BUDTENDER Q&A

MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH PRISCILLARHOTON

“I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SAFELY USE CANNABIS PRODUCTS MEDICINALLY IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO.”

THE DISPENSARY

330 140 VILLAGE RD STE 7 WESTMINSTER, MD THEDISPENSARYMD.COM @THE_DISPENSARY_MD (667) 314-3297 10AM-8PM MON-SAT 11AM-7PM SUN

PRISCILLA HAS BEEN in the Cannabis industry for nearly two years, but her passion for the plant has roots that run far deeper. She brings a depth of knowledge from attending the Cannabis Training University online, where she completed a master certificate program, and also uses Cannabis to tap into a flow state in both her work and personal life. Art and plants – especially Cannabis – are her greatest passions, and you can find her bringing the fire to The Dispensary in Westminster.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? I am very passionate about this plant – discovering the medicinal properties of it at a young age is truly what led to me being in the industry. My mom got her medical card before I did. She has been suffering from complex regional pain syndrome since I was 16. Seeing how much pharmaceutical medicine she has replaced with medical Cannabis is amazing. My mom was the first person to briefly educate me on terpenes – now fast forward four years later and I’m the head trainer here at my job. When you see how much this plant can change someone’s life, it becomes that much more meaningful to you. I want everyone to have the chance to safely use Cannabis products medicinally if they choose to do so.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU’RE BIG INTO FLOW ARTS? Mainly hula hooping; I got into it about five years ago. I’m really big into the festival and music scene, which is where I picked it up. It has become a really big outlet for me. I actually tore my rotator a year and a half ago, so I use gentle movement to heal my body in a physical therapy type way. I also use silk fans and dragon staff, in addition to spinning fire and using LED props. There is a huge community of flow artists that I’ve met online and practice with.

WHAT IS THE REASON YOU USE MEDICAL CANNABIS? I use it to benefit my mental and physical health, and Cannabis has helped relieve a lot of the chronic pain I deal with. I have restless leg syndrome and get chronic leg cramps – using Cannabis along with flow arts has helped to heal my body. I’ve also struggled with severe depression my entire life, and Cannabis is the only medicine that has really worked for me. I tell people I want to be ‘my medicated self’ all the time.

HOW IS IT WORKING FOR A DISPENSARY CALLED THE DISPENSARY? Because it’s called The Dispensary, everyone remembers it. I remember being out in Colorado and someone telling me they would never forget where I worked because the name was so easy to remember. I’m still trying to break down the stigma of Cannabis, from my family members to other people in my life. Being in Carroll County is tough … we’re only the second dispensary here.

WHAT IS THE VIBE IN THE STORE? We are a momand-pop shop for sure – The Dispensary is privately owned. We are definitely bringing the personal homie vibes. You won’t see a tight, white-walled dispensary when you walk in – we have art everywhere. We have had local artists come and do murals in the store. I think being a mom-and-pop shop has a lot to do with the vibe we bring to patients entering the store.

WHAT SETS YOU APART? I started as a budtender and slowly worked my way up to head trainer, training any new members that join our team. We do a lot more than just budtending. I think the head trainer role has really helped me reach my potential and share my passion and education with my coworkers and patients. I put together first-time patient packets, so new patients can take home information to help them along with their medicating journey. I take a lot of pride in that, because people can take steps to really better their lives with Cannabis.