Stefan Howansky is a budtender at AmeriCanna RX and a connoisseur of all things Cannabis related.
With origins on the East Coast in a strict Catholic household, Howansky recalled Cannabis being a topic of shame and prohibition in his early years. After watching friends challenge preconceived biases about stoners and end up at the top of their classes while smoking massive quantities of reefer, he started researching and experimenting with Cannabis at age 16, and never looked back. He dove into the culture headfirst, finding himself enamored not just with the idea of getting high and smoking out of cool glass pieces, but with the community that exists around the plant.
“We had a really strong art and Cannabis scene that was based out of Philadelphia. Slinger, Illadelph, all of them,” Howansky explained. “That’s kind of where my whole passion and love for Cannabis came from.”
Although he studied computer science and worked for several reputable tech start-ups, Howansky’s love of Cannabis eventually led him away from his home and career on the East Coast, all the way to Portland.
He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2020 and began making friends through shared interests in Cannabis and glass, meeting fellow connoisseurs, growers and hashmakers. Howansky began working independently with various producers, and, in 2023, took a job at AmeriCanna RX, where he’s been employed since.
“I’ve met so many cool people and learned so much about Cannabis and life, different things,” he said.
Howansky is an avid concentrate consumer and enjoys smoking high-quality hash and hash rosin.
“For me, concentrates are a way of life,” Howansky shared. “I would prefer no other intake consumption method, I’ve always been a hash boy.”
Some of Howansky’s favorite Oregon producers include Lofty Growers, Nelson and Company Organics, Kalya Extracts, Echo Electuary and Livetia Farms.
“I’ve really, really loved a lot of what Lofty has been putting out, whether it’s their strain selection or their hash; the quality of everything has always hit for me,” he said. “(Nelson and Co.) absolutely crush it when it comes to their Chems and their gases, and specifically their water hash.”
A collector of glass art since 2014, some of Howansky’s favorite pieces are from Mothership Glass and Bluegrass Glass.
“Glass has provided me with an outlet for expression where I can find glass pipes or art that represents things that I’m interested in or mean something to me. I think it just connects to people, and it really is one of the strongest things — sharing what we all love with one another,” he said.
Outside of his work in the Cannabis industry, Howansky enjoys live music, especially alternative, hardcore and metal shows. He also has a passion for getting out into nature.
“Moving to the Pacific Northwest, this is literally the most beautiful place in the entire country, so I’ve been hiking a lot in recent years, trying to get into backpacking and really experience the world rather than just sitting inside and smoking hash all day,” Howansky said.
Why dab at home when dabbing on a mountain or scenic trail is an option, after all?
As for a message to pass on, Howansky shared the following: “Just be homies to people. There’s enough stuff going on in the world right now where you can just share a joint with somebody, smoke a bowl, just talk it over. No need for anything beyond that. We’re all human and should care about each other.”
Howansky’s love for Cannabis culture and the camaraderie that comes with sharing the plant is tangibly reflected not just in his work as a budtender, but in how he shows up as a person. His passion is powerful, his care is genuine and he’s an absolute treat of a human being to navigate Cannabis retail with.
