BUDTENDER FRED FREQUIERE

maryland leaf budtender of the month Fred Fequiere

GREENLIGHT THERAPEUTICS | 782 MD ROUTE 3 N., SUITE A, GAMBRILLS, MD (410) 650-4150 | GREENLIGHTTHERAPEUTICS.COM | @GREENLIGHT_THERAPEUTICS

“GETTING TO HELP PEOPLE AND WORK IN A FIELD I’M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT AT A FAMILYORIENTED BUSINESS, WHO COULD COMPLAIN?”

HOW DID CANNABIS COME INTO YOUR LIFE? Honestly, Cannabis has always been in my life as a support system for me when dealing with situations that are too overwhelming. The first time I smoked marijuana, I was 15 and it was a particularly stressful day. A friend and I had been talking about experimenting for awhile and decided to finally try it. I remember feeling that stress melt from the second I touched the product. I fell in love with the entire act of smoking - unwrapping the Backwoods, breaking the weed up in my hands, feeling the smoke in my lungs - very therapeutic. I followed my preferred form of therapy from Florida to Colorado and got into the Cannabis industry at 24 as a trimmer for a hemp-temp company. It gave me the opportunity to learn about Cannabis from the roots up, before moving to Maryland in 2019.

BEFORE THIS PROGRAM, DID YOU EVER THINK MEDICAL CANNABIS WOULD BE LEGAL IN MARYLAND? Yes, I had high hopes for the industry going nationwide from my first smoke. I was further reassured after going to Canada in 2018 and seeing the nationwide liberation of Cannabis there. I was very encouraged that I would see it in my own country/state.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WORKING AT THIS SHOP? To be honest, I love everything about Greenlight Therapeutics. From our patients to our staff, there is nothing about this place that I don’t like (as corny as it sounds it’s the truth). Our store has a very unique atmosphere that I haven’t experienced at other dispensaries I’ve worked at. It’s kind of like a family. Getting to help people and work in a field I’m most passionate about at a family-oriented business, who could complain?

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO CONNECT WITH PATIENTS ON? Product! I love talking to patients about the different products they’re using and what they’re using them for, especially products that I haven’t tried before and have no experience with. I love to expand my arsenal of knowledge and have information on deck for the next customer who needs it. When you deal with such a wide variety of patients and illnesses, I find the best way to help patients is to connect with them over the products and what they’re using them for.

IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND ANY ONE CANNABIS PRODUCT TO A PATIENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Honestly, it really depends on what their symptoms would be and their experience level with Cannabis. Typically though, a strain I always recommend without doubt for almost any patient is a staple in our store - Hennessy OG by Forward Gro. It is a really nice and smooth hybrid, not too heavy on either spectrum. It’s really good for anxiety, which in this day and age we all have. I also like it for its smell and taste - it’s not too fruity or overbearing in flavor, but it has just the right amount of sweetness and funk.

IF YOU COULD SMOKE WITH ANY MUSICIAN, WHO WOULD YOU PICK? David Bowie, I love his music. Just from his tunes, I can tell that he had a great vibe.

HOW DOES BUDTENDING COMPARE TO OTHER JOBS YOU HAD BEFORE? It doesn’t compare. Before getting into the Cannabis industry, I worked in the culinary industry and in sales. There are some similarities between these fields, but nothing really compares to working with my favorite product and being able to see the healing it brings to so many lives.

Flower to the People.

Mindful medicine & compassionate care.

Locally-owned and operated, we at Kannavis are committed to helping educate and empower our patients to live healthier, fuller lives through cannabis.

Visit us in Frederick, MD, conveniently-located just off I-270 (on-site parking available), and explore our extensive product selection with one-on-one guidance from the incredible Kannavis team—or try ordering online with the Weedmaps app!

20% off for First-Time Patients. 15% off Military Discount. Loyalty Rewards Ask About Our Loyalty Plan!

8709 Fingerboard Road, Frederick, Maryland KANNAVIS.ORG

A woman-owned and well-trusted medical Cannabis dispensary promoting the health and wellness of the Baltimore area for over two years.

O R D E R A H E A D & I N - S T O R E PICKUP AVAILABLE.

WEEDMAPS.COM | PURELIFEBALTIMORE.COM

Medical cannabis use is for certified Maryland patients only. Must be 18 or older.

