interview
CALIFORNIA LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH EVER SINCE SHE WAS A TEENAGER, Kassandra Rodriguez (@kvsey) had an interest in Cannabis. Despite the stigmas that exist within her Mexican American heritage, it was medicine to her from the start. In a college English class, Kassandra was given free range to write about a topic of her choice, so she decided to do a research paper on the medicinal benefits of Cannabis. Her paper focused on the findings of various Cannabis trials in which children with autism and seizures were treated with Cannabis. The results were enough to alter the trajectory of Kassandra’s career.
A 18
URBN LEAF
LEAFMAGAZINES.COM
658 E SAN YSIDRO BLVD., SAN DIEGO, CA (619) 663-6337 | URBNLEAF.COM | @URBN_LEAF OPEN 7AM-9PM DAILY
“EVERY PERSON HAS A DIFFERENT NEED. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT THING FOR YOU.”
KASSANDRA
RODRIGUEZ AUG. 2021
bout a year ago, Kassandra decided she wanted to officially get into the industry and began budtending at Urbn Leaf – and within the year she’s already been promoted to shift lead, but loves stepping out on the floor whenever she can. Helping people is her favorite part about the job. “I love recommending a product for a specific ailment,” Kassandra shared, “and then the customer comes back, maybe even that same day or week, to say it helped! They usually want more for themselves and for their family. That’s the best.” Kassandra assists patients with a variety of serious and chronic ailments. People come to the shop fresh out of the hospital from chemotherapy treatment in need of something to help with nausea. Mothers of children struggling with autism or seizures visit to find products that offer relief. It’s not surprising that customers seek out Kassandra for her guidance – she treats every patient as an individual and respects that each person has their own comfort zone and relationship to the plant. “Every person has a different need,” said Kassandra. “I always tell people you just have to find the right thing for you. People come in with horror stories, but I try to tell them that ‘unfortunately you tried something that wasn’t right for you.’ I try to help them find what is.” In addition to healing patients through budtending, Kassandra is motivated to have an even wider impact on the Cannabis space. In an industry dominated by men, Kassandra is thrilled to work in an environment like Urbn that has an initiative to hire and support people of all ethnicities. They are also starting to carry more women/equity owned brands like Potli and Kikoko, which offer recyclable or biodegradable packaging and are more conscious overall about equality and sustainability. “I always try to push those brands,” Rodruiguez commented. “Our team also encourages people to bring their bags back. The waste accumulates, especially for our regulars. We charge 50 cents for the bag, and people really bring them back! When they find out they can, they get excited about it.” Kassandra is thrilled to be a part of the movement, especially as she sees the impact her involvement has had on her own family and community. “Now my family is much more open to it [Cannabis]. My Grandma always asks me for my tincture whenever she comes over. She’ll say she doesn’t feel well, I know she really just wants some tincture.”
INTERVIEW by ALEXA JESSE @ALEXAJESSE/CALIFORNIA LEAF | PHOTOS by SANDY HUFFAKER @SANDY_HUFFAKER
