BUDTENDER Q&A

INTERVIEW

MARYLAND LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH KHALID AHMAD

WAAVE DISPENSARY

7327 HANOVER PKWY STE. B GREENBELT, MD MDWAAVE.COM (240) 436-0600 10AM-9PM MON-SAT 11AM-7PM SUN

KHALID HAS BEEN in the Cannabis industry for almost four years and has loved the time he has spent helping patients – having worked for three different dispensaries and even working two locations at the same time at one point. He believes that Cannabis concentrates are the wave of the future and loves to share his knowledge with others, specifically those who struggle with pain issues since he can relate to them so closely. Well seasoned in the scene from working side-by-side with industry experts, Khalid continues to immerse himself in the medicinal values of the plant on a daily basis – all the while maintaining the culture along the way.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CANNABIS CONCENTRATES IN MARYLAND? It’s getting a lot better, and there are a couple of companies that I enjoy very much. Sunmed and Evermore have really been coming correct. My team took a tour of the Sunmed facility recently, and they are using ‘lunar tech’ to create some of the most pure concentrates I have ever seen. Evermore has invested heavily in making hash rosin, and it’s some of the most supreme and best tasting concentrate on the market right now.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH HASH ROSIN AND SOLVENTLESS CONCENTRATES IN OTHER STATES?

“I TRY TO EXPLAIN TO PATIENTS THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO GET THE SAME EFFECTS FROM ONE

710 Labs is a renowned solventless company that does DAB AS THEY WOULD AN ENTIRE JOINT OF FLOWER.” mostly hash rosin – they grow flower as well, but their hash rosin is an amazing product. Compared to Evermore’s they are on par with their live cold cured hash rosin. It is not an easy process if you intend to come out with the right color, terps and potency.

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH WITH NEW DABBERS? When it comes to setting up a new patient with dabbing – especially when it usually requires a torch – I try to steer them toward electric devices in the early stages. For example, you can buy a Yocan for $30 or $40 and put it into the joint of your pipe. You press the button, it heats up the concentrates, and patients say they experience a different level of relief. I try to explain to them that they may be able to get the same effects from one dab as they would an entire joint of flower.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES? I love to go to the beach, and I’ve been to the Middle East for a Birthright trip to Israel. It was an amazing experience to fly somewhere, land in a total foreign space, and feel welcomed by everybody immediately. Especially if you value the religious side of things, Israel can be a really special place to connect with your beliefs.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE WITH CANNABIS IN ISRAEL? In the Middle East they smoke a ton of hash – I actually got to try some blonde Lebanese hash from some Palestinian guys that were sitting around in a circle. I walked up to them and asked if it was okay to take a hit off of their hookah, and they said, ‘We have hashish in here.’ And I was like, ‘Please, I’d love to try it.’ I took a couple hits and it totally did the job. Now I will say that we have a much stronger potency and quality of Cannabis in the states, even though they have dispensaries in Israel.