Many subreddits ban self-promotion or require you to say who you are. Follow them exactly.
3. Answer as yourself. "I run [store] on Main, so take this with a grain of salt, but for first-timers I would..." Helpful, honest, specific. Recommend other good stores when they fit. That earns more trust than any ad.
4. Make the store worth talking about. The threads that name a store usually mention one specific thing: the deals board, a budtender who knows their stuff, late hours, a hard-to-find brand. Give people a detail to repeat.

Local press: the Gemini and Perplexity lever

Local news and magazine stories showed up in more than a third of Gemini's and Perplexity's answers. Reporters write about dispensaries when there is a real story. Some angles that work:

• An opening, a new location or a big renovation
• A local owner story, a social equity license, a family business
• A partnership with a local grower or brand
• A community event, cleanup or fundraiser you run
• Data: what your city buys, what first-timers ask, holiday trends, without customer details

Keep the pitch to five sentences. Send it to one reporter who covers business or cannabis in your city, not a list. Follow up once.

Press releases: honest about what they are

A paid wire release puts your news on many syndicated news pages within a day. AI tools can read those pages. For one store we work with, a single paid release was picked up on 412 pages across 285 outlets. Those are copies of the release, not reporters choosing the story, and it should be described that way. Use releases for real news, like an opening or a new location, and do not expect them to replace earned coverage.

When you have real news, the strongest version is a feature written and published by a cannabis publication, with the release behind it. That is what our press partner does.

Local links that count

Links from your own community tell search engines and AI tools that you are a real part of the place. Sponsor a local team or event and ask for a link on their sponsor page. Join the chamber. Partner with a local business. Get listed in your city's tourism guide where cannabis businesses are allowed. A few real local links beat hundreds of national directory links.

• Find your city's readers' choice pollNote the nomination and voting dates. Put them on the calendar.
• Check the best-of directory sites AI citesListed, correct, claimed where possible.
• Read three Reddit threads about dispensaries in your cityWhat do locals praise? What do they complain about?
• Write one honest Reddit answerFollow the subreddit rules. Say who you are.
• Send one local pitchOne reporter, one real story, five sentences.
• Get one local linkA sponsorship, the chamber or a partner business.
• Turn your next real news into pressOpening, new location, award or milestone: send it to our press partner, stupidDOPE, for a feature and release.

Common questions