What is a Budtender? (All You Need to Know)
With marijuana being legal now in Canada, there are dispensaries (pot stores) popping up all over the place. For people like you and I that enjoy partaking in some good bud, this is the best time to be alive! Some of you might even be interested in working at one of these dispensaries. In this article, I am going to look at what a budtender is and try to cover some of the things you might need to know.
A budtender is an employee at a marijuana dispensary that sells weed legally. A budtender tries to help customers make the right choices as they select marijuana to purchase. A budtender will need certification that the government has deemed necessary for an individual to work in the industry.
For this article, I did some research on the topic to better help you understand what you will need to consider, if you are contemplating a career in the marijuana field. Having worked in a government-run retail business for over 30 years now, I know more than enough about marketing and customer service. I will share with you what I expect you should consider to be successful in the marijuana industry.
Let us begin…
**Want to go to cannabis college? Check out Green Cultured**
*Legal disclaimer: This article is purely for informational purposes only. I am not a legal professional. I am not guaranteeing what I write here is everything you need to know. This information is my interpretation of what I believe a budtender is and should consider*
What is and What Makes a Good Budtender?
As previously stated, a budtender is an employee of a marijuana dispensary that helps customers purchase weed. It sounds a bit like a bartender selling drinks at the bar, however, a budtender needs to know quite a bit more to be confident they have sold the right product to the right person.
When a bartender takes an order at the bar, they fill it and typically do not ask many questions unless the customer asks them something. You want a Manhattan Martini then that is what the bartender will make you. The only time they typically question you on anything is if you appear to be inebriated.
A budtender, on the other hand, takes the time to understand what their customer wants.
A great budtender takes the time to inquire with the customer as to why they are purchasing marijuana and what the end goal is for them. Do they want to be baked and sit on the couch all night watching Netflix or do they want a nice uplifting high to make cleaning the house Saturday afternoon more enjoyable?
Once a budtender finds these things out, they can offer their recommendations. This means a good budtender should have an in-depth knowledge of the inventory the dispensary has in-stock as well a good understanding of how different strains and THC levels will typically affect someone.
This knowledge can come from company training, government training, talking to coworkers and sampling products themselves. Of course, if you are sampling you should not be doing it on company time.
What Else Makes a Good Budtender?
I wanted to keep this information separate from the last section to make sure it does not get missed by you, the reader and budtender hopeful.
Being a responsible budtender is extremely important for your customers. It does not matter what the customer tells you, you must listen and make sure you provide the best recommendations possible. These are drugs you are selling and not to be taken lightly.
The most important part of this section is this. A dispensary is not a doctor’s office. This means no amount of medical-based recommendations should come from you, the budtender – even if a customer asks. Medical advice should come from a licensed physician.
It is okay to tell a customer that.
The dispensary will most likely have some policy and verbiage, for you for when you are in situations when a customer comes in and tells you their issues.
Always remember, unless you are alone working in the dispensary, you can ask a co-worker for help on how to respond to customers questions.
How to Become a Budtender?
Being a budtender in Canada and other countries where selling marijuana has been legalized is a fairly new job. With government rules and regulations in place, that side of being a budtender should be taken care of by the dispensary and you.
You can be proactive and seek out online certification for your province if in Canada and state if you reside in the USA. If you are in a different country it should not be hard to find out what government agency to inquire with.
Most if not all dispensaries will want/require you to have some sort of training, whether it is government mandated or not.
You can also try online certification at a nationally recognized cannabis college such as Green Cultured.
Green Cultured is a cannabis college and can help you get the qualifications to work in just about any position in the world of weed.
Is a Budtender a Good Job?
Generally, people that are purchasing marijuana are going to be pleasant to deal with. If you want to work in a place where the customers are pleasant to deal with, then I would say that being a budtender is a good job.
Of course, there will always be the odd difficult customer that comes in.
If you have a passion for pot, then being a budtender could be the most fun you have ever had while you are getting paid.
Just think of how incredible it would be to be able to be up close and personal with all the new strains that come into store.
Not to mention the skies the limit because the marijuana industry is just starting out. You could be a budtender today and own your own dispensary in just a few short years, if you spend the time creating contacts and relationships with key players in the industry.
I also see the opportunity for travel not only for ongoing training, but for employment opportunities.
Necessary Budtender Skills and Knowledge
A budtender should have the following skills and knowledge.
Educating yourself on the rules and regulations of marijuana on a federal and state or provincial level is very important. This knowledge should be the base for everything else you learn.
At minimum you should know the differences between indica and sativa plants. Educating yourself on different strains is a bonus, especially if they are popular to your region and being sold in store.
Understanding what CBD, tinctures and edibles are and why someone would be interested in them is a must. Knowing what to expect when taking these products is a must as well.
When it comes to dealing with the public, your customer service skills should be fine tuned. In most cases, it takes time for someone to become highly skilled at dealing with people in a positive manner, providing them with what they need. Always make sure you are pleasant and professional.
Lastly, if you can learn how to really listen to what the customer is telling you and making recommendations based on that, then you should be fine.
Some customers will not want to share with you why they want an ounce of Northern Lights and that is fine. Do not press the issue because it’s really not your business.
If they are asking you for recommendations, then that is your opportunity to inquire with them as to why they want marijuana. This will help you help them.
How Much Do Budtenders Make in Tips?
If getting tips is important to you, then doing some reconnaissance of the dispensary you are considering working at will be important. You want to find out if they accept tips first.
I do not recall seeing a tip jar at the dispensary I frequent. In the USA this might be more common.
What you could potentially make in tips will obviously depend on how busy the dispensary is and how many employees work there.
I would expect you could make $2 to $5 for each customer on average. If you help two or three customers an hour, that is $6 to $15 in tips per hour you might make on top of your regular salary.
In an 8-hour day, that is approximately $48 to $120 you could be raking in over your salary, which is excellent money you could be earning.
Before you get too excited though, make sure to find out if your potential employee accepts tips. One way to do so is to venture down to the dispensary incognito and see for yourself or have a friend do so. Another option would be to ask on Facebook.
Conclusion
In my opinion, being a budtender would be a satisfying and rewarding job. I can see how being on the ground level in the marijuana industry “now” can lead to unlimited opportunities in the future.
If I was not a few years away from retiring, I would consider working in the industry myself.
In this article, I trust you were able to find all kinds of tidbits of pro tips that will help you achieve your goal of becoming a successful budtender.
Now you know what a budtender is.
If you are looking for online certification, make sure to check out GREEN CULTURED to see if they can help.
Good luck!
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