This is how a career as a contender comes true

Leafly answers some of your top questions about becoming a Budtender

As the cannabis industry continues to grow in the United States, budtending is one of the easiest ways to get into the business and build a career. Loving weed is a great foundation for becoming a budtender, but what else does it take to get the job?

A budtender is an employee in a cannabis store who is responsible for helping customers. A budget tenderer’s job description may include responsibilities such as:

• Helping medical patients or customers find the right products
• Understand the latest products that will be showing up in your local market
• Keep the pharmacy clean and tidy

Depending on which state you are in, you may be responsible for protecting the privacy of a patient’s health information, helping customers understand restrictions on buying flowers or concentrates, or just being the person who knows what it’s like to actually try a new product.

But there’s a lot more to know about how to become a budtender or get a job in a pharmacy.

Does weed need to be legal in my state to be a budtender?

Cannabis must be legal medical or recreational in your state to be considered a legal pharmacy. If your state only has medical dispensaries, be prepared to discuss cannabis with all customers from a purely medical perspective.

Do i need a Budtender certification?

Certifications are nice to have, but not usually mandatory.

Most importantly, you understand the market you are working in and how to best serve the people who come in. You don’t need certification to talk about terpenes, but you do need to be able to talk confidently about the products available.

We spoke to Ace Rowe, a product specialist at Swade in the medically legal state of Missouri, about the three most important things to know about working in a pharmacy.

“Product knowledge, the ability to chat with all sorts of people, and the excitement to ask questions – both for training and for getting to know the customer,” she says.

Ace has had the contenders mindset much longer than her job in the state is legal. Like many people across the country, she set her eyes on price and jumped into the industry as soon as everything was right.

“I’ve been in sales since 2010 and I’ve learned that if I want to be happy at work, I have to be passionate about the product. For me it was the passion for the plant and the passion to meet people’s needs and to find meaningful solutions. I dreamed of working in a pharmacy, applying and going to a job fair. “

She knows that working in a medical state involves more complex interactions with customers that cannot be conveyed in a certification course.

“In leisure time [markets,] People want to flash their ID, choose the highest THC level or the largest amount of edibles, whatever the best deal. In medicine, we look at dosage, terpenes, ingredients, all factors. I can offer more holistic options.

For example: Instead of taking medication at night to get a good night’s sleep, smoking a lot of heavy, strong indica in the evening or taking a high-dose edible, how about a low-dose edible or maybe some CBD during the day or in the morning to ease the basic tension approach so that you don’t need so much at night? ”

No certification is required to become a budtender, but Ace’s very real advice is to focus on the three E’s: expanding knowledge (about cannabis), empathizing with customers, and keeping education on the front lines.

Do I need a Budtender training course?

Budtender training is helpful but not required to get started in the industry.

Budtenders should always be hungry to learn more and have a good pharmacy experience. Ace enjoys her employer’s ongoing education and learns a lot while on the job.

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This is how you will be hired as a budget tender

You can begin your personal budtender training by figuring out your budtending style and learning how to pass your knowledge of weed to the people who need it. Budtenders are there to help with a range of issues, from health needs to the need to relax.

Be prepared for these situations: how to approach clients professionally under state law and how to build relationships with patients or clients that will make them come back.

How can I stand out as a budget tenderer?

Resources like Leafly’s Cannabis 101 and Learn sections have plenty of free information to help you increase your wellbeing with the plant and learn how to speak the language. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different types of cannabinoids, or different ways of consuming weed are never a bad starting point. And don’t forget all the good people on YouTube and Reddit willing to share their knowledge for free.

If you have money to invest, there are options through cannabis colleges like Oaksterdam University or the recently established Harrington Institute at the Cleveland School of Cannabis, which focuses on equal access to the industry.

Offerings like this provide a focused, methodical learning experience that lays the foundation for a career that can grow beyond learning.

How much do budtenders earn?

A fresh look at aspiring jobs for 2021 says wages vary by location, starting from $ 13-16 and rising to $ 18-20 an hour.

Do I have to go to college to become a budtender?

Budtending is often an entry-level position that can lead to more opportunities depending on what you want to do. Although many programs are offered by accredited universities to help people learn more about the cannabis plant and the industry, these programs are not always the most accessible.

Fees and other systemic barriers can deter people from starting a career in the weed field, but the same people may have a great deal of knowledge about the plant and how their communities consume it.

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That being said, there are several avenues you can take when entering a traditional two- or four-year college with a desire to work in the grass.

Biomedical and biological sciences will help you with a basic understanding of the plant and the body. Farming courses can help you learn more about growing weed on a large scale.

If you’re interested in cannabis entrepreneurship or building your own cannabis brand, you can delve deeper into business, business, or marketing courses. And there is no making cannabis products without the engineers who get us there.

Is budding a promising career?

Not only is cannabis a promising industry, it’s a vital business in the United States. Depending on your goals and your location, buddies can lead to a long career or just a job that you use to pay the bills. It’s a great introduction to the cannabis industry and an opportunity for you to learn a lot about weed.

The most important thing in budtending is helping people get access to and discover cannabis, gain knowledge about the plant, and help people figure out what works for them, be it medicinally or as a recreational activity.

Janessa Bailey

Janessa was born and raised in the Midwest and is currently the arts editor for Leafly. She has a background in content, activism, and African American studies.

Janessa is the creator of Lumen and Seeds of Change.

View article by Janessa Bailey

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