How to Become a Budtender
By Liam Noonan - 11/8/22
Want to become a budtender at a legal cannabis dispensary? All you need is solid customer service chops and some serious cannabis knowledge.
As a budtender, you are the main point of contact between weed brands and potential customers. You should be able to answer questions surrounding the medical uses of cannabis, correct dosage, product quality, delivery method, specific strains, and plenty more. You can think of dispensary workers as a sort of cross between bartenders and natural pharmacists.
As more states legalize cannabis for recreational use, the demand for personable budtenders is higher than ever. We think it can be a pretty sweet gig for the right person. Continue reading to find out whether or not a dispensary job is right for you and how to get your foot in the door.
Common Budtender Responsibilities
- Help dispensary customers find the best cannabis products for their needs, preferences, budgets, and more.
- Stay up to date on all of the latest cannabis industry and product trends.
- Process customer payments using the dispensary’s Point of Sale (POS) system.
- Educate customers on how to safely use and dose their chosen products.
- Help facilitate brand showcases and dispensary special events.
- Verify customers are of legal purchasing age with proper identification.
- Make sure the sales floor is properly stocked with the right products.
- Help coordinate deliveries if needed.
How Much Money Do Budtenders Make?
According to Glassdoor, the average budtender salary in the United States is around $34,000 a year or close to $17 an hour. These numbers don’t include tip based compensation, which means your hourly salary can balloon much higher on good shifts. It’s also important to keep in mind that the hourly rates will vary greatly based on the State you work in as well as whether your dispensary caters to recreational or medicinal customers.
Additional factors that influence how much money you can make as a budtender include experience, education, and customer service skills. Check out this guide from Intuit to learn more about the salaries of dispensary workers and budtenders in the United States.
Video Guide: What Does It Take to Become a Budtender
Top 10 Budtender Interview Questions to Prepare for
- Have you worked in the cannabis industry before?
- Why do you want to work at a dispensary?
- Do you have specific cannabis training or education?
- Can you tell us about a time a customer complained and how you handled the situation?
- What is your favorite strain of all time and why?
- Are you aware of all the regulations dispensaries face?
- What would you do if you found out a coworker was stealing?
- What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
- What is your own relationship with cannabis like?
Ask a Budtender: How to Land That Dispensary Job
Do You Need a Certification to Land a Budtender Job?
Requirements will vary from state to state, but you won’t need a specific certification to get hired at a dispensary. What’s more important is your overall product knowledge and ability to be personable with customers. With that said, there are a few different training courses you can take to deepen your knowledge. The most well known are The Cannabis Training University, Green CulturED, and MJ Hybrid Solutions.
Additional Resources for Aspiring Budtenders
Dispensary Life: Cannabis Industry Survival Guide
If you have ever wondered if the cannabis industry was for you or had questions about how to begin, just open this manual to all the insiders’ knowledge of what it is like to work in marijuana. Dispensary Life takes you through a portal of possibilities to Budtenders, Managers and future industry enthusiasts.
Additional Resources for Aspiring Budtenders
Dispensary Life: Cannabis Industry Survival Guide
If you have ever wondered if the cannabis industry was for you or had questions about how to begin, just open this manual to all the insiders’ knowledge of what it is like to work in marijuana. Dispensary Life takes you through a portal of possibilities to Budtenders, Managers and future industry enthusiasts.
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