I pulled into Tucson just as the orange sherbet sun lit up the Rincons. The warm air still danced on the pavement. In just under an hour, I’d be tagging a container wall (a sort of modern-day art installation) with “Bri Smith <3s Tucson – The Beard Bros Pharms U.S. Tour!” in the courtyard of Corbitt’s. Members of the NatureMed and Feno teams joined me for the shenanigans, belting out Sweet Home Alabama as it played over the speakers and slapping Feno stickers onto every lamp post within reach.
I didn’t know it then, but the people I met there would completely shift my perspective on what makes a dispensary worthy of local loyalty. Spoiler alert: It’s not the latest product drop or the best discounts. It’s the people behind the counter.
As we laid out the plans for the next few days — a dispensary tour, interviews with the team, a walk-through of their grow, and more — the energy was infectious. NatureMed was in the middle of a full renovation, gearing up for a major grand opening. But flashy new decor wasn’t the real draw. It was clear that their all-star team of creatives, budtenders, and growers would be the ones bringing it all to life.
The Budtender Factor: The Secret Sauce to Dispensary Success
Just around the corner, NatureMed faced the same uphill battle as countless other dispensaries launching or rebranding:
- Red tape on most digital platforms.
- Similar inventory to shops nearby.
- Market saturation at every turn.
So what makes a dispensary stand out — not just for a one-time visit but for real community loyalty? The crew behind the counter.
How Budtenders and Growers Shape Local Consumption Culture
Scroll through NatureMed’s Instagram, and you’ll see big personalities on display — high-quality videos, hilarious skits, valuable strain education, and an undeniable sense that these folks love what they do. That’s because they aren’t just cashiers or grow staff.
They’re trusted guides, brand ambassadors, stand-up comedians, dispo besties, and product experts. Their job isn’t just to ring you up or grow the flower— it’s to make you feel comfortable, heard, welcomed, understood, and empowered. They are the beating heart of the brand, and they’re often the reason people drive across town — or from the next town over — to shop there.
When I asked Brian, the Tucson NatureMed Supervisor, what makes NatureMed stand out, his answer was simple: trust, care, and community.
“I think our leadership does a great job of finding people who are actually passionate about cannabis — the plant and everything it can do. That’s huge. There’s this stigma that people get into the industry just for a paycheck or the perks, but here, you don’t see that. We care. Every day we’re asking, ‘What would I recommend to my own family member? What would I want someone to recommend to me?’ That mindset really drives how we work.”
That right there is the secret sauce. Marketing can get them in the door, but budtenders and grow staff — real ones who live the culture — keep them coming back.
Budtenders Deserve More Than Minimum Wage and a Name Tag
Great budtenders don’t just appear out of thin air. While hiring naturally outgoing, passionate people helps, you can’t expect minimum-wage employees to show up with expert-level knowledge about every product and strain on your shelves.
This is where dispensaries have a choice: Invest up front — by training entry-level hires into pros. Or pay a premium for seasoned talent — like Certified Ganjiers, legacy operators, or industry veterans with built-in knowledge and connections.
Either way, it’s an investment. And it’s worth every cent.
As Headset put it:
“Budtenders are the core of any retail business, the most customer-focused employees. Though they might technically be the lowest on the totem pole, smart cannabis business owners know they’re really the foundation.”
But retention is brutal. Headset’s data from Washington and Colorado found that among employees who quit, 58% lasted less than two months — and 40% didn’t even last one. Only 14% stuck around for more than three months.
The message is clear: If you don’t make budtenders feel valued — through training, support, and real investment in their success — they’ll quit. And your customers will follow.
Technology Exists to Help — So Why Don’t More Shops Use It?
As the industry grows, platforms like Seed Talent, Flowhub, THC University, and Happy Budtenders (formerly Zoltrain) have stepped up to offer dispensaries a one-stop shop for training, data, and marketing support. These platforms even collect consumer purchase data and help manage inventory.
Yet, despite all these tools, one study found that out of 158 budtenders surveyed, only 58 had received any formal training from their dispensary. This highlights a significant gap in leadership’s understanding of the essential role educational resources play for budtenders.
