SHRYNE GROUP

TRUMAN SMURR

CALIFORNIA LEAF Budtender of the Month

Truman Smurris a passionate concentrate enthusiast, artist and lover of music. He is also Tahoe Green’s relative dab expert and when he’s not budtending, can most likely be found enjoying some fine hash rosin or live resin while adventuring around Lake Tahoe with his Belgian Malinois mix, Maiev. Follow him @latticetech

YOU’RE FROM THE MIDWEST. HOW DID YOU LAND IN CALIFORNIA? I had a buddy in Los Angeles and also a buddy who was going to school in Tahoe. I went and visited my buddy in Los Angeles for about two weeks and did not want to move there. And then I just moved up here to Tahoe.

WHAT LED TO YOU WORKING IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I worked at Tahoe Wellness Collective when they went recreational – they were needing a lot more workers and my buddy who was working over there got me a job.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH TAHOE GREEN? I’ve been working with them for about three months, pretty much since they opened. I interviewed with them back in April, right as COVID shutdowns were starting – they weren’t sure when they were going to be opening, but said they’d be in touch. They hit me up and said, ‘We now have an opening date and we’d like to offer you a job.’

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? Educating the other budtenders. I feel I “I LIKE TO SHOW CUSTOMERS A have a pretty decent attention to detail VARIETY OF and I would really like to build a ‘Hash PRODUCTS … 101’ to share with the team. Right now, RATHER THAN JUST it’s a lot of self-training and giving people DIRECTING THEM things to read up on, but I really enjoy the educational aspect of Cannabis. TO MY FAVORITE OR WHAT I CONSIDER WHAT IS YOUR MANTRA ON TO BE THE BEST.” DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS? Giving any and all customers an education. If they don’t know what they’re after, I like to show them a variety of products, educate them on each one, and know they can make a short-term, educated decision for themselves. I like creating that sort of shopping experience for people, rather than just directing them to my favorite product or what I consider to be the best.

WHAT IS A GOAL OR ASPIRATION OF YOURS FOR THE FUTURE? I would like to publish a video game. I went to college for 3D Modeling, Programming and Development – my degree is in Interactive Media. If something like that was successful, I could then expand into further aspirations.

TAHOE GREEN 3930 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA | (530) 725-1555 | TahoeGreen.com @Tahoe_Green

CINDY DE LA VEGA OWNER | STIIIZY

CINDY DE LA VEGA believes in the power of Cannabis to make lives better. As the first Latina to own and operate a dispensary in San Francisco as part

of an equity partnership, In addition to treatshe hopes her story ing her physical pain, de la Vega noted that will soon inspire more Cannabis also serves people like her to as a preferable medication for the anxiety participate and and post-traumatic stress she suffers as a keep faith in the survivor of domestic violence. Eventually, de la Vega would use her personal, posiequity program. tive experiences with Cannabis as evidence in convincing her mother, who had broken both of her ankles, to W hen she was a child living in a Palo Alto housing project, Cindy de la Vega’s Christian Pentecostal mother finally give the plant a try. “I just started being really open with her,” de la Vega recalled. “It was, I feel, the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. She was taking Norco and she said it made her feel like a zombie, so I just had to find the guts to tell her that this other thing was out there, and that I forbid even the mention of marijuana at used it, and that it could help her.” home. But things have changed. Though hesitant at first, eventually the elder de la

During an interview with California Vega agreed to try a tincture, with positive results. It Leaf in December, the new pot shop was one of several recent victories for de la Vega, with proprietor shared how a back injury she another being the official opening of her dispensary, suffered in early adulthood finally shifted Stiiizy Union Square, on October 9. her perspective on Cannabis, eventually Located in the center of one of San Francisco’s busileading to her current career. est shopping districts, the storefront was initially sched-

“I didn’t like taking the opioids they uled to open in March, before a burst pipe forced a gave me,” de la Vega explained. “And delay to April 20. In the interim, the COVID-19 panI realized that I was literally getting demic arrived, which meant another delay to October. addicted to them. So, as soon as I was For de la Vega, who started the process of opening able to get a cortisone injection and I her dispensary back in 2017, the wait has been long, didn’t need Oxycodone anymore, I start- but nonetheless worthwhile. ed medicating with Cannabis. That’s As proof, she detailed the sights that greeted her how I got into it.” when she arrived for her store’s opening day.

“I believe we can make a difference, and change our neighborhoods and change our communities that were harmed really badly by the War on Drugs.”

“I was in disbelief,” she said. “People had gotten there the night before and the line went all up and around Powell Street. It was beautiful to see so many people supporting San Francisco’s first female, Latina, equity partner’s store opening. I didn’t know to expect that. I didn’t think it would be that big.”

Before there was a red ribbon to cut, however, there was Rudy Corpuz Jr.

Founder of the violence prevention and youth development nonprofit United Playaz, Corpuz began his work by narrowing in on a classroom at San Francisco’s Balboa High School, where de la Vega happened to be a student.

“It was one of the toughest high schools to go to during that time,” she noted, “and sometimes I would go to his classroom.”

Many years later, de le Vega’s younger daughter asked if she could attend an afterschool program being offered by United Playaz. de la Vega confessed she was surprised to learn that Corpuz had expanded his operations to include assistance for younger students and, as a result, immediately began volunteering herself.

As a single mother to two daughters, de la Vega spoke glowingly of the organizations that have helped her in times of need, noting as well her desire to give back once fiscally possible.

“These are the types of programs and organizations that I want to fund if I’m ever in a position to do that,” she said. “I’ve had help before from La Casa de las Madres. I had help from Catholic Charities, I had help from Hamilton Families – so that’s a goal of mine if I ever make great money: I want to help these nonprofits, because I want them to continue to be able to help the people who need it.”

“I want to help these nonprofits, because I want them to continue to be able to help the people who need it.”

When Corpuz was offered the chance to helm a Stiiizy dispensary in Union Square in 2017, he immediately passed the opportunity onto de la Vega. She quickly agreed and three years later, the results are speaking for themselves.

But de la Vega isn’t one to leave things to chance.

That’s why she also wants to make her voice heard loud and clear when it comes to making sure that anyone working their way through the equity pipeline – or considering the effort – doesn’t give up hope.

“I believe that if every equity partner does the work, we can literally own our lives,” she said.

“I believe we can make a difference, and change our neighborhoods and change our communities that were harmed really badly by the War on Drugs. Communities like the one that I grew up in. That’s the goal.”

STIIIZY.COM |@STIIIZY

Our new monthly Equity Entrepreneur feature

highlights business operators and thought leaders who seek to build this industry in a way that sheds the prejudices of the past while reflecting on the rich diversity of the plant and the people who use it. Know someone who would be a great interview? Email tom@californialeaf.com.