What Is A Budtender?

What Is A Budtender?

Being a budtender at a cannabis dispensary is a job unlike any other.

For one, you are still a retail employee. As such, expectations include having a strong work ethic as well as excellent customer service skills.

On the flip side, budtenders are also responsible for legally vending cannabis. As a legal budtender, you will need to have a larger knowledge base than what the usual illegal dealer will know about the cannabis industry.

A world-class budtender will know intensive details about the cannabis products they are selling. Such as how the strain is grown, the terpene profile, cannabinoid profile, and more. They also should be able to distinguish between different quality levels of cannabis.

Budtenders should also know the safety of a product and what the best means for consumption for said product is. Good budtenders can also give advice and recommendations on products provided. On top of that, knowing how a product’s impact differentiates between recreational marijuana users and medical patients is crucial.

Budtenders are cannabis-experts and sales associates who combine retail experience and cannabis knowledge together.

What is a Budtender? Training Is Vital

Working as a budtender in a dispensary will require having a basic knowledge on cannabis terminology, among other general cannabis facts. It is important to increase the conversation about cannabis in a way that both respects the plant and breaks down complex concepts in a digestible manner for customers.

The reputation surrounding cannabis is something budtenders can help shift. This is where your friends at the local dispensary can step in to help. Before allowing for new hires to come in, those in charge of hiring should have an incredible amount of product and cannabis knowledge.

Training is vital when it comes to budtending.

Since there is so much misinformation and stigma around cannabis, it is essential that budtenders go through extensive training on the correct vernacular surrounding cannabis as well as the correct information overall.

The last thing you want is a customer walking away even more confused than when they came in. Or worse, fed misinformation that would turn them away from the cannabis industry.

Both Cannabis And Wine Cultures Are Intertwined

When it comes to wine sommeliers, they actually aren’t too different from cannabis budtenders.

A master Sommelier is simply an expert in wine. It is amazing to see how much effort goes into understanding wine at such a high level. Cannabis connoisseurs do the same with cannabis.

Their knowledge doesn’t stop at wine facts. They go through intensive training in detail on all things relating to wine. This can include the grape, region, minerals in the soil, and more. Impressively, they can correctly identify a wine simply by tasting it.

The final piece of this puzzle requires customer service. Along with their ability to share their passion for the plants that are grown on vineyards with the general public is just as impressive.

The structure of a sommelier exam is fairly comparable to how budtenders should be servicing their customers. If you don’t know what the exam is, it is often in three sections. These are Theory, Tasting, and Service.

The principles behind these tests remain the same. A Master Sommelier will be able share their wine knowledge with the public in a manner that enhances the experience of drinking wine.

It’s all about using knowledge to enhance people’s enjoyment.

That should be the goal for every person that wants to learn more about how to become a budtender. If you are unable to share vital information regarding cannabis with customers, then you’re not budtending effectively.

The goal is to inform and educate in order to mold the customer experience.

What is a Budtender? How To Improve Yourself As A Budtender

The fact of the matter is, you will need to put in the time and effort in order to become an expert budtender. Additionally, wherever you are working should provide you with the tools and information you need to become a cannabis expert.

It takes time to learn about the cannabis plant and build a library of knowledge. You will need to understand the process of cannabis production and the impact of various cannabis consumption methods. In addition, you will also need the customer service skills necessary to improve the experience of those who are seeking out cannabis products.

However, even if you have no experience in the cannabis industry but plenty of sales experience, it is still worth applying. You can learn along the way and the most important aspect is excellent customer service skills. So, what are you waiting for? Apply to be a budtender today!

This article is meant to provide you with the basic necessities to becoming a good budtender. Unlike most other sites, this site will help you understand how these insights can be used in order to enhance the cannabis experience as well as your cannabis career.

To begin your journey to become a top-notch budtender, take our Advanced Cannabis Business course. It will help you build a solid foundation in cannabis knowledge and guide you in the right direction. Also, check out our job board for any cannabis career openings!