How to Become a Great Budtender

A Budtender is the person at the storefront and represents the cannabis dispensary. They are responsible for educating consumers about the effects, benefits, and overall experience of cannabis products and of course, selling those products.
If you’re a budtender, you’re probably already aware of the responsibility that comes with being the face of your dispensary.
Being a good budtender is more than just having product knowledge or explaining the effects of each strain. You need to be able to educate customers on how different strains affect different people differently, what products might work best for whatever problem they’re having (whether it’s insomnia or stress), and how to use those products safely.

Here are some tips for being a great budtender:

Know your products

Customers trust you to help them find the right product that fits their needs. This means knowing everything about each strain so you can recommend the right strain for their medical condition or recreational desires. You’ll also want to know about other products like edibles, waxes, and oils.
Budtenders can also help customers understand dosages, how long each strain lasts, how much it costs per gram, and anything else that might be important for them when selecting a product or using cannabis for the first time.
Once you know everything there is to know about a particular strain, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice and start helping people find the right product.

Build a relationship with your customers

A good budtender is a lot like a good bartender. They’re friendly, knowledgeable, and can make any experience better. They are the first person to greet customers and often the last ones to see them leave. A good budtender can make or break a dispensary’s reputation.
As a budtender, you’ll spend hours talking with customers as they browse your dispensary’s menu and make their selections. You have an opportunity to learn about their needs and concerns, which means you can recommend products that will help them achieve their goals. This interaction also allows you to build trust with your clients so that they continue coming back to your dispensary — and bring their friends along with them!
A great way to start a conversation with a new customer is by asking about their favorite strain of cannabis or current situation in life. For example, if someone comes in looking for an indica strain because they have been having trouble sleeping lately, it would be helpful for both parties if you can recommend a strain that will help them achieve their desired effect without causing any unwanted side effects like anxiety or paranoia.

Be Compliant

Compliance is absolutely crucial for any successful cannabis dispensary. The cannabis industry is a highly regulated one and, as such, it is essential that you as a budtender stay up-to-date with all of the latest laws, regulations, and guidelines. This is important from a legal standpoint and from an ethical one as well.
As a budtender, you will be responsible for ensuring that all products are appropriately labeled and stored in compliance with state regulations. This means you’ll have to be knowledgeable about proper labeling practices and storage methods.

Be Organized

Being organized as a budtender can mean many things, but at its core it comes down to having everything in its place and knowing where everything is when you need it. This might sound like common sense, but it can be very easy to get distracted while working behind the counter and forget where something important was put down or misplaced entirely. Keeping your workplace clean will help ensure that you don’t lose track of anything important, which can save time later when you’re looking for something quickly.

Create an experience for your customers

The art of being a great budtender is knowing how to create an experience for your customers.
In addition to answering questions about the products you sell and helping people find the right product, a good budtender has an understanding of their customers.
When you’re working with a customer who’s looking for a specific strain that they’ve tried before, you should be able to remember what they like and don’t like about it. If they’ve had an experience with a strain that was harsh, they’ll likely look for something similar but smoother. If they loved something because of its euphoric effects, but it also gave them anxiety, they’ll want something different that produces similar effects without causing anxiety.

You don’t have to be an expert on every strain or product that comes through your doors, but at least know enough about your inventory to answer customer questions. Knowing about the history of marijuana will help you become more confident when discussing different strains with customers and getting them excited about what’s available at your shop.