6 minute read
BUDTENDER OTM
Sole Fiumefreddo OREGON LEAF BUDTENDER OF THE MONTH
LOCATED IN the historic St. John’s neighborhood, Portland’s Best Buds is a store with an iconic look, complete with a large mural covering the front of the store. They’ve been in the game for quite a while, too - and it shows. The store stocks many of Oregon’s most tried-and-true Cannabis brands, and some new favorites as well! Their socially responsible approach to Cannabis means a lot of things: a safe environment for everyone, caring about the products they stock and of course, extra care with customer service. Our budtender of the month is certainly a big part of what makes this shop so special. HOW DID YOU FIRST EXPERIENCE CANNABIS? I first experienced Cannabis with a trusted pal on a Halloween night when I had just turned 18. Ironically, it was the night before I started my first day as a preschool teacher. I saw the world in a different perspective, looking at plants and trees a bit differently and felt more connected to the Earth. I remember feeling like there were waves in my body (probably the euphoria that we all like so much). After that, I would say off the clock use helped me de-stress after managing eight to 12 toddlers every day!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A BUDTENDER? WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB? Collectively, I’ve been a budtender for two-and-a-half years. At the end of 2015, I began my journey helping to change a medical shop into a rec shop, then I worked in a processing facility as an educator. I researched and trained other budtenders and colleagues about the endocannabinoid system, the plant and how all these compounds work within our bodies. With my collective experience within the industry, I love to help people find what they’re after! I love to comb through books with them, explore options and break down the plant - metaphorically and physically speaking. I also love all of the smells of Cannabis.
FAVORITE WAY TO USE CANNABIS? I love joints! That community feeling that they give is so important. I also love edibles, but especially drinkables like Magic’s Ginger Beer. It’s simply the best! Edibles and tinctures help my overactive brain mellow out enough so I can get some sleep.
FAVORITE STRAINS, EFFECTS AND TERPENE PROFILES? I love Durban Poison, Mimosa and Cherry Pie. I love an uplifting cultivar to ease the day and something mellow for the evening. I enjoy Cannabis that can help me focus and create. I really dig fruity, floral and earthy terpenes. Terpinolene is my favorite. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT TESTING REQUIREMENTS BY THE OLCC? I think that we need to add a mandate of the top three terpenes with every Certificate of Analysis, without the extra fees to growers. Looking at what science is telling us, we need to pay more attention to the terpenes in order to accurately convey the potential effects. I find it can be very difficult reducing a complex matrix into a simple defined effect when relaying just THC and CBD percentages. It’s particularly important in order to help those who use Cannabis medicinally, like my mom who used Cannabis to get off opioids. She battles fibromyalgia and finds great relief with specific cultivars/terpene profiles, like Purple Trainwreck.
WHAT SETS YOUR SHOP APART? We are so friendly here! We approach with joy and treat everyone with respect. We give back and honor our community as best we can, maintaining a warm environment and attitude. Honestly, this is one of the happiest places I’ve ever worked, and our managers Dave and Trent are the root of that. They respect and encourage us to do better for ourselves, and in turn, we do.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? In my off time, I help facilitate social bicycle fun with my club Corvidae BC. I like to run my little doggo, Roo, alongside my bike - or I just bebop around town to my favorite dive bars. My fiancé, Lex, and I frequent the St. John’s Beer Porch for food, friends and fire, and we love catching movies at the St. John’s Cinema, whether they be spooky or comic book related. I really enjoy live music, exploring the planet and socializing. Art projects help my creative spark, especially if they involve paint and the flowers I’ve been collecting.
PORTLAND BEST BUDS / 6313 N LOMBARD ST SUITE B, PORTLAND (503) 954-1862 / PORTLANDBESTBUDS.COM
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that psilocybin assisted therapy is uniquely effective and has an excellent safety track record. We think that this novel approach could help alleviate the mental health crisis here in Oregon.
Help us advance breakthrough therapy Text: psi to 31996 to join the movement!
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Photo by Bonnie Moreland
Chalice Farms is everything we need right now
Spring is here and we'll take this as an opportunity to celebrate — for a whole month! Cannabis culturists look forward to a specific holiday every year (and have since 1990). You may or may not know the history, but essentially, students at San Rafael High School, in Marin County, CA would meet at 4:20 PM to smoke by a wall, later becoming known as “Waldos.” These were not the typical stereotype for pot smokers — and were motivated athletes, honor students, and filmmakers.
Grateful Dead fans (“Deadheads”) however, were linked more with the popularization of the 420 holiday, as they distributed flyers around Oakland, CA to encourage people to smoke on April 20 at 4:20 PM, bringing folks together – not just literally in the local area, but all over the world, one day each year, at the same time. Genius!
Much like the mindset in the early days, Chalice Farms, one of Oregon’s top cannabis operators, is all about togetherness and community. While the world is going through unpredictably challenging times right now with required distancing, Chalice Farms is launching a daily digital wellness initiative!
Order Chalice Farms Fruit Chews now at chalicefarms.com/delivery and get them delivered to your doorstep!
This aims to continue to support and encourage coming together (digitally), at a time when we quite honestly need it the most. From recipes and at-home workouts, to educational seminars from industry experts and self-care tips, the initiative will center around seven key pillars, including: 01 THINK WELL with attitude and perspective 02 EAT WELL with energy and nutrition 03 AGE WELL with health and recovery 04 LOVE WELL with relations and connections 05 BE WELL with stress and balance 06 DREAM WELL with sleep and respite 07 LIVE WELL with focus and clarity
Starting Tuesday, April 7, join Chalice Farms' movement to identify how cannabis can be implemented across all health and wellness topics. Here's some more great news: during this time, they'll also be introducing their new Chalice Chews product collection! Delicious, vegan-friendly, fruity chews infused with cannabis, made to support all your lifestyle needs — mental, physical, and emotional health — whether you're a new or experienced user, they've got you covered with their chewables: sleep, calm, recovery, balance, and energy.
Bonus: Chalice Farms' popular dispensaries are open to service your needs and are taking special precautions to ensure the health and safety of their staff and customers. They recently launched curbside pickup and delivery service too, so you can stay home and stay healthy!
To get involved in the Chalice Farms wellness initiative, head to chalicewellness.com; to shop products from their dispensaries, find details at chalicefarms.com/locations. @chalice_farms
