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Now, THC Seltzers sit in a liquor store cooler next to hard Seltzers and non-alcoholic beers. For many adults who are curious about marijuana, cold cans are the first low-risk test. It looks familiar, with a clear dose (usually 2 to 5 mg), and is suitable for weekends and social activities. The practical question for pharmacies is: When these customers want more options or better guidance, will they feel confident to walk into your store? More importantly, are your operations ready?
One simple way to understand this transition is the theory of planning behavior. When three things line up, people try something new:
- manner: “I think the result will be good.”
- specification: “People like me do this and think it’s okay.”
- control: “I know what to do and won’t mess it up.”
When these three are positive, the form of intention and intention lead to action. Alcohol stores often check all three boxes.
Why drinking in alcohol stores leads to pharmacy visits
Attitude (the feeling I expected): A small, obviously marked dose reconstructs marijuana into manageable. Single-packing, “quick action” advocates and calm, the free experience of hangovers will produce a positive first impression and bring other forms.
Specification (accepted by my group): THC beverages are seen in conventional cooler signal legality. Sharing the jar on the barbecue look feels normal. Stigma declines and social permissions rise.
Control (can I do it safely?): “One can = one session” is easy to understand. No new language is needed. Customers can control dose and timing. As confidence grows, many people are looking for more options and expert advice – it is the design of the pharmacy.
What do these customers need from the pharmacy
Beverage-first customers are cautious and results-focused. They want clarity from cans, not lectures on strain genetics. Build a simple bridge from drinks to pharmacies.
1) It is easy to stock products and easy to understand
- Low-dose beverages (2 to 5 mg THC) including 1:1 or 2:1 CBD: allowable THC and rapid effects.
- Microfood and mint (1 to 2.5 mg), embedded in the product with clear instructions.
- Balanced Gummies (2.5 to 5 mg THC with CBD or CBG), and CBN Sleep Load Retention Units (SKU) for specific use cases.
- Local and non-toxic items relieve without buzzing.
- Microvolumes (0.25 to 0.35 g) were marked as expected effects in short and mild sessions.
Organize shelves with products that make you feel (calm, social, focused, sleep) and THC range (e.g., less than 10% healthy, 10-20% lifestyle, and over 20% entertainment). This helps people choose themselves in seconds.
2) Make navigation simple
- Create a storefront area: “New THC? Start here.”
- Use the logo of the common language: “2 mg feels”, “5 mg feels”, “How fast does it start.”
- Add QR code to a one-page product data sheet that includes key cannabinoids, top terpenes, dosing tips and clear safety instructions.
- Keep strain name on the label, but need effect and dosage. New customers are rarely loyal to specific pressures.
3) Training staff coaches instead of lectures
- Open Goal: “What do you want to feel?” “When will you use this in the day?”
- Make a comparison: “A 2 mg jar is lightly lifted; most feel relaxed but clear. Five mg is still moderate.”
- Setting up pacing: “Slowly s. Give it 45 to 60 minutes before adding more.”
- Offer next step: “If you like 2mg drinks, 2.5mg of gummy is great for short, predictable sessions.”
- Always mask safety: “Start at low, slow. Don’t drive until you know your reaction. Avoid mixing with alcohol.”
4) Reduce friction
- Keep cold stock (legal) and avoid stocking on beginner items.
- Quick and reliable reservations and pickups.
- If regulations are allowed, host non-injected flavor demonstrations plus education.
How to measure whether your bridge is effective
Track behavior, not vanity indicators.
- First order for a drink in the basket (is the cooler a real ramp?).
- Drink-led shoppers with other members for 30-day and 60-day repetition rates.
- Additional charges: Beverage plus micro-edible or CBD on your next purchase.
- Layer migration: Percentage of transitioning from health to lifestyle (10-20% THC) in 60 days without more returns or negative feedback.
- QR or Certificate of Analytical Participation: More perspectives and residence time usually signal trust, which can predict retention.
A short realistic example
A 38-year-old bought 2 mg of alcohol on alcohol and 2 mg of Seltzer at an alcohol store. They feel relaxed and talkative, sleep well, wake up with clarity.
- manner: “This works and feels manageable.”
- specification: My friend tried it too. No stigma.
- control: Easy to beat; no hangover.
Now they want more options.
They search for “Beverages near me.” Your website shows “Newbie Starting Here”, which includes low-dose beverages, mini foods and simple effects tags. They place pick-up orders. Inside the store, a member suggested 1 mg of peppermint and a CBD:thc sleep gummy. One month later, they returned a balanced 5 mg drink and 0.25 g of “calm” mini pre-roll. You didn’t push them to “get bigger”. You help them maintain control.
Bottom line
Drinks in liquor stores are not enemies. They are marijuana training wheels. They establish a positive attitude, normalize daily use and give people a sense of control—three components that lead to action under the theory of planned behavior. If your store offers approachable products, guidance in ordinary languages and quick, friendly service, you will turn those first-time S-Port into confident, loyal customers.
Dr. Magnus Thorsson is the founder of Rhode Island-based Canna Culious, hosted by Wellness-directed podcast and professor of marijuana entrepreneurs at Johnson & Wales University. He can be contacted at magnus.thorsson@jwu.edu.