35 E Cross Street Federal Hill, Baltimore, MD •

443.708.5683

ROSALYN VERA

cannabis

“ MAYBE ONE DAY, YEARS FROM NOW, THERE WILL BE A LITTLE RESTAURANT THAT HAS INFUSED RECIPES WITH SALSAS, TORTILLAS...EVERYTHING. EVENTUALLY, IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DO IT. WHY NOT ME?”

Like many restaurant owners around the country, Baltimore’s Rosalyn Vera is doing the best she can to keep her business operating successfully during the coronavirus pandemic. But managing stress in these times can be quite difficult. For Rosalyn’s worries, the chronic has become the tonic.

hen times get really tough, like now, I think we can all get overwhelmed,” the New York native said. “But [medical Cannabis] has really helped me out. W

I have an edible and take it easy. It keeps me calm and takes me to a better place.”

Rosalyn, 43, co-owns the award-winning Cocina Luchadoras with her mother, Margarita Verdejo. Together, the pair opened the taqueria in 2018, quickly winning the hearts - and appetites - of those residing in or passing through Fells Point.

While both mother and daughter spend time in the kitchen cooking recipes inspired by both family and employees, Rosalyn also oversees every facet of the operation. From managerial duties to social media marketing, and even playing the occasional role of cashier, she runs a 6-member team that she affectionately refers to as family.

She credits their hard work and commitment in helping turn the startup into a thriving business that is entertaining the possibility of a second shop in Hampden.

“We’re going to go through with it,” Rosalyn said. “But we just don’t know when. With all that’s going on, it’s gonna take some time.”

For now, Rosalyn is content in remodeling the outdoors of Cocina Luchadoras to capture the

‘energy’ or Feng shui of the indoors.

The decor of Luchadoras, which translates to female wrestlers or fighters, is covered with posters celebrating the strength of women and people of color. Mexican visitors can often be heard telling Rosalyn how her shop reminds them of home.

“A lot of what you see is from my childhood,” she said. “This is what I grew up with and I really wanted to have the restaurant be a reflection of my personality.”

Since indoor dining is currently prohibited at her establishment due to coronavirus safety laws, Rosalyn has begun expanding the exterior to allow her faithful customers to socially distance while enjoying a taco or three.

The new design, she explains, derives its inspiration from the very same place as the interior: medical Cannabis.

“I just become extra focused and more proactive,” Rosalyn said in regards to medicating. “That focus brings out the creativity and allows me to be able to take action.”

Rosalyn is adamant about using Cannabis responsibly, placing business and above all, motherhood, as her foremost priorities. Raising a 10-year-old daughter has also allowed Rosalyn to understand her mother’s indifference towards the plant.

“She is not ‘oh-my-goodness’ pro-Cannabis,” said Rosalyn, explaining that due to Mexican laws, alcohol is more prevalent.

“Everyone is allowed to think how they want. To me, it’s a very positive thing. It’s an amazing natural product the Earth has given us. And whatever comes from the Earth should be respected.”

While they don’t often speak about Cannabis, Rosalyn has dreams of one day potentially expanding her growing artisanal brand to include Cannabis-infused dinners.

“I’ve been doing research and there’s so many [recipes] out there!” she said. “Maybe one day, years from now, there will be a little restaurant that has infused recipes with salsas, tortillas... everything. Eventually, it’s going to happen. Someone is going to do it. Why not me?” Rosalyn is outspoken about her past struggles with anxiety, but her worries never stopped her from exhibiting a bold streak of fearlessness, earning her the moniker of ‘Best Badass’ from Baltimore Magazine in 2019. The nickname derived after a public incident of harassment that included multiple death threats from a person objecting to an anti-Trump political poster on display. Like the fighters that adorn the walls of her taqueria, Vera is tough and unapologetic about fighting for her loved ones. “It fills me with so much pride to see all that we have created,” she said, repeatedly attributing success to her staff. “We’re all trying to live a better life. We’re trying to live the life we want to live. Rosalyn credits her family, her team, her upbringing and lastly, Cannabis, for making the way towards a better life.

“Not that I owe it [explicitly] to [Cannabis] - that’s more about who I am and what I’m capable of,” she said.

“But with it, it allows me to be more creative, more focused and more successful. At least that’s how it works for me. I use it to be a better version of myself, so then I am able to live a good life. I’m very blessed to have found Cannabis.”

COCINA LUCHADORAS253 S Broadway, Baltimore, MD CocinaLuchadoras.com | @CocinaLuchadoras