Making It In Maryland Medical

By James Wyche

What's up Munkey Fam it's James from Baltimore, as I write this I'm coming up on a year working in the legal cannabis industry, and man it's been a journey I'm happy I took. Before joining the legal market I was a part of a pop-up group based in Baltimore but we applied our trade-in DC. During that time I met some very interesting people, some for the good and others I'm glad I'm not associated with anymore. Although looking back it was my first introduction to the cannabis community in both Baltimore and DC. Meeting like-minded individuals that not only enjoyed using cannabis but were active in their communities showing how this plant can help so many people and why it's absurd for anyone to be jailed for petty nonviolent cannabis offenses.

When I got my medical card in 2019 going into my first dispensary I was like a kid in a candy store. While exploring the different dispensaries I ended my relationship with the group I was a part of because of circumstances beyond my control. Looking back I'm glad this happened because at the time I can honestly say I had no direction; I was young, dumb trying to make a dollar, and didn't care about the consequences. But thankfully over time, I've reconnected with one of my partners of that former trio and I'm glad to say we're friends again.

We can both firmly say we've grown a lot and are in better places in life. Two male persons of color in an industry where there aren't a lot of us but hopefully that changes sooner rather than later.

After that situation, I worked with my dad doing odd jobs while trying to find a “legitimate” job. I succeeded by becoming a copywriter and working at Home Depot in the paint department. Even when I had these jobs I kept putting in applications to dispensaries in Maryland all over the state. Then one day I got a call for an interview for a new dispensary that was just opening up. After the interview, I was praying while at Home Depot that I got it. When I got the job I was the happiest man in the world putting in my two-week notice and on my last day, I ran out of that place.

My first day was nothing exceptionally special from my pop-up days although working during our grand opening was an eye-opening experience. Not only was this one of the few deli-style dispensaries in the state but also at the time we offered deli-styled concentrates. The speed at which patients were coming in and out made my head spin but thankfully made more focus over time. You have to know your shit. If I can give one piece of advice for anyone who wants to get into the cannabis industry as a budtender please know your terpenes. I'm not saying you have to know every terp but please know the main terps, and on your own time do some research. Keep up to date with the product and try things, give patients suggestions and maybe you'll help them find that strain or product that will inturn help them.

Never did I think I'd be working during a pandemic and be considered an “Essential Worker”. Over time I've seen coworkers come and go but a core group of us have weighed through the growing pains and have become in my opinion a solid unit. A majority of my coworkers are minorities which is rare to see especially in this industry. They've kept me both relaxed and in check, whether we're being rushed by numerous patients at once or bullshitting when it's completely dead. Not only has my knowledge of cannabis expanded but also how I interact with people from all walks of life. I enjoy interacting with the older patients who were cannabis users when they were younger always telling me, "Back in my day if you told me as a teenager this would be a thing, I'd have called you crazy or it's a sting operation" I enjoy conversations with the regulars I've gotten to know over time some patients gave us food and one patient, in particular, has made my coworkers and I masks to wear during this pandemic.

Unfortunately, in any job in customer service, you deal with a few shitheads and weirdos. Whether they diss our menu saying, "Y'all ain't got shit, I only smoke stuff 30% THC or more" even though myself and my coworkers can't control how high THC is or thinking we've wronged them because we didn't have a certain item due to either limited quality or the item was sold out. In the area in which the dispensary is located sometimes, we get some colorful characters because of other stimulants they may be using. An example of an interaction that I've had with this patient a few times is they're standing in front of my register and they just start dancing aggressively. I'm not talking tapping your foot or even a Lil Uzi shoulder roll. I'm talking full body dancing like a wacky inflatable tube man singing along to whatever song that was playing that day, with not a care in a world. Meanwhile, the security guard, other budtenders, and even the receptionist were just staring at this person holding in laughter. Honestly, I have to applaud their professionalism for not bursting out laughing.

Nevertheless, I wish I could tell more stories but I don't want to take more of your time. All I have to say is I'm lucky to be in an industry that is only going to grow bigger and I hope I'll be in it for many more years to come.