Fulfilling a lifelong dream of “working with weed,” KD Pritchett is equal parts care-giver and Cannabis-lover in her work budtending at Kanopy 7 in Medford.
How did you first get your start in the industry?
I grew up with my dad being Head Nurse in the Valley, I remember going to work with him as a kid. That is what ignited my passion to help people. Before I was in the industry, I worked in an assisted care facility for seven years as the lead med-tech and caregiver … seeing all the pills being prescribed and watching all the side effects that followed. It made me sad that no one ever talked to them about medicating with Cannabis, and I knew that one day that’s what I would like to help with. Once it became recreational, I was able to have those conversations with them. I eventually became the activities director and even got to drive my residents to dispensaries! When I was 18, I was in a car accident – which led to me getting my medical card, because I wanted to grow my own medicine. My mom has quite a green thumb and showed me how to shower my plants with love, encourage them to grow, and tend to them with care. Cannabis has truly shaped who I am – I wouldn’t be myself without it.
Working with weed was what I knew I always wanted to do, but I didn’t know how much that really was going to become a reality.
What do you love most about coming to work daily?
There are so many reasons why I love coming to work every day. One being, I literally get to work with weed. I love the shop I work in and the people I work with, we really are like a family. If I would’ve told my younger self what I would do for a living now, she would’ve laughed at me and told me to give her a heads up. … Working with weed was what I knew I always wanted to do, but I didn’t know how much that really was going to become a reality. I’m blessed to work with so many like-minded people who share the same passion about this as I do. It’s such a cool thing to watch so many people working together for the greater good. We really feel like we get to make a difference in people’s lives.
Why do you find that being passionate about what you do helps find the right product for each customer?
This is what I love to do, and want to do for the rest of my life. The question I ask my customers the most is: Do you want to feel free? It opens the conversation to more than the generic template of indica/sativa, percentages, etc. It is much more complex than that if you were truly trying to medicate, and that’s why I’m trying to promote it as a wellness product. I invite people to be more mindful when they’re consuming. When you realize how much power this plant has, the more I can help. When I smoke, I try to pick up on every feeling and effect that is involved. Being able to provide the customer with specific details and information gives them confidence that I stand behind what I’m saying.
