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Get to Know Your Budtenders! ANGEL TAYLOR REEF DISPENSARIES
Favorite strains/products? Strawberry Lemonade, Wedding Cake and Blueberry. I have a soft spot in my heart for anything with citrus/fruity notes and diesel! Skunkberry, Tangie and Pineapple Fanta have also been some of my favorites. For edibles, Choco Puff and Lucky's marshmallow treats. What brought you to the cannabis industry? I believe that watching my grandfather struggle and ultimately losing his battle with cancer for 21 years planted the seed that I would be best suited in assisting others. I spent almost a decade living in San Diego, where I started to become more immersed in cannabis and cannabis culture but I also pursued pharmacy studies in college to get a better understanding and application of traditional drug therapies. After landing a job with a specialty compounding pharmacy, I got to see the positive and negatives about the pharmaceutical industry. I did not feel like I was living up to the full potential of truly assisting others in their journey to be healthy and well. I decided to follow my heart and truly advocate for cannabis as the best alternative medicine and have not looked back since! What is the best thing about working at Reef? I started my Reef journey over 3 years ago in Las Vegas as a budtender and then later moved to Reno to help manage our Sparks location. I love that I have gained so much knowledge, from the medical only program to our rapidly changing and expanding recreational market. I still continue to share my knowledge and passion for cannabis and feel that the work I do enriches many lives. I also like to joke that I was a mermaid in another life, so Reef and the aquatic theme is a definite bonus! What has been your most memorable customer experience? Most unique experience was helping a patient who was going through a hard substance dependency and finding the right cannabis products to help them on their path to getting sober.
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What needs to change? I would like to see more continuing education, expanding and sharing knowledge especially with the customer base. I always like to communicate to my team that we are always the face of cannabis. We get a wide range of inexperienced and seasoned cannabis clientele and defaulting to using the highest THC as the basis for what constitutes a great product does not always replicate the same experience for everyone.
EMMA KUNZ THE DISPENSARY
Favorite strains/products? Rainmaker by NuLeaf, MPX Concentrates and VERT Edibles. What brought you to the cannabis industry? I truly believe in the healing power of cannabis, and I have watched it help people through so many different traumas, illnesses, and addictions. I started budtending to share my love for this magical plant with people who need it, and to help end the stigma placed on those of us who use cannabis in our everyday lives. What is the best thing about working at The Dispensary? Our work environment at The Dispensary is extremely positive, supportive, and loving. I am fortunate enough to work with some of the most kind, passionate, and knowledgeable people in this industry and it is refreshing to be around coworkers who genuinely love what they are doing. Being surrounded by so many intelligent and happy individuals is definitely my favorite part about working at The Dispensary. What has been your most memorable customer experience? I recently helped a retired police officer who had never used cannabis before in his life, he was seeking pain relief and a sleep aid. I directed him towards a high CBD, low THC strain to start. When examining the test results, he looked at me and said "13% THC? Who do you think I am, get me something stronger! I want to get HIGH!" It was hilarious and unexpected, I love how often people surprise me when I’m budtending. What needs to change? I think we need to work towards implementing more environmentally friendly practices when it comes to packaging, processing, and cultivating. It is astounding how much plastic we use when packaging products, and the amount of water and power required to maintain a healthy cultivation is something to consider. I think as an industry we could definitely benefit from being more mindful of our impact on the planet.