California has some of the most amazing budtenders, and this month, our budtender spotlight is on someone with the title to prove it: winner of The Capitola Award for Best Budtender in Northern California, Duane Davis (@dweezy480).
Most days, you can find Duane behind the counter of Zen Garden’s north Sacramento location. A budtender since 2020, he said from the jump, “Once I got in, I knew this was it.”
For Duane, Cannabis isn’t just a job; it’s something that he said saved his life.
“I used to be a full-time events bartender, and drinking was a big part of my life,” he said. “Weed not only helped me quit drinking, but it helped me maintain the feeling that I was on the right course.”
Duane said the mental relief he got from Cannabis, combined with personal drive, was instrumental in his recovery process. Now, four years sober, he’s become a vocal proponent of using Cannabis instead of alcohol, something we’re also seeing in news headlines. Having used Cannabis on his own healing journey, Duane said he is extra sensitive to customers who come in looking to try Cannabis for relief or pain management.
“When people come in telling me about how they use this for medicine, I feel it personally,” he said.
Part of the secret to being an award-winning budtender, Duane said, is knowing about all the products your store carries, not just being a specialist in flower or concentrates. He has one piece of advice he likes to give new budtenders: “Know your fucking price points,” he said. “Have an idea of what something costs out the door instead of just what the sticker price is.”
When asked about any other key pieces of advice for new budtenders, Duane said, “Be proactive about education. When you meet a new brand rep, don’t wait for them to educate you. Go right up and ask them questions. See if they’ll let you tour the facility. Be an active learner instead of just another face they’re giving speaking points to.”
It’s this kind of attention to detail and proactive thirst for education that put him in the running for NorCal’s Best Budtender. The Capitola is a people’s choice awards event, and when you read through the nominations, the word that comes up again and again to describe Duane is “knowledgeable.”
The heartfelt recognition from his local community is not lost on Duane.
“I’ve been blessed,” he told Leaf Magazine, “but I also put in the work, and it’s always nice to hear the customers can see it. Whenever I go out, I seem to always run into someone who recognizes me from serving them at the store. It’s something that I love, and it tells me I’m on the right path.”
