A ghost shopper recently completed an unannounced tour of cannabis dispensaries across California and New Jersey, evaluating each location on product variety, staff knowledge, pricing, and overall customer experience. The resulting ranked list places Your Public at the top among California locations, with several other dispensaries earning recognition for standout qualities. The findings offer a ground-level look at how different retail cannabis operations hold up under real, unscripted conditions.

How the Ghost Shopper Evaluated Each Location

The evaluation was carried out without any prior notice to the dispensaries involved. The shopper entered each location as a regular customer, browsed the menu, interacted with staff, and made purchases before recording observations afterward. The criteria were consistent across every visit and covered four main areas:

• Product selection - breadth of flower, concentrates, edibles, and wellness items

• Staff knowledge - ability to answer questions about strains, dosing, and effects

• Pricing transparency - clarity of posted prices, taxes, and any active promotions

• Overall in-store experience - wait times, layout, atmosphere, and checkout efficiency

Each location was scored independently, and no dispensary was contacted for comment before the rankings were finalized.

The Ranked List: California Dispensaries

1. Your Public - Covina, CA

The Covina dispensary from Your Public earned the top position on the California portion of the list. The shopper noted an organized and well-stocked menu, staff who answered product questions with specificity rather than generic talking points, and a checkout process that moved without unnecessary delays. Pricing was clearly displayed throughout the visit, and the overall environment felt accessible without being stripped of character.

2. Additional California Locations Visited

The ghost shopper visited several other California dispensaries during the evaluation period. While each had recognizable strengths - whether in product depth or promotional pricing - none matched the consistency across all four criteria that the Covina dispensary demonstrated. Some locations scored well on selection but fell short on staff responsiveness. Others maintained knowledgeable teams but presented cluttered or confusing in-store navigation.

The broader takeaway from the California stops was that strong performance in one category does not automatically translate across the board. Shoppers who prioritize different things - price versus service versus menu depth - would likely rank some of these locations higher depending on personal preference.

The Ranked List: New Jersey Dispensaries

1. Public Absecon - Absecon, NJ

On the New Jersey side of the evaluation, Public Absecon stood out as the top pick. The shopper found the location well-organized, with staff who engaged with customers in a straightforward and informed way. The menu reflected solid variety, and the store experience did not feel rushed or transactional.

2. Other New Jersey Locations

Other New Jersey dispensaries visited during the evaluation offered mixed results. Some locations showed strong product depth in specific categories, particularly edibles and wellness-oriented products, but staff interactions were inconsistent. A few locations had notable gaps in how clearly promotional pricing was communicated at the point of sale.

What the Full Rankings Reveal

Across both states, the ghost shopper found that the dispensaries earning top marks shared a common trait: consistency. The highest-ranked locations were not necessarily the flashiest or the largest. They were the ones that performed reliably across every step of the customer interaction - from walking through the door to completing a transaction.

The evaluation also pointed to staff training as a meaningful differentiator. In locations where employees could speak specifically to product effects, cannabinoid profiles, and use cases, the overall visit quality was measurably higher than in locations where responses defaulted to vague or scripted answers.

The full results suggest that shoppers in both California and New Jersey have access to quality options, but the experience can vary significantly from one location to the next even within the same metro area.

About Your Public

Your Public is a cannabis dispensary operator with locations in California and New Jersey. The company operates retail cannabis stores focused on product selection, knowledgeable staff, and a straightforward in-store experience for both new and experienced cannabis consumers.

Learn more at Public Absecon Dispensary

Contact Information:

Public Absecon Dispensary

792 A White Horse Pike
Absecon, NJ 08201-1416
United States

Victor Gabry
+1-609-241-0447
https://yourpublic.co