Editorial policy

Last updated: October 9, 2026

WhereLeaf. publishes plain-English guides for adults buying cannabis legally in the US and Canada, and for the businesses that serve them. This page explains how we research, write, check and update them, so you can judge how far to trust what you read.

Our standards

• Accurate: every number, law and date in a guide must come from a source we can link to. If we can't confirm something, we leave it out or say plainly that it's uncertain.
• Useful: we write to answer the questions shoppers and owners actually ask, with checklists, tables and worked examples, not filler.
• Legal-only: we only cover buying from licensed businesses where adult-use or medical programs allow it, and we never give advice on getting around the law.
• No health claims: we don't say or suggest that cannabis treats, cures or helps any medical condition. We describe products by format, dose and labels, and effects only as commonly reported experiences. For health questions, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

Where our information comes from

We rank sources in this order and cite them at the end of every guide:

• Laws, regulations and official pages from state and provincial cannabis regulators, Health Canada and other government agencies.
• Peer-reviewed research and official statistics (for example Statistics Canada, Pew Research Center and Gallup).
• Industry data providers and established news outlets, clearly named.

We don't use anonymous forum posts or brand marketing as evidence for facts.

How a guide is made

• Research: we start from the real questions people search for and gather the primary sources above.
• Writing: our editorial team writes each guide. We use software tools, including AI writing assistants, to help research and draft; they never publish anything on their own.
• Fact-check: a person checks every figure, law and date against the cited source and removes anything that can't be confirmed.
• Compliance review: we check for health claims, content that could appeal to minors, and anything that could encourage illegal use.

Keeping guides up to date

Cannabis rules change often. Every guide shows the date it was last updated, and we review guides about laws, limits, taxes and prices when the rules change and at least once a year. Time-sensitive facts are written with the date they were true ("as of October 2026").

Corrections

Spotted a mistake or an outdated rule? Tell us through our contact form with a link to the source. We check every report, fix confirmed errors quickly and update the date on the guide.

Independence, advertising and guest posts

• Businesses can pay for featured listings, banners and sponsored posts. Paid placements are always labeled, and payment never buys a change to our guides or to a business's reviews.
• Sponsored posts are labeled "Sponsored" and checked against the same accuracy and compliance standards.
• Guest articles show the writer's name and are edited and fact-checked before publishing.
• We don't accept payment for positive reviews, and we remove fake reviews.