Amy Razi of Reseda Discount Caregivers on the saucey concentrates boom, the importance of shelf life, and how management training has made her a better budtender.
In the past few years, there has been a trend in patients asking for shatter,” said Amy Razi of RDC dispensary in Reseda, California. “But now many of our patients have been asking for concentrates in the consistency of ‘sugar’ or ‘sauce.’” Sales have been brisk for brands like Harvest Moon, Beezle, and CES Extracts. “They are literally flying off our shelves,” she said.
“You want to listen to your patient the second they walk in the door.”
Razi has been around cannabis most of her adult life and knows the ins and outs of the plant. Working in retail has taught her how to keep up with the array of new products. She’s found following leaflink.com, Instagram, and a few cannabis publications lets her know what’s going on. She also encourages vendors to stop in and drop off samples along with a price sheet.
She’s also developed an eye for effective packaging and the importance of shelf life. “We want to know how long a product is good for on our shelves,” she said. “And packaging always distinguishes a winner from a loser.” Razi has been budtending for just over a year and has learned some invaluable lessons, which she credits to RDC’s training program. The shop sees a whopping 300 to 450 customers a day, and that puts a lot of pressure on the budtenders. But Razi doesn’t get frazzled. The company’s management course taught her to spend as much time as necessary with each patient before moving on. The majority of her patients are first-timers with afflictions like cancer, epilepsy, depression, diabetes, and arthritis. Being able to focus on their questions is key to getting them the right products. “You want to listen to your patient the second they walk in the door,” she said.
