The crew checked out the latest Budtender XP event thrown by the Work’n’Roll team up in Albany, New York. This was one of their first upstate events after hosting numerous budtender-focused seshes in New York City. Unique to this event was its location: on the tarmac and in a hangar at an airport. This high-flying event was the perfect place to get lifted and connect with the different licensed brands from across the state. We set our cruising altitude on “high” and got a chance to check out the scene as well as sit down and chat with one of the producers for the event, Matthew Evert. Here’s a snippet of my conversation with him about how this event came to life and what makes Budtender XP a special event for the New York community.
Why does Budtender XP exist?
Since its inception three years ago, Budtender XP has existed to bring budtenders closer to the brands they ultimately recommend to consumers. It’s hard to recommend a product earnestly and passionately without having tried it yourself. Budtender XP equips budtenders with the firsthand experience to give those passionate product recommendations while also creating a sense of community within the budtender community, as they get to try products and give feedback live with their peers from all over New York.
What makes Budtender XP special?
Because budtenders are the frontline soldiers of education for the Cannabis industry, we want to give budtenders the best. So, each of our Budtender XP events in 2025 have been at different, uniquely exotic locations at which you may have never dreamed of consuming.
We’ve consumed at a historical carriage house from the 1800s, exclusive NYC nightclubs that haven’t been used before for Cannabis and even an airplane hangar housing old World War II airplanes with views of a large, active runway. Imagine consuming next to TSA on the tarmac while watching airplanes jet off into the sky! We want to engage the wildest consumption dreams of budtenders and create consumption experiences the world has never seen before.
What’s next for Budtender XP?
If you’ve ever played video games, you’ll know XP stands for “experience points” you earn to level up. In line with this, we always strive to improve the Budtender XP series by creating experiences that haven’t been done before. Expect to see us creating more delightfully unexpected experiences, perhaps in other states as well. That effect of serendipity is priceless — it creates unforgettable relationships and memories for everyone sharing the experience of a Budtender XP event.
