This is Checking Out, a column dedicated to exploring our shopping habits, the products we buy, and the emotional connections we forge with them. If you have tips or ideas, reach out to us at checking.out@slate.com.

Before the advent of recreational marijuana legalization in California, black-market dispensaries were still operating, offering cannabis to eager consumers. While the quality of the product was often satisfactory, the overall purchasing experience left much to be desired. Interior designer Kim Myles reflected on her encounters in these underground spaces, recalling, The black market truly felt that way. It felt like what it was. You walked inyou were in a man cave, with a two-door buzz system. You felt like a criminal.

As a self-proclaimed cannabis enthusiast, Myles envisioned a better retail experience for herself and like-minded individuals. During her time in Los Angeles in the early 2010s, a period leading up to legalization, she actively searched for dispensaries that cultivated a more inviting and informative atmosphere. The ones that I loved were the ones that understood that I was about to drop serious coin, that I was interested and curious about the product, she noted. I wanted an environment that spoke to a retail experience, not a criminal enterprise.

Myles, who had made her mark as an HGTV personality with years of interior design expertise, took a significant step in 2022 by launching a dispensary makeover series entitled High Design on Discovery+. The timing was pivotal, coinciding with the mainstream acceptance of legal cannabis. In her travels across the country, she focused on assisting small, independently-owned shops in redesigning their spaces to thrive in an increasingly competitive cannabis market, one that was beginning to attract considerable corporate investment. Over the previous decade, nearly half of U.S. states had legalized recreational marijuana, yet Myles observed a concerning trend: the ambiance at many storefronts had not improved significantly from the days of black-market operations.

While a few upscale locations stood out, Myles lamented the overall retail experience at average dispensaries, describing them as cold and a little sketchy with designs that felt haphazard and not thoughtfully curated. If this is retail, which is what were saying, and its competitive, which is what we knowthen what the hell? she questioned.

As legalization of marijuana spread across the nation over the past decade, and psychedelic mushrooms began to follow suit, it seemed as if the act of purchasing drugs would seamlessly blend into mainstream consumer culture. Yet, the reality is starkly different. Despite Myles efforts to elevate the shopping experience, buying legal cannabis often still feels like a clandestine activity. Depending on the dispensary, customers might find themselves facing bouncers, navigating through security checks, or using convoluted payment methods like cashless ATM systems or bank transfers. The branding at many dispensaries, with names such as Mr. Green, ReLeaf, and Star Buds, often seems painfully contrived, creating an experience that feels less like shopping and more like entering a hidden realm.

In a curious twist, the experience of procuring illegal drugs has become increasingly user-friendly. Companies specializing in ketamine therapy are now promoting their products on social platforms like Instagram, offering delivery services directly to consumers doorsteps. Although these lozenges and injectables are legally intended for medical use within home therapy, there's little stopping individuals from using them recreationally. Moreover, drug dealers have adopted modern marketing tactics, sending out extensive menus via secure messaging apps like Signal, showcasing an array of products that were previously unattainable. Today, consumers can choose from various strengths of cocaine, as well as ayahuasca microdose capsules and mushroom chocolates crafted by chefs from Michelin-star restaurants.

Michelle Lhooq, a journalist who covers drug culture through her Substack, Rave New World, commented on this intriguing evolution in the drug market. Drug delivery services have definitely gotten more organized, thanks to advancements in encryption and app technology, as well as competition among different services, she remarked. Lhooq noted that in cities like Berlin, illicit drug menus can extend up to 50 items long, a testament to the increased sophistication in the black market.

Historically, the thrill of buying illegal drugs was part of the allure, an integral component of the overall experience. The buying experience is part of the thrill and the pleasure, Lhooq added. For many, the contrast between accessible legal pharmaceuticals and illicit substances added an element of risk and excitement. The inherent mystery of obtaining drugs from the black marketoften marked by informal exchanges and questionable originscontrasted sharply with traditional retail experiences.

Currently, we find ourselves in a unique era characterized by unparalleled access to a variety of drugs, which has created an intricate web of contradictions. Legal drug businesses often carry an air of criminality, while illegal markets increasingly adopt an appearance of legitimacy. Corporate funding has polished the image of potentially harmful substances that remain loosely regulated, resulting in a muddled perception of safety.

Take nitrous oxide as an example. Once confined to medical settings and small whipped cream canisters, this gas has recently become available in large tanks at smoke shops, offering a quick and inexpensive high. Today, it is marketed in vibrant flavors and has gained popularity among teenagers. Although many states restrict its sale to adults, the only major regulation in place mandates that vendors market it for culinary purposes, allowing for a blind eye to be turned regarding its recreational use.

