The first time I went to a medical cannabis dispensary, I walked in & walked back out.
The palms of my hands were dripping with sweat, & I could feel the sweat rolling down between my shoulder blades & breasts. I was so sad & uncomfortable; I was sure people could hear my heartbeat. It was beating so hard & loud. I looked at the people, thinking everyone was staring at me & judging me for being in the medical marijuana dispensary. Although I saw no a single staring at me, it was all I could do to force my body to move. I got back into the parking lot & was getting into my card when I realized how absurd I was being, and everyone in that dispensary had a medical condition that was giving them the eligibility for medical marijuana. I wasn’t an oddity, however a single of them. I waited for the sweat to stop & my heart to regulate, squared my shoulders, & walked back into the dispensary. The woman at the desk greeted me a minute time & asked if I was all right. I told her why I was there & provided her my medical marijuana ID card. Both of us talked while she looked up my registration with the state, handed me a small packet of information & called back for a pharmacist. The young man came out & walked me into the salesroom. By the time I left the marijuana dispensary, I felt like I was a member of their group. I was also feeling absurd for walking in & out of the dispensary without talking to anyone.