E184 - Retail Cannabis: Strikes, SKUs & Budtenders

What happens when cannabis education, government regulation, product shortages, and real-world retail experience collide?

Kirk’s Western Canada road trip continues through Alberta and British Columbia.

At Spiritleaf in Sherwood Park, AB, Kamryn explains how working as a budtender turned her curiosity about cannabis into a passion for learning. Her self-directed learning includes researching terpenes, cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, the entourage effect, cannabis products, and cultivation. This hands-on learning helps her better understand what customers are asking about.

Kirk returns to Marlee’s Den in Hope, BC, where Lorraine describes the retail fallout from a British Columbia cannabis strike, including inventory shortages, direct-delivery complications, competition between independent and corporate retailers, and the challenges facing local growers. She also explains her experience with cannabis SKU's—and why popular flower, pre-rolls and infused products can disappear overnight from store shelves.

It’s a ground-level look at Canadian cannabis retail, budtender education, BC cannabis regulations and the people navigating legalization one customer—and one SKU—at a time.

Listen now for cannabis stories you rarely hear from behind the counter.

Spirit Leaf Sherwood Park - website

Marlee's Den - website

Additional Music:

Desiree Dorion - desireedorion.com

Marc Clement - facebook

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca