What I learned working in the cannabis industry

Over the last 13 years I was a budtender in the medical then recreational cannabis industry in Washington State. I also had the pleasure of working on a cannabis grow operation where I trimmed and packaged cannabis. It’s truly amazing to see how far we have come in Washington state with the cannabis industry. Over the last 13 years I watched us go from medical ma and pa shops to chain cannabis stores. The future is bright for the cannabis industry.

#1: All walks of life use cannabis

When I first became a budtender, I worked at a medical dispensary. We had the stereotypical stoners of course but we also had professionals. Although we kept records confidential some people were still concerned about their jobs finding out. One such person was a second-grade teacher that was one of our patients. She would park down the street then walk to us so that no one would see her car. She also lived in a completely different town as well, the risk of her being seen was considerably low. The dispensary owner set it up so that when she came in she had the store to herself to shop privately. She wasn’t the only teacher either, we had a few of them. I had a regular that would come in wearing a suit and tie that was a lawyer who had been smoking for years. Lots of military spouses would come to us. Many people who work in the healthcare industry are also consumers. There were a few professional bodybuilders that I budtended. Countless business owners and retired police officers. Soccer moms come in for edibles and vape pens like there’s no tomorrow. The old ladies from church really seem to like gummy edibles. A lot of people that are now retired have decided to use cannabis. We even encountered a rabbi as a regular at the medical shop I worked at. I have seen every type of person come through the shops I have worked at.

#2: It’s awesome however it’s still a job

One of the biggest misconceptions about the cannabis industry is that you can just get high all day. Unfortunately, most of the time that is absolutely not the case. In Washington state there is no smoking allowed in public buildings. Although I have certainly partaken at work in the medical days, it’s not allowed. Budtenders are not allowed to use cannabis during their shift similar to how a bartender can’t drink while working. In Washington state everything is on camera from seed to sale which is overseen by the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board. Strings are run by them to ensure that the store is checking ID’s to make sure only 21 and older are being served. There is more to it than just smoking weed. I have had to attend mandatory inventory meetings and take training classes. There are the mundane parts as well as the exciting parts. The store still has to be cleaned and restocked. At the end of the day, it’s still customer service. I have had a multitude of Karens angry at me because their husband’s favorite strain that no one has heard of isn’t in stock. I’ve had drunks make inappropriate comments towards me. Faced the wrath of people who were upset that the medical market merged into the recreational back when Washington first legalized it. It’s still a job that deals with people and money. With that being said, budtending is an amazing experience to have as you learn a lot along your way.

#3: It’s always evolving and growing

I started budtending in 2012 right at the time that Washington had first legalized recreational cannabis. My first budtending position was at a medical dispensary which was paradise to me. I woke up every morning then went to the cannabis shop to sell weed to other stoners. It was amazing as it was a job everyone wanted so why did I land it. I was constantly studying the genetics of the different strains. The information available now with the medical and recreation legalization has made it to where we can continue to learn. We started testing for high THC and CBD content which now CBN and CBG have become in high demand. Most budtenders are walking databases of marijuana knowledge. We can narrow down what strain works for what person based on strain genetics. We’ve gone from metal pipes to elaborate dab rigs and glass bongs. When I first started in the industry people dabbed but nowhere near as much now. At my first budtending job most people wanted the highest testing flower and specific strains. Now people look for concentrates and focus on terpenes.

#4: The test results are a reference guide

One of the questions I got asked the most was “What’s your highest THC count”? The state mandates testing on all products for THC content however the actual results can vary. When a plant is tested a gram is sent in to be tested. The results from that gram is what the rest of the plant is sold as. THC levels can vary at different parts of the plant. Another factor to consider is that THC isn’t the only thing contributing to the high. The entourage effect is when cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids all work together to contribute to the high. One time when I worked at a medical dispensary there was a strain, we had that tested pretty low at 16%. All of us who worked there had tried it and thought it was good. We got permission from the owner to remove the test results as they were not required at the time. We started selling it immediately and people loved it. Some of the people who enjoyed it I had shown them it before but because of the low test results they were uninterested. For some people the numbers don’t matter because it’s certain stains that work best for them. However, some people do swear by a specific percent of THC for it to work for them. At the end of the day the best way to tell is to trust your own eyes and knowledge using the test results as reference points.

#5: Every legal state has different laws and limits

One of the confusing aspects to a cannabis tourist is the different laws in different states. In Washington state any person 21 and over can purchase up to an ounce of flower. They can also have 7 grams of concentrate. 16 ounces of cannabis-infused edibles along with 72 ounces of cannabis-infused drinks are allowed as well. In Oregon the recreational flower limit is 2 ounces in public with 8 ounces at home. They allow an ounce of concentrate. The edibles in Washington state are capped at 10 mg per serving usually sold in 10 packs whereas in Oregon it’s 100mg packaged edibles that are 5 mg per serving. In California it’s 28.5 grams (a little over an ounce) of flower with 8 grams of concentrate. 40 states now have medical marijuana. 24 states have legalized recreational use with more on the way. Unfortunately, there are still states where the product I sold to countless people is still considered a crime. Federally cannabis is still a schedule 1 drug.

#6: Cannabis shopping is a deeply personal experience

Although I was a budtender sometimes, I felt like a therapist. People would open up to me about all kinds of things. I saw people going through medical treatments that would use cannabis to ease the pain, they would vent to me about doctor’s appointments and so forth. I heard about family dramas and legal issues. In the area where I’m from money is tight so a lot of people are also struggling financially. Over the years I had budtended people who regulars that later on died. Finding out about their passing was always hard. I once was working with another budtender where a person had come to purchase from him for her last time as she had decided to have medical assistance in dying. That was the most emotional day I had as a budtender. However, there are so many positives as well. I got to hear about people’s life achievements, happy times, engagements, pregnancies, goals they were pursuing, and much more. One man would come in daily to buy joints and tell us he just came for the good karma. People were often excited to come in and tell us about their lives.

I was blessed to budtend for so many years. Many may see a budtender as just someone smoking weed all day but that is so far from the truth. I have personally worked with some of the strongest work ethic people you could meet. I have seen people pour their hearts, souls, and hard-earned money to keep this going strong., The industry continues to grow while creating new jobs and opportunities. I’m excited to see where we go in the future of cannabis.