420 50 8 IN THE
TRAVIS DUDA
On a recent episode of the SeltzerTime podcast, Ricky and I had the opportunity to sit down with Alex Mazin, President, CEO and Founder of Bud’s Goods & Provisions, a dispensary located both here in Worcester and in Watertown, with their third location in Abington currently being constructed. Readers of this column know that I’ve been a fan of their brand since they opened, and it’s been interesting to see how far they’ve grown in just a year’s time. He was the first to call Worcester the Cannabis Capital of the Northeast and is one of the great minds looking to solidify this claim. One of the things I like most about Alex, and the rest of the Bud’s, is the way they are normalizing the conversation around cannabis. Alex wants people to be proud of their use and to not feel the stigma that once existed around our favorite plant. We all know there are powerful and successful people who partake regularly. Alex would also like the conversation about potency to continue to evolve. He thinks people don’t need to just chase the highest percent of THC. As he puts it “THC content is only part of the whole product. You don’t go into the liquor store and only buy the highest-proof alcohol.” He continues, “Beer, wine, vodka, they all have their days and times of consumption. The general public needs to better understand what we call the entourage effect, the cannabinoids and the terpenes that are working together.” I think there are more people familiar with this term, but ultimately I agree. It’s far too common to be at a dispensary and hear fellow consumers ask for only the highest percent THC available. A lot of dispensaries are trying to educate users, but there is an unwillingness to change. I look at people buying only high percent THC cannabis the way the craft beer industry looks at people who only drink IPAs. It’s a good beer, but you’re missing out on some other options that don’t pack such a punch. This change in perspective starts with the growers. On the West Coast, a lot of companies have reached the 30% THC threshold so now they’ve moved onto increasing terpenes. Alex says some cultivators in California have been able to achieve 4-5% terpenes, where our Massachusetts cultivators are still primarily focused on increasing THC levels. Getting ahead of these trends is one of the ways Alex thinks “The East Coast will surpass the West Coast in innovation”, attributing his prediction to the academia and brain power we have here in the Northeast. “You get a couple MIT folks on this, and it’s a different ballgame”. As our industry continues to grow and adapt, I know I will be keeping an eye on Bud’s Goods & Provisions. Also, I would suggest my fellow stoners start expanding their understanding, and even start cataloging your experiences with different strains. You might be surprised to find that an Indica heavy hybrid with the right terpene mix ends up feeling energetic and uplifting and not couch-inducing, as expected. Personally speaking, I’ve been amazed about how many of my assumptions were incorrect. This was only a small bit from a much larger interview with Alex. To hear the whole episode, look for “SeltzerTime official” wherever you find podcasts or go to seltzertime.com Thanks for reading and happy trails! -Travis (@hunchbacktravis)
