BUDTENDER

CHERRY FERRY ALASKA LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH

"I CALL CANNABIS MY MENTAL MEDS."

RAINFOREST CANNABIS 726 WATER STREET, KETCHIKAN (907) 247-9333 RAINFORESTCANNABIS.COM @RAINFORESTCANNABIS.CULTIVATION | OPEN 11AM-7PM DAILY

Cherry is an old-school stoner who appreciates each person she meets in the shop – from the age of 21 to 84. She prides herself on top shelf customer service and enjoys gardening, camping, boating, fishing and mixing her Cajun flavors with all the fresh local seafood.

YOU MOVED TO KETCHIKAN IN 1992 FROM YOUR HOME CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. DID YOU EVER SMOKE WEED IN THE FRENCH QUARTER GROWING UP? Oh, hell yes!

WAS IT BLACK MARKET, TABASCOLACED, OIL RIG WEED? Pretty much (laughs). We used to call it Mexican. I remember the first pound of Acapulco Gold we got – a lot of people called it Colombian Gold, but we knew it as Acapulco Gold. And then you also had Thai Sticks. There was always seeds in the weed back then, so you had to use your album cover to sift them out.

NOW THAT YOU’RE IN THE LEGAL CANNABIS BIZ, HOW MUCH BETTER IS THE CANNABIS THAN WHEN YOU USED TO SIFT THE SEEDS ON YOUR LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM? There’s no comparison. I didn’t know what a cannabinoid or a terpene was. And back then I did not use it for medical purposes, it was just a party tool. Now, don’t get me wrong – I love my high – but there are some strains that I dearly love for my aches and pains and mental health.

WHAT STRAINS ARE THOSE? One of my favorites that we grow is Blue Dream, but I mostly like indicas. We have one called Blue Widow that is insanely good – it really helps ease the physical pain of the arthritis in my neck and shoulders. And for my mental health – I call Cannabis my mental meds. I used to be on a lot of prescription pills like Zoloft and Prozac and that kind of crap, but I started using tinctures and edibles, as well as smoking. It has been a saving grace for me – I swear it has.

IF YOU HAD TO CONVINCE SOME FAMILY MEMBERS TO COME TO ALASKA, HOW WOULD YOU PITCH IT? Up here it is so laid back, and in the lower 48, everyone is so busy. And the beauty here – Alaska is truly the last frontier. I just love it.

IS YOUR BIRTH NAME CHERRY FERRY? No, that’s a married name – I married Tom Ferry. And my birth name is Blossom.

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