Other potentially dangerous substances, such as kratom and tianeptine, exhibit similar trends. These drugs are marketed with flashy branding and minimal oversight, often found on shelves alongside common consumer products. While these items may appear safe due to their presentation, they can be dangerously addictive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against tianeptine's use, yet enforcement is often inconsistent, leading to widespread availability in convenience stores despite regulatory restrictions.

The contrast between the arduous process of obtaining legal marijuana and the relative ease of purchasing tianeptine highlights a troubling discrepancy. One might assume that acquiring the latter would be riskier, which is often not the case at all. Myles has noted that many dispensaries have adopted cookie-cutter designs that lack creativity and warmth. I always say dispensaries are the turducken of retail, she quipped. Its high regulations stuffed into high security, jammed into heavily systems-based operations. And then you have to put a necklace on it to dress that bird up for retail. The complexities of selling cannabis under stringent regulations have led many dispensaries to deprioritize aesthetics and customer experience.

While some dispensaries have invested heavily in creating luxurious environments to attract a more affluent clientele, such as the elegant establishment in the Berkshires praised by Architectural Digest, most still offer similar products regardless of their upscale branding. The disparity is often akin to comparing Whole Foods to Safewayboth selling largely indistinguishable items, where one brand may simply be a relabeled version of another product.

Additionally, the legal landscape can become murky when it comes to determining whether a local dispensary is operating legitimately. New York City, for example, witnessed a surge of fake dispensaries in the wake of legalization, with many operating unlawfully and selling counterfeit products. These establishments often offer cannabis labeled with recognized, legal brand names, misleading consumers and making it challenging to ascertain product legitimacy.

Moreover, the quality of products obtained from licensed dispensaries is not always superior to those found on the black market. Investigations have revealed that both legal and illegal cannabis products sold in California often contain harmful pesticide residues, with legal offerings sometimes exhibiting higher levels of contamination. Despite increased regulations, consumers frequently find it difficult to differentiate between legal and illegal cannabis products, leading to continuing concerns about safety.

Currently, Oregon stands as the only state to have legalized psychedelic mushrooms for recreational use, yet the purchasing experience remains fraught with uncertainty. Vendors vary widely in their practices, with some requiring customers to assert that their usage aligns with religious practices, while others operate at semi-secretive farmers markets. In Washington, D.C., where psilocybin mushrooms are decriminalized but not fully legal, shops like Cap & Stem are openly advertising their products, encouraging residents to Eat the mushrooms. Go to the concert.

Similar to the cannabis landscape, consumers of mushrooms often face challenges in understanding the contents of their purchases, even when obtained from licensed establishments. Lhooq warns that smoke shops and seemingly legitimate dispensaries frequently sell products that mimic natural drugs but contain synthetic compounds, such as delta-8 THC and 4-AcO-DMT. They come under the guise of mushrooms and weed, but theyre different chemical compounds than what people would think they are, she cautioned. Theres a little bit of subterfuge or trickery going on.

Although the ramifications of these misleading practices can range from mild dissatisfaction to serious health risks, the consequences can be dire. Last year, numerous individuals nationwide who consumed the highly marketed Diamond Shruumz productspromising great vibes and a powerful effectwere hospitalized due to seizures and respiratory failures; tragically, three lost their lives. When tested, some of these products contained dangerously high levels of muscimol, a toxic substance found in the poisonous Amanita muscaria mushroom, while others included unregulated compounds that have not been thoroughly studied for safety when used in combination. Despite these alarming incidents, the FDA's response has been tepid at best.

This situation illustrates the precarious nature of todays drug-buying landscape, where companies involved in the production and sale of legal drugs like cannabis and mushrooms can easily pivot, disband, or rebrand when faced with complaints. In such an environment, consumers have limited recourse when they receive potentially harmful or subpar products.

In the not-so-distant past, obtaining illegal drugs often came with an implicit understanding of buyer beware; the informal nature of dealer relationships fostered a level of trust built on reputation. Consumers knew they were taking risks but had no expectations regarding product purity or safety. In contrast, the growing prevalence of professional packaging and storefronts has led to an erosion of this healthy skepticism, even as the need for it becomes increasingly vital. With the stringent regulations faced by legal cannabis retailers and the influx of unregulated substances flooding familiar environments, dispensaries often fail to deliver the warmth and comfort associated with traditional retail experiences, while unregulated shops may offer far more dangerous products. Today, consumers are left to navigate a complex and contradictory marketplace, where the lines between safety and risk are more blurred than ever.