How To Be A Great Budtender - Sneak Peek Book Excerpt

How do you become a great budtender?

How Do You Become a Budtender? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

Is it more of an art or science, or both?

Luckily, Brandon Sweeney was willing to share a snippet of his new book, How To Be A Great Budtender with us and will will have all the ordering information when its available, so that you can start on your way to being a great budtender.

We asked Brandon to give us the basics, so lets talk about strains and concentrates. The following is a excerpt:

Strains: When it comes to different strains of cannabis, it goes from 100% Sativa all the way to 100% Indica. Anything in between those is considered a Hybrid. The type of strain will determine the type of medicinal affect it has. Whether it is creative, happy, uplifting, or relaxing and pain relieving.

 Indica: aka “in da couch” tends to have calm, relaxing affect and has what some describe as a “body buzz”.

 Sativa: on the other hand, tends to be uplifting, motivating, and can inspire creativity. Unlike Indica’s, it’s more of a “head buzz” than a “body buzz”.

 Ruderalis: commonly referred to as feral cannabis, as it is most commonly the result of hemp plants that eventually adapted to their environment. Trace amounts (.3%) of CBD is found in cannabis, but more often found in hemp (1-3%, sometimes even 4%). As previously mentioned, research and studies are beginning to show that CBDs are effective in treating chronic pain, epilepsy, and muscle spasms to name off a few. (See Chart 1B for detailed list of Cannabinoid Ailments).

Now that we have master growers perfecting the art of growing cannabis, the expansion of scientific methods to test cannabinoid levels and the ability to hybridize cannabis, you are beginning to see more strains with higher CBD percentages, an example would be a strain called “Charlotte’s Web” Quoting some of “the greats”, I believe, that “we believe” the way to legalizations is through education.

On that note, let’s explore the various methods there are to using your medicine before or if you have never set foot in a dispensary, here is what you can usually expect to see. Real quick…let’s talk math, as the system of measurements is important for your experience with medicine (Seriously!) When talking about your medicine in measurements, there is some slang used. You’ll most likely hear terms such as: oz, eighter, zip, eighth or zone to list a few. Most of the time, you’ll wonder until you know so this is the breakdown:

• .5 of a gram

• 1 gram

• 3.5 grams = 1/8 ounce

• 7.0 grams = ¼ ounce

• 14.0 grams = ½ ounce

• 28.0 grams = 1 ounce

• 112.0 grams = quarter lb (4/16)

• 224.0 grams = half lb (8/16)

• 448.0 grams = 1 lb

When a patient says the name of a strain, tell them about it. When they say “alright I’ll go with that” You say “Okay and about how much are you thinking?” Once you have chosen the amount you want, you have a few options of how you will use the medicine. Personally, I say joints is the best way to go. Also, another method becoming more popular these days as an alternative to smoking is to vaporize it.

The most common one is in the form of a “joint”. What’s that you ask?! How do you roll a joint?! Seriously dude, look it up on YouTube!

Another method is packing a glass blown bowl. Let’s talk concentrates… Concentrates are another way to use cannabis. By definition, a concentrate is a form of substance, which has the majority of its base components, in this case a liquid-solvent typically this will be removed from the water or solution or suspension. What this means for herb, is that each of the concentrates are made with a different solvent (co2, butane hash Oil (BHO), alcohol, dry ice, or cold water). They typically come in .5 gram or 1 gram containers in the form of wax, shatter, crumble, hash, CO2 extract.

Concentrates can be taken in capsules, vaporized or “dabs”. As dabs become more popular, I’d like to share some things I’ve noticed over the years working in the industry. Personally, I believe that consistent, heavy dabbing with a rig that has a titanium nail (that often comes from overseas) can be potentially dangerous. Due to the impure titanium, unseasoned nails, and the constant rapid cooling and heating of the nails possibly release aluminum alloys, shavings and possible carcinogens that you then ingest from the nail and absorb into your lungs. That being said, DON’T FREAK OUT MAN, LMAO! You can still use your concentrates; maybe just consider using a quartz nail instead of titanium. Should you still choose a titanium nail, seasoning it will help. To find out how to season your nail, just type “how to season your titanium nail” in your online search menu. There are also some cool videos on enails and electronic rigs out there, check them out.

How To Great Budtender By Brandon Sweeney, coming out soon! Check back here for ordering information!

How To Become a Great Budtender (Book Excerpt)