Content area
Full Text
Abstract: An industry of cannabis sales outlets (often called dispensaries) has proliferated in response to state-sanctioned legalization. This paper focuses on the interaction of dispensary sales staff (budtenders) and consumers, which likely has a substantial impact on the consumer experience. To date, there has been little consideration on this aspect of dispensary sales environment, in which staff provide guidance regarding cannabis products. Training programs for alcohol sales are frequently mandated; in contrast, budtender trainings are not currently required or otherwise regulated by state agencies, and therefore, do not address consumer or community safety. This paper explores responsible cannabis sales training and practice. Differences between cannabis and alcohol sales environments, including product diversity, consumer education and motivations, and market maturity are described.
Dispensary staff training, along with management policies may improve the quality of product education, and therefore, improve the safety to consumers and communities.
Keywords: Cannabis Sales, Budtender Training, Consumer Education
Points for Practitioners
* State policy makers, public administrators, and public affairs practitioners may wish to examine and replicate sanctioned sales trainings for cannabis dispensary staff.
* Dispensary sales staff may influence use rates and patterns through recommendations; they should also be knowledgeable about signs and symptoms of active intoxication and the development of cannabis use disorders.
* Needs assessments of the local dispensary environments may help better understand the knowledge necessary for training programs.
All but three states have some level of state-regulated cannabis program, though 10 permit only cannabidiol (CBD)/low delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (D-9 THC) products. Despite federal classification as a Schedule I controlled substance, 37 states permit above the legal threshold for CBD or hemp products (under 0.3% THC) and allow THC-containing cannabis possession and use (medical or otherwise; National Conference of State Legislators, 2022). Thus, within many states, there is a vibrant industry of legal cannabis sales outlets (commonly referred to as dispensaries). In August 2021, there were a total of 8,550 retail licenses across the U.S issued for cannabis sales (Reeves, 2021). To date, cannabis sales have been large contributors to local state economies. In the first two years after legalization, Washington grossed $900 million and Oregon grossed $1.3 billion in cannabis sales (Firth et al., 2020).
However, with this growing cannabis marketplace, concerning public health trends are emerging....