Note: I know many people would rather read a blog than listen to or watch a video. That's why I provide this rough transcript of the video which is not meant to be a perfectly edited blog post. Thanks for your understanding (and not blasting me in the comments.)
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Why Are Budtenders So Important?
What Makes Budtenders Great?
Why Is the Cannabis Plant So Stigmatized?
What are the implications of cannabis prohibition
What Is The Problem With the Budtender Role?
Problem 1: The Regulations!
Problem 2: Budtender Education Isn't Balanced
Problem 3: Budtenders Don't Make Enough Money
Why Should Budtenders Create a Side Hustle?
How to Make Money As a Cannabis Content Creator
Don't Use Social Media?
Create Content That You Own
How Can you Make Money as a Cannabis Content Creator?
Tips For Doing Cannabis Freelance Writing
How to Become a Well-Educated Cannabis Content Creator in 3 Months
Create Your Own Cannabis Club or Workshop Business
Andrea Meharg: Welcome back to another video at www.revealcannabis.Com. Today, I'm speaking specifically to you budtenders. And we're going to talk about how you can expand your impact in the industry.
Andrea Meharg: We're going to start with why budtenders are so important. And also what the limitations are in the budtender role. We'll talk about why you should create a side hustle, and I'm going to give you lots of resources for how to do it. Plus, I'm going to give you like this huge resource list to help you out in your role as a budtender or whatever else you decide to do with it.
Hi, my name is Andrea Meharg I am an elementary school teacher turned Certified Cannabis Coach and Educator. I'm the founder of Reveal Cannabis and the Head Cannabis Science Educator over at the Cannabis Coaching Institute. And we're going to talk about that in a little bit. I'm also the founder of the Parkhill Women's Cannabis Club and the creator of the Ultimate Cannabis Club Toolkit. I also create content for YouTube. Obviously here I am And blogs and working on a podcast right now.
Why Are Budtenders So Important?
Andrea Meharg: As well, and. I am the budtenders. Biggest fan. Why? Because budtenders are so important in this industry. You are actually the face of the cannabis industry.
Lots of times when new people are coming into this space. And they're not, you know, they're not in the cannabis space, the person that they think about when they think about the cannabis space is you the budtenders, the people behind the counter. And you budtenders are the people who can actually converse with the people you get to know what do they want, what do they need? What are they liking? What's lacking in the system?
You also have relationships with lots of the customers, and this is a big disconnect I find often between like big industry corporate cannabis and what actually happens on the ground and like, what's actually working, you know, like of all the products that are coming through, what's actually working for people.
And when you're doing a great job everyone in the industry benefits.
What Makes Budtenders Great?
Andrea Meharg: An excellent bud tender can dramatically change somebody's life, They are worth their weight in gold to both brands and dispensary's they help to de-stigmatize the plant daily. But, budtenders you do not get enough uh, training support recognition appreciation and you definitely do not get enough money.
So let's talk about this. An excellent budtender can dramatically change somebody's life. I bet you, those of you who are watching can think of people who you have helped with just the knowledge that you have in the store and they have come back to you and Said like, oh my gosh, you really made a difference in my life.
There are not very many retail jobs out there where you you can have this kind of impact on somebody's health and their happiness.
Plus you also bring in the money. If you're an excellent budtender, you will bring in repeat customers. Who rave to their friends and family and their neighbors. Everybody else will come to your dispensary.
Generally, budtenders will have enormous knowledge of all the cannabis products that are out there, which is so hard to do if you've ever looked at the ever-changing landscape. Of what's available in dispensary's. Budtenders also know what's really good and what is not, and they will sell for brands that they love all day long so that other people can have great experiences uh, excellent. Budtender also de-stigmatizes this plant on a daily. And that is so important so that we can. I teach new people about this plant and how it might help. The stigma alienates so many people they're afraid to walk into a dispensary door.
So when they can meet a friendly, knowledgeable budtender. It can make a real difference for them seeing cannabis as a possible treatment option, which by the way, Like isn't that most people? Couldn't almost everybody benefit from cannabis? Even people who are using cannabis legally or in a legal state still feel the need to hide their cannabis use from friends and families and neighbors. Um, and that actually makes me really really mad. And we're going to take a quick detour here to just talk about why.
Why Is the Cannabis Plant So Stigmatized?
Andrea Meharg: Why is it that cannabis use is so stigmatized, even though it can help with So many things? We've been using this plant as a source of food and fuel and fiber and medicine and spiritual guidance for literally thousands of years. And it's only about these last hundred years that are the blip on the radar. So why? Why was it prohibited about a hundred years Racism greed lies. And this makes me really mad, um, that we have all of this to fight against when we're talking about the use of this plant, if this kind of stuff interests you, you should definitely check out this book Smoke Signals. I'll link to it down below. It's lovely and really well-researched and also horrifying. When you read about. Just why and how we got to this place that we are. Because we I do have millions or billions of people thinking that this is like the devil's lettuce and it will make you do terrible things. And who is the one who has to like battle all of this stigma, literally every single day? It's YOU super budtenders!
What are the implications of cannabis prohibition?
Andrea Meharg: I want us to think about some of the implications of prohibition. People are suffering and need help. People in my own life are suffering from things that I'm pretty sure cannabis could help them with, but they are so nervous because of what they'd been told by, you know, the government for so long. Long about how bad this plant is. Instead, people are turning to things like alcohol hall things like narcotics things like pharmaceuticals, opiates. All because all of those seem more acceptable to us then, you know, smoking weed. This is madness for me, when we think about all the things that cannabis has known to help with stress, pain, sleep, depression, anxiety gastrointestinal issues, cancer treatment symptoms, menstrual issues, inflammation of all sorts, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, seizure disorder, coming off, things like opiates, nicotine, alcohol. And more, so much more. Like, look at this list. And yet we're still dealing with the effects of prohibition.
Because of prohibition, another implication is that we have lost last to decades of research, really? Um, we've known for so long that cannabis helps, but it's only about 30 ish years ago we discovered why.
And that is when we discovered the beginnings of the endocannabinoid system, which is a master regulatory system, which controls so much of what's happening in our body. Please head down to the link below to check out the blog I wrote about. Endo cannabinoid system, but in the meantime, this great book by Dr. Dani Gordon. Uh, she really sums it up well. With this phrase or this quote, she says our endocannabinoid system helps control some of the most important physical, mental and emotional functions in the brain and body. Everything from body movement, pain control and immune system function, to mental health sleep, gut function, and even brain. protection. You literally cannot overstate how important the endocannabinoid system is. So we don't have. Have as much research as we would love on this super important system. Because of the implications of cannabis prohibition. So even though it starting to come the people who we would generally turn to to help us understand this type of thing, our doctors, they don't know what's going on. Um, and to no fault of their own. In fact, a recent study found that. Uh, most physicians felt not just unprepared to counsel patients about medical cannabis, but, Um, they felt not at all prepared to counsel a patient. So we're still not doing a good job at all of training our medical professionals about the endocannabinoid system and how cannabis might interact with it and how it might help their patients. And that leads us back to Budtenders. We're asking people who have not A lot of training in the subject necessarily to help people who are coming into dispensary's with really complex problems sometimes. So. So thank you for being an ambassador to this plant For the rest of the world um, so that they can, you know, help to help themselves. It is My core belief that with just a little bit of knowledge, Uh, about certain subjects, we can really kind of break down the foundation actions of other people's misunderstandings. of this plant. People still think this is dangerous if we can give them just a little bit of education about this. It can really help them. And. Your budtenders are doing this work every day.
What Is The Problem With the Budtender Role?
Andrea Meharg: So if you are so important, what the heck is the problem, right? Like, why aren't you being lauded and applauded in my mind? I see three enormous problems. Number one, So many regulations. Number two. I don't think the education bud tenders get is balanced. It's mostly about products and brands.
And finally, budtenders do not make enough money! If you are a budtender, you already know this. If you're not a budtender and you have a great one, tip them. They are worth their weight in gold. I'm sure I missed some. So chime in down below if you see something I missed. Let's tackle these problems one by one.
Problem 1: The Regulations!
Andrea Meharg: Let's start with problem number one, the regulations. Budtenders, you do such a great job of talking around and the regulations, but it is not easy. And of course, there's nothing. I can do about this. You know, I can't change the regulations. Um, so that you can talk more easily about the plant. If it is important that you stay above board so that you don't get in trouble your dispensary doesn't get in trouble. Um, but I can help you with. Getting a fully educated about the plant so that when you're, you know, dancing. Dancing around the regulations. You fully understand what you're talking about.
Um, and I have a huge resource list for you at the end of this video and down below, that gives you. Um, books and podcasts, and ideas to help you get fully educated on this plant yourself.
