Katy has always had a passion for helping others, something that translated from the hospice and animal shelter industries to the Cannabis industry. She realizes how intimidating it can be for new patients and prides herself on giving them the information they need to make informed decisions. Using Cannabis as a form of self-care, Katy has seen just how much this plant can benefit the lives of humans and animals alike. Some of the most physically and mentally challenging aspects of Katy’s life have benefited from using Cannabis intentionally, and she’ll never look back to a day when she didn’t have it.
You were previously a caregiver for both people and animals. How do you see those skills transferring to a role in the Cannabis industry?
A lot, actually, especially because I dealt with a lot of hospice patients. It taught me a lot about how people are and how to best help them. I also worked at an animal shelter, and sadly, a lot of people would come in with animals that needed to be put down. These types of situations were what led me to use Cannabis personally and then transfer the knowledge I gained into something useful for the patients I serve at the store every day.
Your dog Jupiter’s experience with CBD was clearly a pivotal moment for you. Can you elaborate on how that personal experience fuels your passion for the Cannabis plant and its potential?
Jupiter was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2018 when I was 19 years old and had just become a medical patient. My veterinarian knew CBD could help but was basically like, “I’m not even supposed to be telling you this.” That felt crazy to me, but after looking into it more, I was willing to give it a try for Jupiter’s sake. He frequently suffers from seizures, and CBD is really the only thing that helps him out. This experience of having the knowledge so easily accessible, while taking me this long to find, opened my eyes to how many people and pets could benefit from it.
What is a “hot girl gummy walk”
Taking a 40-milligram edible, maybe with some CBD and CBG in the mix, giving my dog his dose of CBD and taking a walk around town. As I’m walking around and feel it start to kick in, I throw on a podcast or some music and get in my zone. I really like the blood orange gummies from Inhouse. Something as simple as this can bring me so much joy, and that’s why I’ve built it into my daily routine. I play a little game of: How Far Can I Walk Before the Gummy Hits?
You mentioned Cannabis helps you with anxiousness, creativity and focus for your ADHD. Could you share an example of how you’ve used Cannabis to enhance one of these areas in your daily life?
Since I started working here, I worked my way up from budtender to manager. This required me to sit down and focus on a lot of things all at once. CBG really helps with my ADHD, giving me a zoned-in and focused feeling without the raciness of a sativa. THC helps me with being creative and uplifting so I can come up with new ideas and interact with people on a regular basis. Once you find out someone smokes, a branch is extended that connects you.
You describe Cannabis as a “healing ritual” and a form of self-care. How do you integrate this perspective into how you would interact with customers or colleagues?
When I first got into smoking, I obviously wasn’t supposed to be doing it, which in turn inspired me to give Cannabis more intention and purpose versus doing it as quickly and discreetly as possible. I want to transfer that feeling onto patients and make it something more than just getting high, especially when people come in who struggle with similar things I do, like ADHD. The level of personal experience I have makes me feel good about the education I can give them.
How has your relationship with Cannabis evolved, and what does it mean to you now compared to when you were younger?
Back when I first got into it, I couldn’t go home and smoke a joint because the animal shelter I worked at would hang a drug test over my head. This was crazy to me because I could go home and drink a whole bottle of wine if I wanted to, but I couldn’t even smoke a joint. Now, Cannabis is such a big part of my everyday life that I can’t believe how far I have come with the plant. I would’ve never considered smoking with my mom to be a possibility back then, but now, we smoke together, and it’s even brought us closer.
