When we asked our friend Giselle at CAM, one of the most caring and knowledgeable budtenders in the Bay, she said you gotta meet David at Vallejo Relief Center. An employee for almost four years, David is a San Francisco native who started shopping there for a year before becoming inspired to join the ranks as a budtender. Now he’s been recently promoted to shift lead. We caught up with the man to ask a few questions about fuels his passion for bringing Cannabis knowledge to the community. Follow him on Instagram, @415.David_
How did you get inspired to start budtending?
Honestly, it was the brands. As a customer, I would walk into the store and feel like a kid in a candy shop with all the different kinds of products everywhere. As a budtender, I felt I’d have more access to explore these new things and discover items I never knew were on the market.
Did you know you wanted to work at Vallejo Relief Center?
When I used to shop at the store, I really liked the vibe they provided. I always felt like I was speaking to someone I could trust, and that’s important when you’re talking about getting high. Even if what they’re shopping for isn’t something I’m into, I want to be knowledgeable about that product.
What surprised you about the job?
I never expected to be retaining so many facts. When I started working, I felt like I was memorizing so much just about weed but then on top of that so many faces, names, people’s likes and dislikes. I wasn’t expecting that to be a skill I would develop in this job, but it’s been a big way I’ve learned to connect with the people who shop at the store.
What do you tell new budtenders?
We can always be learning. In my downtime, I’m always going onto the internet and looking up details about new strains, products or companies so I can learn how to provide everybody with a good trip.
What’s your favorite way to consume Cannabis right now?
Lately I’ve been really into smoking indica flower. A couple of my favorites have been the Skywalker OG and Scottie’s Cake from CAM and Ted’s OG from Teds Budz.
Talking about where he sees himself in the future, David seems just as inspired as when he started four years ago. “Eventually I’d like to level up in the industry and start representing one of the companies I look up to,” he said. “Then someday I’d love to boss up. It would be great to someday create my own products just like the brands that inspired me to get into this industry in the first place.”
