BUDTENDER INSIGHT ►
Budtenders
Share Their Favorites ,
Best Sellers , and Insight
by Heidi Mozingo , contributing writer
The past year has been a whirlwind of milestones in the Missouri Medical Marijuana Program . In that time , 30 cultivation facilities , 40 manufacturing facilities , and close to 150 dispensaries have opened . Remember , the first dispensaries opened to long lines of patients ready and eager to purchase the only flower available ? Today , new products are hitting the shelves every week . With so many products and methods of administration available , we asked a few dispensary specialists to share their favorites , best sellers , and a little insight into their new careers .
Cheryl Ely is a Shift Manager at COCO Dispensary in Hannibal and the Co-Director for the Hannibal Chapter of Canna Matriarchs Inc , a nonprofit organization of canna-friendly mothers who work to protect medical patient rights , give back to their communities , and provide resources for families in need . Two of Cheryl ’ s favorite products for patients are Honeybee Sour Watermelon Passionfruit gumdrops that contain 5 mg THC and 5 mg CBD and the Honeybee Sour Cherry Lime gumdrop at 1 mg THC and 5 mg of CBD . Cheryl thinks they are a great choice for both new patients and those who are cautious and want to avoid overconsuming THC .
For a nighttime option , Cheryl likes the Blue Razz vape cartridge from CLEAR , a brand known for consistent flavor and consistent dosage . The entire COCO team informs patients purchasing this product that a one-second draw is approximately 2 mg of THC . “ At COCO , we want functioning patients , and we understand that dosing is important to properly medicate . We try and send every patient out the door with some sort of CBD ; people underestimate the power of CBD ,” said Cheryl
Corina Merritt , the Product Sales Specialist at Vertical Dispensary in St . Joseph , has a background working in an area hospital as a Surgical Technologist . She says , “ Working at a dispensary helps me feel more confident in sharing my experience with medical marijuana and opens an opportunity to educate and break down the stigma .” Corina is a fan of the Grape Sorbet Live Diamonds by Vertical , an indica-dominant hybrid concentrate . “ It has amazing flavor , and at
Corina Merritt
Grape Sorbet Live Diamonds by Vertical
80 % THC / 83 % THCA , it ’ s hard to beat ,” explained Corina . She says other good patient options are any of the Keef sodas . “ The root beer is my favorite . Pour it over some vanilla ice cream for a delicious root beer float !”
The dispensary ’ s best-selling flower right now is Vertical ’ s Pomelo flower . It ’ s a house indica-dominant cultivar , and many customers add a preroll of Pomelo to their order . The Wana gummies are a top-seller because “ the overall effects cater to many different conditions and symptoms and seem to be a go-to for many , especially those new to cannabis .” Corina couldn ’ t exclude Proper ’ s Sour Diesel flower ; heavy on beta-caryophyllene , which is one of her favorite terpenes because of how it works on our CB2 receptors within the ECS . Hmm , I wonder if she learned that in our Dispensary Staff Training class ? Corina adds , “ The majority of patients I work with want to know what percent THC a product has , which gives me the perfect opportunity to introduce the importance of terpenes and how they can cater to the entourage effect . Patients are surprised how many different symptoms can be helped with terpenes .”
Matt Cascio finding his Zen .
Matt Cascio , a part-time budtender at Feel State in KC and a beloved member of the Cannabis Care Team , told us that the Flora Farms flower flies off the shelves because it can be purchased at an affordable price . Other big sellers are Illicit ’ s Clementine and Purple Chem . He says the latter tastes like grape soda . For a good nighttime cultivar that has a sweet and somewhat skunky flavor try Scooby Snacks from Heya .
For Matt , it ’ s all about connecting with the patient by really taking the time to answer questions and provide patient education . He says there will always be people looking for products with the highest THC levels , but there are a lot of patients that are open to