2 minute read
BUDTENDER Q&A
Oregon Leaf Budtender of the Month DEVIN JONES
DEVIN JONES grew up in Eugene’s Cannabis culture and found his first job in the industry at SugarTop Buddery. Now, when he’s not practicing his comedy act or coaching youth basketball, you can find him behind the counter at Jamaica Joel’s. It’s Eugene’s locally-operated dispensary with an island twist. But the warm welcome you’ll receive when walking in isn’t tropical … it’s just the friendly service of this Budtender of the Month. Follow him @iamnotdevinjones
WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN EUGENE? Cannabis is just a part of the culture around here. From a young age, we’d go over to friends’ houses and it was just normal. Instead of mowing the lawn and taking out the trash, we were mixing nutrients, snapping clones, making concentrates and things like that. By the time I was of [legal] age, it was like second nature to me.
WHAT DO YOU FILL YOUR TIME OUTSIDE OF CANNABIS WITH? I’ve been dabbling in stand-up comedy recently, which is a passion of mine. I’ve been mostly practicing with Studio 541 Productions. Shea Hardy Baker has a really awesome studio set up in her backyard where we do workshops with other artists and get constructive criticism. I’m really just trying to fine-tune my sets and childappropriate material. I’m hoping to perform it at Juneteenth at Alton Baker [Park]!
WHAT KIND OF SUBJECT MATTER DOES YOUR COMEDY FOCUS ON? What I was raised around. I always say, ‘I’m half Black, half hippie,’ so I dabble in the juxtaposition that those two kinds of worlds bring. Growing up in Eugene has just always been such an interesting experience, especially for a Black person of color … You get a different perspective.
WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME DURING YOUR TIME IN THE EUGENE CANNABIS SCENE? I used to work for Elev8, the only Black-owned dispensary in town. My first week there was the Friday that the George Floyd protests broke out in Eugene. It was a really intense time to be a person of color in the Cannabis industry. To be in this movement, not only in my personal time but also at work, was and can [still] be straining. My homegirl Felicia (who also works here) is a big part of Women’s Leadership in Cannabis. We want to start trying to push forward some sort of Black persons in Cannabis coalition, where there are support groups and space for development or growth. We don’t see a lot of POC or women-owned businesses. I think ownership is really important and trying to figure out where those obstacles lie or what hurdles they have to get over is key. I definitely want to create that space and those opportunities for more advancement.
WHAT STICKS OUT ON THE SHELF WHEN YOU’RE SHOPPING OR HELPING A CUSTOMER MAKE THE RIGHT SELECTION? Shout out to SugarTop Buddery, Drops and CannaBull. Certain companies just resonate a little bit more. I love the functionality of their products. I think that if you’re looking for medicine, that is some of the best on the market for what they do.
JAMAICA JOEL’S | 37 W 13TH AVE #201, EUGENE, OR JAMAICAJOELS.COM | @_JAMAICAJOELS | 7AM-10PM DAILY
