Many people who use cannabis are looking for relief of some kind. Ailments like stress, insomnia, and pain are some of the most common reasons people may seek out cannabis. The interesting caveat for these users and for the associates who help them seek relief is that a budtender is not qualified to offer medical advice to anyone. Budtenders, even in medical instances or facilities, are certainly trained on products, but they often do not have any traditional training on the medical use of cannabis. As a safe overall statement- budtenders cannot deliver medical advice. Both cannabis groups and cannabis employees cannot deliver medical claims without proper research and testing, which is not a reasonable ask considering the federally illegal state of cannabis to date.
So, how do budtenders assist consumers who are looking for medical relief?
Short answer, carefully. Long answer, keep reading.
Disclaimer before Discourse
As a general safety precaution, budtenders must be trained to have a bottled disclaimer in mind along the lines of ‘I cannot give official medical advice’ to guests. Most guests won’t be shocked by this- it’s similar to asking someone at Sephora for dermatology advice. Sure, Sephora will offer skincare products, but the employees and shoppers know they aren’t qualified to deliver medical advice. Having something posted on your website or in-store that communicates that your staff are not medical professionals and cannot give medical advice can keep you safe to an extent. This prevents your operation from getting claims that someone came in looking for pain relief and instead had a bad reaction to products and is now coming after your business for “bad medical advice”. We want to skip the drama and avoid any potential bad positioning in the event of someone’s poor reaction to cannabis in their system.
Real-World Language Usage
Here are some examples of how to address a customer looking for help with their insomnia using our road-tested phrases that have successfully helped real customers achieve their health goals. Read on for several examples of how to tackle this specific customer inquiry.
Customer: I am looking for a product to help me sleep. I currently take Ambien, and I have issues with my prescription and want to try cannabis. What products can help ease my insomnia so I can get a good night’s sleep?
Customer Use Examples
Budtender: We help a lot of people who struggle with sleep. Some of the products that they like are ….
With this example, the budtender side-steps offering direct advice and instead uses their customer knowledge and history in the dispensary to suggest products. Newer budtenders can connect with more seasoned budtenders for their advice on this- it can be a great pre-shift huddle topic to discuss. The key here is first to acknowledge that the store helps others in the community with the same issue so that the guest feels they have come to the right place, and then to suggest a popular product in that demographic. It reinforces that the guest is in good hands while not delivering direct medical advice.
Terpene Specific Advice
Budtender: I’m sorry to hear you struggle with that, I have some products that are high in linalool which commonly help others get a good night’s sleep.
Terpene talks are great customer education points (learn more here!), and discussing terpenes related to customer consumption is a safe area to bring up cannabis effects. Terpenes, like all cannabis products, have different effects in different systems based on that person’s unique endocannabinoid system and how they are consumed. Here, the guest comes to the budtender looking for help with sleep. Linalool is a terpene commonly found in lavender, traditionally associated with sleep and rest. In this instance, the budtender acknowledges the issue and then pivots to discussing terpenes in products that may help. The budtender also says ‘commonly’, to not directly give medical advice but anecdotal reference to sleep products. Terpenes are a great topic to discuss with guests regardless of what they’re looking for and are an excellent educational opportunity.
Friend of a Friend Referral
Budtender: I have a co-worker or friend who uses this product to help them sleep. Let’s look at the product together and see if you’re comfortable using it.
In this instance, the budtender connects with the guest by discussing a hurdle they’ve seen in other people and what they directly use. This direct connection is a bit more personal than saying what most people with the same issue use and can help point to products that may not get as much attention as other products. This also opens the door to discussing how to use the product correctly and whether the guest feels safe with that. More ‘advanced’ products like vape, dabs, or even edibles may be out of the initial comfort zone, so further conversation with that budtender can be required.
Product Promises
Budtender: I understand. I have some products that were formulated to help others that are struggling with sleep. I’m not a doctor, but some components of this product can help.
With this example, the budtender gets the opportunity to discuss products that are designed with this specific issue in mind. They also take the opportunity to blatantly state that they are not medical professionals and cannot deliver medical advice. They then pivot to a product with resolutions in mind. Often, brands will create product differentiators based on the intended effect of the product and what problem it solves. It’s important for the budtender to discuss then the product and why the brand stands behind that product for its intended use while maintaining that these are not medical claims but more anecdotal.
It cannot be emphasized enough that budtenders can’t deliver medical advice akin to medical professionals. These examples are a guide, so please be sure to work with your sales staff to discuss how to safely deliver advice on using cannabis for medical ailments. Study these statements with your team and open the dialogue on how to discuss products that people are seeking for relief and keep your operation compliant and supportive of the community.
Once the budtender has the right product in mind for the customer, they can easily save their notes in the customer profile so that on their next shopping trip, their next budtender knows exactly what that person is looking for. MJ Platform makes serving this section of the community seamless and encourages return visits. For more on MJ Platform’s powerful capabilities and how it can be leveraged to build your loyal following, get started here.