Problem 2: Budtender Education Isn't Balanced
Andrea Meharg: And that brings me to point number two, is that the education isn't super balanced. You get lots of education on brands and products, but you don't get as in-depth depth of information on how and why the plant works. Um, so on this resource list. I can definitely help here. As a lifelong teacher and a teacher over at the Cannabis Coaching institute, I'm going to share some of my favorite resources with you. It's got my nerdy books and my not-so-nerdy books and a whole bunch of CBD resources on there. It also has podcasts and movies and different organizations that Go check out, including advocacy organizations.
Problem 3: Budtenders Don't Make Enough Money
Andrea Meharg: Let's move on to problem number three. You are not making enough money, even though you're incredibly valuable . And here I can help again. And of course, that's what this whole video is about, is how you can take everything you're doing in your day job and turn it into a profitable side hustle.
Why Should Budtenders Create a Side Hustle?
Andrea Meharg: So why, why should we do this? Um, well, It's super rewarding to do this type of work and to be To help people from all over the world understand this plant better. You already probably know more about cannabis than, you know, the vast majority of the population, and they desperately need to hear you teach them. Your people need to hear your voice telling other people about why you think the cannabis plant is so great. And online you can impact like a much bigger audience then you can in your dispensary, no matter how busy your dispensary is.
Also as a cannabis content creator, you're able to float above a lot of those regulations that we talked about and, um, do a better job, hopefully of educating people about the miracles of this plant. And finally money. This is a great way to yourself up to be earning some passive income by [00:13:00] talking about something that you already love. So how?
How to Make Money As a Cannabis Content Creator
Andrea Meharg: How the heck are you going to create a side husle as a cannabis content creator? I help people make money by providing cannabis content or cannabis education online in three different ways.
But what I want to start out with is what not to do. I do not start your side hustle as an online content creator for things like Facebook or Instagram or Tik Tok they are notorious for kicking cannabis people off. So I want you to think about creating something that you own instead. And finally, I can teach you how to create an online or in person, community cannabis club or workshop business. So let's dive into these
Don't Use Social Media?
Andrea Meharg: Number one, like don't use social media? No, I don't mean that you shouldn't use social media. I just mean that you should not rely on it. Social media should be a place you're going to promote the content that you've created and stored in other places. Um, because you don't own your content On Instagram, for example. You can, and I have seen this happen over and over and over again in my four years in this space, you can lose everything you've built simply by saying the C-word, and by the the word, of course, I mean CBD. Um, People do often get kicked off of these platforms, and they lose everything that they've built and it's devastating. So I want to prevent you from doing. That is right off the hop. Make sure that you're using social media to promote the content that you're creating on platforms that you already I already own, but do not create content specifically for these platforms.
Create Content That You Own
Andrea Meharg: So, what does that mean when I'm telling you to create content you own? Like I said, you're going to create. A blog or an article or a video or a podcast or a workshop that you own, you own that content and you can host it in a place that you also own, or you can store it in someplace. That you are already own um, that can't be just taken down at a whim, like so many of these social media platforms. This is a much safer way for you to build your online content uh, business.
How Can you Make Money as a Cannabis Content Creator?
Andrea Meharg: Let's talk about how you can make some money by doing this. First of all, you can become an affiliate for blank brands. That you love, that means that you talk about products that you already love. And then if people buy something using your link, you get a little bit of Kickback, and those little kickbacks can add up. You can create an online product or a service that you love. Maybe you could create a, how-to grow course or create eBooks or create cannabis clubs or consultations and you can talk about those in your content. Or you could have people join your exclusive membership site or create a Patreon So that people can pay to get access to special content that you make. You can also sell advertising on your website for other brands that are aligned with you. There are lots and lots and lots of ways to make money in cannabis content. creation online. These are just some of the ones that I've seen, that worked best for our students over at the Cannabis Coaching institute.
Tips For Doing Cannabis Freelance Writing
Andrea Meharg: But, I am not going to sugarcoat it. This takes freaking time. And effort and persistence. Uh, you have to put out consistently good content before money will start rolling So, if you want to get out there, you're like on the ball to start the side hustle right now there is a way for you to start making money kind of immediately, and that way is by becoming a freelance author author. It's also a great way to get your feet wet while you experiment with all the different types types of content that you like to prepare.
In the resource list that I've linked below you can see that I [00:17:00] have so many places here here for you to pitch your freelance writing. And actually I did not make up that list. It was made up by Danielle Simone Brand, the author of Weed Mom, and hold on a sec a sec to find out how she's involved in this.
