When you purchase cannabis from a dispensary, be it medical or recreational, you are required to provide a government-issued I.D. and stay within legal purchasing limits. So you may be wondering: do dispensaries keep track of how much you buy? And if so, what do they do with that information?
Depending on the state — and sometimes other factors — some dispensaries may track purchases to comply with local regulations, offer better customer service, or for inventory and marketing purposes. Regardless of the purpose, however, information about individual customers and their purchases is never shared publicly.
Here’s what you need to know about how much customer information dispensaries collect and how it’s used.
Do Dispensaries Keep Track of How Much You Buy?
How much information dispensaries track about their customers depends on state regulations, whether the purchase is for medical or recreational use, and occasionally the dispensary itself.
Medical purchases are usually tracked so the dispensary can view information about purchasing limits, prescriptions, and so on. Often, this is done using an online patient profile through a platform such as Biotrack, New Mexico’s official cannabis tracking and reporting system.
However, HIPAA requirements protect patient confidentiality, preventing that information from being shared publicly.
For recreational cannabis purchases, tracking requirements vary by state. In New Mexico, according to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NM RLD), “dispensaries cannot collect or track a customer’s personal information to report to any external organizations, including state or federal entities.”
While New Mexico dispensaries may collect customer information for membership programs, they must obtain written permission to retain a customer’s data, and that data can only be used internally for the purpose of loyalty rewards.
How Is Your Purchasing Information Used?
Regardless of whether you are purchasing for medical or recreational purposes, your personal information will not be made public. While some states require dispensaries to report their overall sales data, information about individual customers and their specific purchases is kept confidential.
However, you will be asked to provide a government-issued I.D. on arrival, and at many dispensaries, your name and birth date will be printed on the label when you make a purchase. This does not necessarily mean your personal information is being stored in the system — it’s simply for identification purposes.
In addition to staying compliant with state and municipal laws, there are a few other reasons dispensaries may collect certain purchasing information.
Inventory & Marketing
Like any other business, dispensaries need to stay on top of which products are selling out and which aren’t moving from the shelves. Keeping track of purchases — without customer names attached — ensures popular products remain in stock, creating a better experience for both the business and the customers.
Collecting contact information (with customers’ full consent) also allows the dispensary to share deals, product updates, and announcements about upcoming events.
The Customer Experience
Knowing exactly how much product a customer is purchasing and whether they’re nearing or exceeding the limit protects both the customer and the dispensary. Similarly, understanding a customer’s preferences and prior experiences helps dispensary staff offer suggestions and guidance.
Rather than track customers’ purchasing history themselves, some dispensaries give out journals instead and encourage customers to write down the products they’ve tried, whether they liked them, and how those products made them feel.
This helps dispensary staff make informed recommendations for future purchases without storing customer information at the dispensary itself.
Keeping Customer Data Confidential
So do dispensaries keep track of how much you buy? The answer is yes and no.
Some states, including New Mexico, require dispensaries to track information about medical purchases. Furthermore, most dispensaries — both medical and recreational — make note of all purchases to avoid overselling, ensure they have enough stock, and help them provide the best deals and services to customers.
However, rest assured that individuals’ purchasing data is never released to the public.
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