Welcome to the first edition of the monthly Swell Farmacy Budtender Spotlight. Every month, we will feature one of our awesome budtenders as a way to help our readers and followers get to know our people on a personal level.
At Swell, we can say with confidence that we have the best budtenders around. We hold our company and our employees to a high standard (no pun intended). Our budtenders are not only passionate about their roles, but they’re educated on products, and how to match patients with the right medications for their individual needs.
Featured Budtender: Laura A. from Swell Camelback
How long have you been a budtender with Swell Farmacy?
Since February 2017.
How long have you been working in the medical marijuana industry?
Since February 2017.
What made you want to work in the canna-business?
I’m a cancer survivor and I use cannabis for pain relief and wellness. I have found the benefits of cannabis really seems to help me and I wanted to help others. The more I learned about cannabis, including the cannabis movement and industry, the more I wanted to know and be part of it all.
What did you do before you started working in cannabis?
I was in the military, an officer in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves for 26 years. I retired in 2016 as a Lieutenant Colonel. I was also a teacher at Mesa Community College for 14 years as an adjunct faculty member.
What’s your favorite part of being a budtender?
The patients! I very much enjoy relating with them and helping them. I also enjoy learning about health, wellness, and medical topics and issues, and sharing knowledge about medicinal marijuana.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy being with my two Doxies, gardening, going hiking, going to the gym, hanging out with friends, laughing, talking, creating things, and learning new things.
I also have a blog titled Ask the Budtender and enjoy blogging, writing, and sharing my first-hand knowledge and experience with readers. It’s a place I can give advice to patients and others looking for expert information about medical cannabis.
What’s your preferred method of medicating?
I medicate a few ways: vaping my flower (I use the PLENTY vaporizer). I also use topicals (I make my own salve and canna oil) and apply it to areas of chronic pain from a surgery I had undergone a few years back. Sometimes I like to indulge with an edible. Recently, I have tried canna capsules (capsules that are CO2 extracted and infused in coconut oil), which is excellent medicine. I enjoy using vape cartridges, too—my favorites are the distillates. But mainly, I’m a flower girl.
What are your favorite strains/products?
Some of my favorite strains include: Durban Poison, Granddaddy Purple, Flodica, Monster Cookies, Girl Scout Cookies Extreme, Alien OG, Dr. Who, Gromulan, West Coast Bordello, and Redwood Kush.
I have been very impressed with the Swell distillate vape cartridges and Timeless Vapes, especially the THC:CBD 1:1 ratio. I also really like the CO2-extracted canna capsules, with THC:CBD 1:1 ratio. By the way, the CBD is from medicinally grown ACDC-strain cannabis flower, not industrial hemp.
What advice do you have for people interested in getting an Arizona Medical Marijuana card?
What are you waiting for? If you are new to all of this, I would recommend going to a medical marijuana clinic that offers one-stop shopping, meaning they will do everything for you; the doctor visit, the prescription, filling out all the forms, taking the photo, and they will submit all the paperwork to the State of Arizona Department of Health. This is the easiest way to get a medical marijuana card in Arizona. The card will arrive in the mail in 7 to 10 business days, and then you can go a dispensary!
In the meantime, start educating yourself on cannabis itself, as well as cannabis in regard to medical issues. The website Leafly is good place to start, they have a wide variety of articles and information on all things cannabis. If medical marijuana and cannabis is new to you, there is a lot to take in and it can feel overwhelming, so pace yourself. And don’t worry, we all started out on this journey. The budtenders are here to help you with learning about medical cannabis and in making your selections.
Laura, and all of the Swell budtenders, are here and happy to answer your questions about medicinal marijuana. Come in to chat with one, or contact us today!
Is Swell planning on doing any hiring of bud tenders any time soon? I would love to work in the industry and help people. I am currently seeking employment.
Hi there, thank you for your interest in becoming a Swell team member! Please visit our careers page here to view and apply for open positions. If the position you are interested in is not listed, it means we are not currently hiring. However, please continue checking back as we may be hiring again in the near future. Have a swell day!