How to Become a Well-Educated Cannabis Content Creator in 3 Months
Andrea Meharg: So if this sounds exciting to you if you're thinking like, oh, I would definitely love to become a cannabis content creator and make some money on the side we can also fast-track that process for you. So over at the Cannabis Coaching Institute, we have a program called the Certified Cannabis Educator Program. And let me tell you about what you get. First of all, you get this great robust cannabis science curriculum taught by me um, learn all about How and why cannabis works and how to teach other people about it. You'll get accurate and up-to-date information about how to use cannabis for better health and wellness. That is our whole focus over at the Cannabis Coaching Institute. You'll learn about, uh, dosing cannabis compounds, the history, complications with cannabis. So much more. Plus we have monthly science Q and A call so that you can have all your cannabis questions answered.
That's not all because this isn't just another cannabis class. The whole point of this class is so that you can take all the stuff that you have learned and go out and create a site side hustle with it. So you get a full training on how to set up an online cannabis content business from people who have actually done it.
Corinne Tobias from wake and bake and. And she's also the founder of the cannabis coaching Institute. Danielle Simone Brand who prepared that awesome list of where to send your freelancing to. Uh, she is the author of Weed Mom, uh, among other publications. And me from Reveal Cannabis.
Here I'm going to show you one of our content creation tip sheets from the Certified Educator Program so that you can see how comprehensive it is. We really do a great job of getting you set up on these different platforms on the blog doing freelancing on YouTube and coming up on podcasting as well um, so that you can get out there and have your channel for example, start right away. So you have access to this whole worksheet here in the resources section that I've linked for you down below.
Each month we have content review calls. So you prepare pair a piece of content and send it to us and we'll help you make that piece of content better so that you're putting out your best stuffright from the very get-go. We also help you to stay above the law. Um, by teaching you how to speak compliantly and responsibly about this plant.
Plus you get to join an online community full of other passionate cannabis professionals. who are also getting their certification to be a Cannabis Educator or Coach?
You can start this class at any time and It can be certified in just three months you lovely budtenders can get $300 off by using the coupon code budtender.
Create Your Own Cannabis Club or Workshop Business
Andrea Meharg: And the last thing I'm going to talk to you about is another way that you can take your knowledge, your passion, your expertise and turn it into some money. So of all the things I've done In my cannabis career so far, the thing that I'm still most proud of is It's creating the Parkhill Women's Cannabis Club.
It's a club I created about three years ago in my small community South Western Ontario. We meet every month. I teach them something about the cannabis plant and its benefits. And then we also have a great time. And get to know one another. Um, and as soon as I started running this club I got people from all over the place asking me like, Hey can you come to Toronto and run the club here? Or can you teach me how to run a club like this as well. So I decided to put something together, a tool kit, so that if you already know about cannabis you can just take this toolkit and start your own club.
Um, and you can start right away, even if you don't have any experience or a whole bunch of extra time. This Toolkit has literally everything in it that you need to get started with your own um, with your own club.
I have been able to see the impacts of my monthly club meetings with my own eyes in my own town. For example my friend, Lisa has epilepsy and she recently just got her driver's license back because she's taking CBD and she drives all around town and honks. Jean can sew all day without wrist pain.
Kait is doing so much better managing her anxiety. I've created like this awesome thriving community of women, and you can do this. In your own town as well.
The Ultimate Cannabis Club Toolkit is a program that I put together so that I can help you run a successful cannabis club business. Or some people take all the resources that I've given them and they turned it into a workshop business that they can do either in their own town or online. So if you'd love to check out the Ultimate Cannabis Cannabis Club Tool kit, please check out the link down below. And budtenders, you also receive a coupon off this awesome class. With the coupon code budtender, you'll get $100 off the class.
Let's Recap
Andrea Meharg: All right. So let's recap. We know budtenders are extremely important, but there's lots of limitations in the role, not the least of which is that you do not get paid enough money. So I think you should create a side hustle. I've given you lots. Of great options and hopefully a couple of shortcuts uh, to, to making that easier for you by joining the Certified Cannabis Educator Program and, or the Ultimate Cannabis Club Toolkit.
And I also have all those resources that I promise for you down below, you can check out the link. www.revealcannabis.com/budtenders and get access to all that awesomeness. Thank you so for watching this video and being here with me. If you have any questions, please please leave them down below. I do answer them all and I will see you in the next video. Thanks.
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