Karissa McBride (@dontforgetblondie) is a budtender, shift leader and photographer at Emerald Triangle Dispensary in Albany. A medicinal patient for the entirety of her adult life, McBride recalls Cannabis having a ubiquitous presence in her family growing up.
“My grandpa used it medicinally, and I watched him, growing up, taking care of his plants, and would see him use it for medicinal benefit,” she recollected. “He would refer to them as ‘tomato plants,’ and I just went with it until I got older and I realized what they were. My mom also used it medicinally.”
McBride first consumed Cannabis in high school after a traumatic car accident left her with feelings of heightened anxiety.
“My friends were like, ‘Hey, maybe if you smoke a little weed, that might help,’ and it really did help!” she said.
The addition of plant medicine was life-changing for her and incited a desire to help others in a similar way. Around 3 1/2 years ago, she started working at Emerald Triangle Dispensary, where she’s provided care for a diverse customer base ever since.
“I love being able to just connect with the different people that come in. I love hearing their stories and being able to help them out,” she explained. “(For example:) If someone with Parkinson’s or cancer is having a hard time getting down food, this RSO may be perfect for them. … I just love being able to give them better insight. That really inspires me.”
Prior to her work in the Cannabis industry, McBride’s interest in photography was initially sparked by a class in high school. It has since grown into a roaring passion for her.
“I was a photo director for my journalism class, and I feel like journalism really sprouted that seed of my love for photography. Once I started working at Emerald, they were like, ‘Hey, we have an Instagram page. Would you be interested?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll totally start taking pictures!’” she said. “I saw a lot of work from Terpodactyl (Leaf Magazines’ Amanda Lopez) when I first joined the Cannabis industry, and she really inspired me. I especially loved when I realized that she was a woman in the industry, too.”
In her free time, McBride loves painting, making art, riding motorcycles and aquascaping. She also enjoys playing video games, citing The Elder Scrolls Online as one of her favorite games she’s played recently.
When asked what else she would want people to know about her, McBride responded succinctly: “I love weed, love taking pictures and love community.”
Given her sheer passion and love for the Cannabis community, it’s no surprise McBride was nominated for Budtender of the Month. Her drive to steep herself in Cannabis knowledge and her genuine enthusiasm to help others shine through like a sunbeam in every interaction at Emerald Triangle Dispensary. Her approach to industry work isn’t just inspiring — it’s galvanizing.
