Budtenders still have a stigma of stoner culture and that’s ok because we don’t deny our roots. We all have stories about some ridiculous thing we invented just to be able to smoke a bowl. I think we all embrace those roots to some degree, but cannabis is changing.
Without taking anything from the incredibly skilled efforts of producers and processors, Budtenders are on the frontline of the consumers. They are the Willie Wonka of the new and wondrous world of legal cannabis. Many Budtenders are the sole source of information for their guests.
It’s because of this, many Budtenders have to stay current on the research and developments in cannabis because there wasn’t much data to begin with. Federal Law had severely restricted access for research for academic purposes in 1970 and it wasn’t until 1996 that California made it available for research.
We were running off outdated information and urban legends for our data until 2015. Now we have information constantly pouring in. From learning about the Endocannabinoid System inside our bodies, to how terpene profiles affect the high and give cannabis it’s personality. We are even learning information about growing processes and which are better than the others for specific effects. All of this information is constantly growing and changing.
My point? Even if your Budtender doesn’t know most of the knowledge out there, they are the closest connection to the industry and it’s standards that the average guest will have. They try all the different products. They listen to the Brand representatives of producers. Most importantly they listen to you, the guest.
The Budtender heard you when you said that you didn’t like Jack Herer because you got too paranoid. They know to avoid heavy sativas for you.
They heard you when you said that edibles don’t affect them like everyone else. They know you shouldn’t get that bag of gummies and would be much happier with a few flower joints.
Most of the Budtenders I know take pride in their recommendations. They want you to come back, not only to the store, but specifically, back to them. I don’t know about all the other budtenders, but I live for the moment when a guest says,
“Hey, that last strain you suggested was perfect. What else you got?”