Shop Review: Bud Commander

The General

The commander in chief is Dave Moore, who was a career guy at the Department of Labor and Industries until 1996 when he decided to open a hemp store as a side hustle in Olympia. The venture lasted two whole years, but the seeds were planted. He took his state job back for 14 years, but in 2012, he and his wife, Ruth, threw their hat in the ring, and they got picked in the lottery; “A privilege and responsibility,” Dave says. Can you believe they’ve lasted 10 years? Well, this is what happens when you do things the right way.

At Ease

With a good crew, you can battle against Goliath when your name is Dave. He considers customer service feedback a real bonus when people tell him they’ve been treated respectfully. When searching for a name, they went to the “Duck Dynasty” show where they use rank-and-file names, hence Bud Commander.

Inside, you’ll see some cool Cannabis posters of iconic photography because they want to make a bold statement. And now here in 2025, where Tumwater used to be all about Olympia Beer, it’s now all about growing and selling weed. Even the mayor asked for a field trip to the store back in 2015 just after opening the doors.

Guerrilla Warfare

At times, they’ve gotten brazen by having banners hanging over the Renton parking structure at Interchange trade show. And this is cool: they also sponsor an IMCA Modified race car at Grays Harbor Raceway, driven by Tyson Blood, Washington State Champion, because you’ve gotta get creative when you’re on the Cannabis battlefield. And lastly, their annual holiday donation drive has provided over $20,000 directly to the Tumwater community (Rotary, Lion’s Club, Tumwater Family Services).