How a Budtender can Make Your Cannabis Buying Experience Better

Technically speaking, a budtender is “a staff member or employee of a dispensary or store where medical or recreational cannabis is sold,” but in reality, the budtenders at Freedom Road are so much more. They are highly trained professionals with the skill and knowledge required to provide you with scientifically accurate advice and tailored recommendations.

In addition to being experts on the cannabis products here, the budtenders at Freedom Road are also experts at helping find the best product for your unique needs. By taking the guesswork out of choosing the right cannabis and guaranteeing product safety and satisfaction, our budtenders help customers create the curated experiences they deserve for a happier, healthier life.

At Freedom Road, we’re proud to employ some of the best budtenders in the business. Here’s how they can help make your cannabis purchasing experience better and connect you with the flower, concentrate, topical, or edible that’s right for you.

They want you to ask more questions.

The budtenders at Freedom Road are a veritable well of information when it comes to cannabis, but few customers understand just how deep their knowledge runs. What do our budtenders wish you would ask? What their favorites are for starters, or what they would recommend. These are cannabis experts who know our product selection inside and out and have a knack for understanding exactly what you’ll enjoy the most, so let them tell you!

“There are a million different forms of cannabis and methods of consumption!” says Angela. “Suppositories? Tinctures? There’s a product and a consumption method for everyone!”

Our budtenders also want you to ask more questions about terpene profiles and less about THC.

“There’s more to cannabis than THC,” says Keenan, “so I wish more people would ask about terpenes and other cannabinoids.” His sentiment is seconded by Chris–who wants to tell you about the difference between terpenes and percentages–and Haley, who loves learning about terpenes and wants to explain why the percentages matter for flower.

“A lot of the science behind cannabis highs actually comes from the terpenes,” explains LeighAnne. “Terpenes can affect just about every aspect of your high.”

The budtenders at Freedom Road want you to be as curious as they are about cannabis, because they have some fun facts they’d love to share, such as:

Keenan: Did you know weed was sold through Arpanet in the 1970s?

Desi: Cannabis is in the same family of plants as hops, the ones used to make beer.

James: Cannabis ruderalis is the third phenotype, alongside cannabis Indica and cannabis sativa. Ruderalis is an autoflower, or annual, meaning that every year, a particular plant will grow, reach maturity, breed, and then die. It is native to the Eurasian landmass. It produces almost no THC, but a boatload of CBD. If your cannabis has ANY CBD in it, it means that, at some point in the plant’s lineage, it was crossbred with a ruderalis plant.

They want you to understand your cannabis.

Our budtenders spend a lot of time developing and refining their approach to educating customers on cannabis products, effects, and complex concepts like cannabinoids. Several make sure to use plain, non-technical language and explain things as clearly and simply as possible, while some, like LeighAnn, prefer to use plenty of descriptive words.

Desi, Joel, and Alyssa are more methodical, often starting out by asking customers what they already know or have already researched. They break down effects by “body” or “brain” effects–such as “foggy brain,” “wired brain,” or “relaxed or energized body vibes”–or by what products do and the best ways to use them.

“Sativa can be used during the day for a head high,” says Alyssa, “while Indica can be used at night for a body high, and a hybrid for a balanced effect. Rosin is quick acting and produces more of a flower-type high, while distillate gummies produce a bodily sensation that feels a little sleepy” 

Since body chemistry is the biggest factor in determining the effect a certain product or cannabis strain has on a person, Haley tries to relate cannabis concepts like terpenes to something customers may already be familiar with and understand, like alcohol or liquor. For example, she says, “just like different liquor has different effects on people, so does weed.” 

James uses the specific example of a mixed drink. “A vodka and cranberry tastes much different from–and provides a different experience than–a white Russian,” he says, “but both will get you intoxicated. It’s the same way with cannabis. THC is the psychoactive medium, but the terpenes are what determine the high.”

Johnny agrees, explaining to customers that everyone is different, so the same product will affect different people in different ways. “The only way to know how a product will make you feel is to try it.”

Angela and James also find analogies helpful. “I compare it to orange juice,” says Angela. “Would you rather have yours from concentrate or fresh-squeezed?” 

For James, “THC and CBD are like peanut butter and jelly–they’re good individually and great together.” 

To explain terpenes, he gives an example of two strains with the same THC level. “Why does this Snowball give me a different high than this Clementine Kush? Why does an apple taste like an apple and an orange taste like an orange? The answer is the same: terpenes.” 

