Ever since she was a teenager, Kassandra Rodriguez had an interest in Cannabis. Despite the stigmas that exist within her Mexican American heritage, it was medicine to her from the start. In a college English class, Kassandra was given free range to write about a topic of her choice, so she decided to do a research paper on the medicinal benefits of Cannabis. Her paper focused on the findings of various Cannabis trials in which children with autism and seizures were treated with Cannabis. The results were enough to alter the trajectory of Kassandra’s career.
About a year ago, Kassandra decided she wanted to officially get into the industry and began budtending at Urbn Leaf – and within the year she’s already been promoted to shift lead, but loves stepping out on the floor whenever she can. Helping people is her favorite part about the job.
“I love recommending a product for a specific ailment,” Kassandra shared, “and then the customer comes back, maybe even that same day or week, to say it helped! They usually want more for themselves and for their family. That’s the best.”
Kassandra assists patients with a variety of serious and chronic ailments. People come to the shop fresh out of the hospital from chemotherapy treatment in need of something to help with nausea. Mothers of children struggling with autism or seizures visit to find products that offer relief. It’s not surprising that customers seek out Kassandra for her guidance – she treats every patient as an individual and respects that each person has their own comfort zone and relationship to the plant.
