Respect Thy Budtender

Written By Kristine Freeman

“ You pull up to an impressive storefront decorated with ribboned panels of wood and live succulents in hues of green and purple. The glint of gold and glass though the window along with the leafy smell in the air is a hint of what’s to come. You cautiously take a step into an open lobby; to your right is a desk and to your left a flowing fountain.

The person behind the desk greets you and asks for your ID.

You’re directed to a nearby employee; her smiling face and friendly greeting put your nerves at ease. After exchanging names, she asks whether you’ve shopped for cannabis before and, when you tell her you haven’t, not to worry because she is a budtender. When you ask her to repeat herself, she adds that others might go by cannabis consultant or even sales associate, but either way, she is here to be your guide. “