They want to understand you and your needs.

For the budtenders at Freedom Road, they take getting to know their customers seriously, and consider it an important part of their job. That’s why our budtenders will take almost as much–if not more–time asking you questions as you spend asking them.

In addition to asking how you want to feel and what kind of effect you’re looking for, our budtenders also like to ask if there are certain products or brands you’ve liked in the past, or if there is something specific you’re looking for.

“Knowing if they want something to help with relaxation without getting too medicated is going to help me determine what kind of product to suggest,” says Desi.

Many will ask how and when you want to use or consume your cannabis product, or even what your experience has been like in the past.

“I always think it’s important to ask if they tend to get anxious,” says Haley.

Likewise, Chris takes a full-spectrum approach, wanting specifics on the symptoms they are trying to manage, what customers are wanting or needing from their cannabis, and if they prefer “more energetic, cognitive sensations like from a sativa, more physical relaxation from indicas, or something in the middle with a hybrid.”

To help ensure your complete satisfaction, our budtenders will likely also ask what price point you want to stay within, to make sure they aren’t suggesting something outside of your budget.

Johnny’s favorite question to ask, however, is “Have you tried this yet?” 

They want you to get the most out of your cannabis.

The budtenders at Freedom Road are cannabis connoisseurs whose only goal is to help you have the best experience possible. No matter how much experience you have or what product you’re leaving with, each budtender has their own piece of sage advice they send all their customers home with.

Haley: Know the recommended serving and to go slow.

Keenan: High THC is not an indicator of quality.

LeighAnne: Variety is the spice of life.

Chris: Don’t get stuck on one product or strain. Try something new; you won’t know what your favorite is until you try it.

Some go even further with some helpful tips.

Desi: If you get too high and you need to chill out fast, sniff a container of peppercorn kernels. Caryophyllene is a terpene in peppercorn and in cannabis, and smelling it will help mitigate the overwhelming effects of the THC.

Angela: I explain how to open the child-proof containers more easily, and I make sure they know that percentages don’t matter–terpenes do!

Johnny: I offer food recommendations as well as suggestions on when to use certain products, like, at what certain designated times. I also suggest they visit our second location for other products.

They’re here to help.

Our budtenders love what they do, and they love when customers appreciate their passion. Many of our budtenders get the most satisfaction out of helping people find relief from what ails them, then seeing them return happy with their purchases. They enjoy taking care of every type of customer, whether it’s an experienced one who likes to learn more about cannabis and try new things or it’s a new and inexperienced one who’s just being introduced to a product or strain.

Scott and Chris look forward to creating an experience for customers and sharing their knowledge, while James, Alyssa, Angela, and Haley love to see someone who is excited about their purchase, appreciates the service, and is happy to be there.

They’re well-qualified to help.

For the budtenders at Freedom Road, helping customers discover their own journey to cannabis is serious business, and they want you to know they are more than up to the task. In addition to staying up-to-date with products, brands, and legal compliance, budtenders at Freedom Road also have to complete a rigorous cannabis training program, be well-versed in cannabis production and concepts, and follow meticulous practices in weighing, packaging, and labeling.

“Being a budtender is about more than bongs and blunts,” says Keenan. “This is an actual profession.”

Desi agrees. “Budtenders have to be extremely knowledgeable and experienced in cannabis products, as well as in consumption, legal procedures, terpenes, and cannabinoids, and we have to retain all that information.”

“There is a lot of skill that goes into being good at this job,” adds James.

From full-spectrum extracts and percentages to RSO and activated syringes for pain control, we can really help customers with ideas for different ailments,” Joel says. “And the more customers can help us, like with research on their end, the even better we can serve them on our end.”

Discover a Better Cannabis Purchasing Experience at Freedom Road

When it comes to purchasing medical or recreational cannabis, you have a lot of options. However, discovering the best product and the best results requires the level of expertise and enthusiasm you’ll find only in the budtenders at Freedom Road. Here, our budtenders are respected for the professionals they are, and they uphold the highest standards in compliance, quality, and customer service. That’s why we’re able to create an upscale, well-organized experience that you’ll notice the minute you walk into any of our Oklahoma City or Trinidad locations.

Come see what a difference a Freedom Road budtender can make in your cannabis journey, and find your way to freedom.