Chico News & Review recently held its annual Best of Chico readers’ poll, and Timara Betts was named a runner-up in the Best Budtender category. As a 2 1/2-year employee at Sweet Flower, Chico’s first dispensary, she said she was completely surprised when she was told about the nomination. We sat down with Timara to talk about what makes her such a standout to members of her local Cannabis community and why this plant is important to her.
Before Sweet Flower, Timara said she worked in restaurants, but the lockdown had such a dramatic effect on the industry that she found herself looking for something new. Her therapist suggested a hiring event for a different kind of essential business: Cannabis. Despite just missing the event, Timara decided to drop off a resume at Sweet Flower and followed up every week until a manager called her in for an interview. She already knew she loved Cannabis, so she had a feeling budtending was what she was supposed to do next.
Timara admits that even though she started the job without any previous experience, she could talk about weed for hours, something she said helped her professionally as well as personally.
“When I first started, it was during lockdown, and I think a lot of people were having trouble connecting. Being able to talk about these products created a way to connect since Cannabis was something we all had in common,” Timara said. She said this common ground opened up moments where others felt comfortable discussing what they wanted to use Cannabis for, and she, in turn, felt comfortable reaching out to ask. “I thought I’d be running into a lot of people who already knew what they wanted, but this job has educated me as much as I’ve been able to educate other people,” she said.
We asked Timara what her favorite way to consume Cannabis is right now. “I’m a cart girl,” she said. “I like flower and dabs when I’m home, but when I’m out, I prefer to keep it low-key. Pens are convenient, and I like the discreetness. I love Jetty. They give so much attention to the oil and the hardware, and they have a variety in price.”
Though she’s only been in the industry a few years, Timara’s already garnered an obvious following within the Chico Cannabis community. One thing she loves about budtending is being part of a community at the forefront of change.
“There’s still so much taboo and restrictions around this, and it’s all constantly changing,” she said. “We’re living in a whole new part of (Cannabis) history. It’s a big deal, and I want to be part of that change.”
Timara had some wonderful advice for anyone looking to get into the game. “Remember that you have so much to learn from other people. Keep an open mind and have fun,” she said.
