A budtender is one of the most important staff in a cannabis dispensary. They serve as the frontline in welcoming and entertaining visitors. A budtender gets to meet a lot of people. They are usually the first person that one would go to if they are looking for weed. In a fast growing cannabis industry, being a budtender in adispensary in Olympia can be a lucrative and rewarding career. Here is a sneak peak on how a day in the life of a budtender pans out.
Budtender Duties & Responsibilities
The duties & responsibilities of a budtender will differ depending on the dispensary’s location and setup.
Customer Service & Sales
Catering to customers makes up most of a budtender’s day. They should offer their services to both experienced and novice cannabis users. Most dispensaries offer a plethora of products that even a regular cannabis user would need assistance in choosing a product.
Budtenders also facilitate a sale from beginning to end. From the selection of the product, a budtender will also weigh and pack the weed and cash the customer out. They also distribute literature and other materials as mandated by individual states and municipalities.
Receptionist
There are dispensaries that employ budtenders as receptionists. They are responsible for greeting and checking in patients and customers. If needed, they all also process forms and enter information into online databases.
Staying compliant
Another important job of the budtender is to ensure that their dispensary stays compliant. For example, the budtender should make sure that the mandated operating hours are followed. A budtender should also make sure that the set-up of the dispensary itself is in accordance with health inspection and fire safety standards.
In addition, the budtender should also make sure that patient identification cards are checked. The marijuana itself has to be accounted for from seed to sale so that the weed would never be sold illegally through an underground market.
Knowledge
Budtenders should have a comprehensive knowledge of cannabis products and state legislation. They should be able to identify strains and differentiate them from one another. A budtender should also be knowledgeable about concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals, and others so they can best recommend the best product to a patient.
Certification, Education & Training
The cannabis industry is constantly changing so budtenders should keep themselves updated with new developments in the industry. Continuing education is also a must for every budtender to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest in medical science.
To keep themselves informed about the latest in the industry, budtenders should consider attending certification programs as well as enroll in education/training courses.
Compensation
Budtenders earn by the hour although the pay is commensurate to experience. Most dispensaries allow customers and patients to tip their budtenders. Aside from that, they also get some perks. For instance, some dispensaries provide budtenders with access to discounted marijuana. Promotion to head budtender or manager will mean a higher pay.
As more states legalize cannabis, more dispensaries will likely open. This can provide people with an opportunity to get employed as a budtender and make a lucrative income.