Budtenders are the face of your brand. They’re the first and often the only human connection your customers have with your shop or the brands on the shelf. If you aren’t equipping them to succeed, you’re setting yourself — and your entire business — up to fail.
And let’s be clear: It’s not all on the shoulders of the dispensaries. Brands can also bear the burden of responsibility. By providing real product education, regular in-store demos, and samples, they put the tools in the hands of budtenders to effectively sell their products. If your brand is on the shelf, but brand reps aren’t showing up to train the team, it should come as no surprise when consumers receive the dreaded “Uh, I’m not sure about that one.” Another opportunity to gain market share washed away in the exchange.
NatureMed’s Blueprint: Investing in the Team Pays Off
At NatureMed, the inventory team works directly with brand partners to bake budtender education into every vendor relationship. That means every new product comes with samples for staff to try and regular training sessions to keep them informed.
This gives budtenders the confidence to make honest recommendations — not just read the back of a box. And that authenticity translates directly into customer trust and loyalty.
Beyond NatureMed’s internal efforts, Tucson’s cannabis community is doing its part, too. Local events like CannaFriends connect industry professionals with brands and dispensaries, while brands like Feno, Timeless, and AZ Chiefers regularly throw industry nights and exclusive product tastings. These events aren’t just fun — they keep budtenders and cultivators plugged into the culture and ahead of the curve.
Budtenders Aren’t Line Items — They’re Critical Pieces of the Strategy
Cannabis marketing gets over-complicated all the time. Marketing managers are consistently concerned with what platform, what time of day, or what caption to use to get the best results. But the smartest marketing move you can make is investing in the people who actually talk to your customers.
Want loyal customers? Start with loyal staff. Want authentic recommendations? Provide your team with the resources—and the pay—to enable them to take ownership and thrive in their roles. Want your dispensary to become a community staple? Hire people from the cannabis community, and give them a reason to care.
Budtenders aren’t just employees. They are the manifestations of your brand identity. They are the embodiment of your brand’s tone of voice. They are the personalities your consumers directly associate with your business. They are a curation of your company values by way of the culture they create with your customers.
For NatureMed, the efforts they put into play have paid off in dividends. In 2022, NatureMed won five categories of the Arizona Daily Star’s Readers Choice Awards, including Best Dispensary, Best Budtender (great job, Miguel Valdivia!), Best Delivery Service, Best CBD Store, and Best Website. They also took home the win for Reader Recommended in the Tucson Weekly Cannabis Bowl of 2024. But more than the awards they hang on the walls, the daily efforts of the NatureMed budtenders have created an atmosphere of community within the walls of their Tucson dispensary.
Our Industry Call to Action: A Plea To Commit To Better for Budtenders
If you own a dispensary – invest in your team. Training, fair wages, brand samples, community impact recognition, and mental health support. All of it. If you’re a brand – show up, educate, and treat budtenders like the industry professionals and wellness guides they are. Trust them, listen to them, implement changes from feedback, and value their willingness to connect their networks with your own. And, finally, if you’re a consumer – tip your budtender, ask how they’re doing, give positive feedback after a purchase, vote for your favorite budtenders in local “BEST OF” competitions, and overall, support shops that value their staff.
Budtenders are the backbone of this industry. It’s time we all put our actions behind it. Thank you to the NatureMed Budtenders for being leaders in this challenging market. You are the bridge between this supernatural medicine and our loved ones – and for that, we owe you the world.
Never Forgotten: A Tribute to Chris Camacho
This article is dedicated to Chris Camacho, a beloved budtender who left us far too soon. Chris was a bright light at NatureMed, known for his humor, kindness, and deep love for the plant. For those who knew him, the past two years without his spirit have felt like a lifetime. His legacy lives on — and there will always be a joint burning on Sentinel Peak – AKA “A Mountain” – in his honor.
If you or someone you love is struggling, please know you are not alone. Text TALK to 741741 or visit this resource to get help. There’s no shame in needing support — reach out. The cannabis community has your back.
