AI and the Future of Dispensaries: Why Now Is the Time to Get on the Ice
The first time a five-year-old steps onto the ice, everything feels impossible. The skates pinch, the rink feels endless, and they fall again and again. But with each shaky stride, they start to find their rhythm.
That’s what adopting artificial intelligence (AI) feels like for many business leaders right now. The tools feel unfamiliar. The outcomes seem uncertain. But the only way to make progress is to start moving.
At Mosaic, we believe dispensaries are standing at this same crossroads with AI. Some will keep waiting on the sidelines. Others will step onto the ice—and that’s where the speed and opportunity will show up.
The Fold That Changes Everything
To understand the pace of what’s happening, picture folding a sheet of paper. Once or twice, no big deal. Ten folds, it’s thick. Forty-two folds, it touches the moon. That’s exponential growth.
AI is scaling at that same incomprehensible speed. Emad Mostaque, one of the leading minds in the field, estimates AI’s intelligence doubles every 5.7 months. That means in five years, it could be 1,000x smarter than us.
That may sound like science fiction, but dispensaries are already seeing real-world results from AI in cannabis retail:
- Update product descriptions to reflect your brand and stand out for SEO
- Creating personalized offers that increase basket size
- Using AI for cannabis inventory management and purchasing decisions that reduce waste and improve margins
AI isn’t “someday.” It’s here, and it’s accelerating (fast).
Why Dispensaries Can’t Ignore AI
“There will be two kinds of companies by the end of the decade: those that fully use AI, and those that are out of business.” – Peter Diamandis
It’s a bold claim, but we’re already watching it play out. Cannabis retailers that embrace AI are pulling ahead with sharper marketing, stronger customer retention, and smarter operations.
At Mosaic, we’re embedding AI into our dispensary technology platform by:
- Powering AI-driven loyalty programs that adapt to each customer’s buying habits
- Creating real-time product descriptions and promotions tailored to shoppers
- Helping retailers make data-driven decisions on pricing, inventory, and marketing spend
We firmly believe that dispensaries that start experimenting with AI marketing tools today will be the ones that lead tomorrow.
The Risks Are Real And They Belong in the Conversation
AI isn’t all good news. Some aspects are downright terrifying when we think about how they could affect cannabis businesses. Yes, AI helps dispensaries and small businesses work faster, serve customers better, and uncover buying patterns. But the risks are here now (and they’re just as real):
- Falling prey to AI tactics
AI-driven feeds already shape what customers see, search, and shop for. Tomorrow, deepfakes and AI “friends” may be more persuasive than your budtenders, your reviews, or even your brand itself.
- Disinformation eroding trust
Fake videos that look indistinguishable from reality could damage cannabis businesses and destroy reputations built over years.
- Losing jobs and our identity
It’s not just about jobs. It’s about meaning. What happens when machines outperform your staff at recommendations, personalization, and even conversation?
- Existential risk
As Elon Musk has suggested, there’s a 20% chance AI could cause “annihilation” of humanity in the next five years. That’s the same probability as pulling the trigger in Russian roulette.
The genie is out of the bottle. We can’t stop AI, but we can shape it. Mo Gawdat, AI thought leader and former Chief Business Officer at Google X, reminds us: AI isn’t destined to be evil. The danger is that it copies the worst of us—greed, selfishness, negativity. Our job is to teach it the best of us: compassion, kindness, and connection.
Perhaps the greatest irony: knowledge is power.
If we don’t understand AI and its path forward, we surrender the right to shape it. If we do, our voices can still define the future.
How Dispensaries Can Get Started
The good news: you don’t need a five-year AI roadmap to begin. You just need to take the first step.
Here’s how dispensaries can start today:
- Experiment with AI tools for cannabis marketing: Try it for email drafts, product copy, or campaign ideas. Build momentum with simple wins.
- Expand Across Your Team: Encourage staff to try AI in their workflows and share what works. The gains multiply when everyone is involved.
- Ask Tough Questions: Demand that your vendors share their AI strategy. If they don’t have one, they’ll slow you down.
- Stay Human: Use AI to enhance (not replace) the human connections at the heart of cannabis retail.
Mosaic’s Perspective
At Mosaic, we see AI as both a tool and a test. It can drive loyalty, smarter marketing, and operational efficiency. But it can also erode trust if misused. The difference lies in how dispensaries choose to engage with it.
That’s why we’re weaving AI into our dispensary loyalty solutions, ecommerce ordering systems, and cannabis retail technology. We want to help stores not just keep up with the future of AI but also help shape it.
The genie is out of the bottle. AI is already reshaping commerce, culture, and cannabis. The dispensaries that lean in by experimenting, questioning, and embedding AI responsibly will define the future of this industry.
Just like stepping onto the ice, the first moves might feel unsteady. But every stride you take now puts you further ahead than those still standing on the sidelines.
