Ask a Budtender

Christina Esp was born and raised in Santa Barbara and graduated from Cal Poly with a BS in Agribusiness. Through the years, she has worked with a variety of farms, selling perishable products ranging from tropical fruit to fresh flower bouquets. The “green rush” in California came and Christina joined the Sespe Creek team as a Budtender in 2017 where she is now the Floor Manager/Pit Boss. She lives in Ojai with her husband Jason, son Dylan, and Australian cattle dog Diego.

Do you have a preference of edibles vs. smoking?

I enjoy both methods, but smoking a joint is my favorite way to relax. It wasn’t until I started Budtending at Sespe that I learned how to dose myself correctly with edibles, and now I enjoy a medicated THC treat every evening as a sleep aid and CBD edibles for anxiety.

In general, do you find more people are better educated regarding cannabis or is there still quite a learning curve?

We see a diverse mix of customers, some are absolute beginners, others have spent a lot of time on the Internet and know everything! It is really about keeping an open mind and continually learning!

With the continued pandemic and general unrest, have you seen an increase in the need to treat anxiety?

Absolutely! Anxiety and insomnia both seemed to really increase this last year. People were coming in for products to help them stay calm, relax, and sleep at night.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about budtenders?

I suppose the biggest misconception is we are just a bunch of stoners having fun all day. Our team is highly educated and extremely passionate. Our jobs are very detail oriented and complex.

What is the biggest challenge of your workday?

My biggest challenge is self control and not buying everything that comes across my desk. Seriously, it is such a dream to work around such quality products and such variety.

If you could let the public know one thing about cannabis, what would it be?

Cannabis is not scary. Our shop is a safe place to explore your options!

How did you gain your canna-knowledge?

I studied Agribusiness at Cal Poly and spent my career working with traditional crops and moving over to cannabis in 2017. It is a combination of education, research and personal product testing.

Any product recommendations?

I love hash infused pre-rolls, gummies, and all things chocolate! CS

Christina Esp is the Floor Manager/Pit Boss at Sespe Creek Collective, located at 408 Bryant Circle, Unit C in Ojai. Visit sespe.org for more info. — CBTS Staff