{"id":4315,"date":"2022-02-17T17:57:21","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T17:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=193728"},"modified":"2022-02-17T17:57:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T17:57:21","slug":"canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4315","title":{"rendered":"Canadian budtenders are scared for their safety at work"},"content":{"rendered":"
Canadian budtenders are scared for their safety at work | Leafly<\/title> <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You’re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Budtender safety in Canada is a real concern for dispensary staff. With over 2600 cannabis retail stores nationwide, that is a lot of frontline workers. <\/p>\n<p>Customer-facing jobs draw a certain personality type. Not only do these roles require you to be on when you\u2019re feeling off, but they force you to navigate a variety of situations with patrons that range from sexist, racist, uncomfortable, and in some cases, full-on dangerous and life-threatening. <\/p>\n<p>The old adage suggests that the customer\u2019s always right, but where\u2019s the line? A racial slur, a physical assault, a death threat? For some budtenders in Canada, these situations are far too common, and safety at work is a growing concern across the nation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-budtenders-face-rampant-racism-and-sexual-harrassment\">Budtenders face rampant racism and sexual harrassment<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cFemale budtenders are constantly harassed by male customers, especially if the girl is well educated in cannabis,\u201d says Ella King*, a budtender from Edmonton, Alberta. <\/p>\n<p>King recalls a recent disturbing experience where a male patron entered the store while she was working. The man allegedly walked up to her at the counter, looked her in the eye and asked why the owner would let two women work in the shop together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[He told us] we were more likely to be \u2018robbed and killed on sight\u2019 than a male worker,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted to lock the door for the rest of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>John Torrez*, a budtender who was employed at a dispensary in Toronto throughout the pandemic, has also experienced distressing situations in the workplace. <\/p>\n<p>One instance that stands out for Torrez, who is Canadian with Mexican heritage, is when a customer used a racial slur in a thinly-veiled analogy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Hostile angry restaurant client couple or friends talking with waiting staff in public place complains about cold coffee long service, spoiled tasteless dish waitress feels guilty mixed orders concept\" class=\"wp-image-194496 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-1.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-1.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-1.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-1.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Retail workers are no stranger to abuse from customers and cannabis is no different. (fizkes\/Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI asked the customer how they would like to pay and he said, \u2018Green card, like the Mexican [<em>redacted<\/em>]\u2019 while holding out his green-coloured debit card,\u201d he says. This customer\u2019s geographically-inaccurate racism will be of no surprise to retail workers of colour. <\/p>\n<p>Torrez was alone in the store when this happened and his supervisor at the time still hadn\u2019t shown up for their shift. There were no repercussions and the aforementioned customer still frequents the place, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Torrez also alleges that during another shift a disgruntled customer \u201cflashed a gun\u201d after becoming aggressive and physically assaulting staff members. The police were called, but to his knowledge, there were no repercussions at the store.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-less-staff-means-higher-risk-during-the-pandemic\">Less staff means higher risk during the pandemic<\/h2>\n<p>When Torrez started working at the shop there were always three people working at any given time: a door person, a budtender, and an inventory person. But as more stores opened across the GTA, competition increased and the number of customers began to dwindle. <\/p>\n<p>The decrease in paying customers meant the owner needed to reduce the number of staff during any given shift. It\u2019s financially logical\u2014reduce bodies, save money\u2014but fewer employees also mean increased security risk.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, says Torrez, who was eventually promoted to a supervisor position, he would be the only person in the store for hours. But even on days when there was two staff scheduled, he felt uneasy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m quite a small person and my primary coworker was a very small woman,\u201d says Torrez. <\/p>\n<p>He asked his employers to consider scheduling a male door person on the days the two of them were working together, which he said would \u201cmake any dangerous situations feel easier to deal with,\u201d but his request was ignored.<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic and its public safety measures are also increasing the number of disputes among dispensary staff and customers, as many continue to push back against mask mandates. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had one guy come in without a mask on, so we gave him one and he put it on his face but left it hanging down over his chin,\u201d says Karen Barry, founder and CEO of Calgary\u2019s Beltline Cannabis dispensary. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked him if he wouldn\u2019t mind putting it up so we could all be moving ahead and instead he threw the mask down and stormed out.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Barry agrees that negative Covid-related encounters like this have increased, and while disheartening, the robust health and safety protocols within her business help keep everyone safe. <\/p>\n<p>At Beltline Cannabis, there is always a minimum of two employees in the store at once and no one <em>ever<\/em> closes alone. <\/p>\n<p>The company also has a safe word that staff understand they can use if a situation ever escalates. If the safe word is uttered by one of the employees, sales on the floor immediately stop. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"600\" height=\"320\" alt class=\"wp-image-194488 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-2.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-2.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-2.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work-2.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>At Beltline Cannabis, the budtenders never close alone and have a staff safe word. (Courtesy of Beltline Cannabis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are dozens of cameras on the premises, in addition to her company\u2019s own special protocols for closing and ensuring the premises are secure.<\/p>\n<p>For the most part, the cameras simply film normal, friendly interactions between staff and clients. As Barry points out, the vast majority of customers she encounters are cordial. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGenerally speaking, in comparison from liquor to cannabis, we\u2019re not seeing these rageful, drunken people wandering in,\u201d Barry says of her store. \u201cIt is generally a more passive audience.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-do-current-security-measures-help-or-endanger-budtenders\">Do current security measures help or endanger budtenders?<\/h2>\n<p>Canadian cannabis retail stores are legally required to adhere to a list of security measures. These vary slightly by province. <\/p>\n<p>In British Columbia, the government has issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.gov.bc.ca\/assets\/gov\/employment-business-and-economic-development\/business-management\/liquor-regulation-licensing\/guides-and-manuals\/cannabis-retail-store-licence-handbook.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30-page handbook<\/a>, which includes store must-haves like an alarm system, lockable retail display cases, a locked storage area, secure door locks, and more. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agco.ca\/content\/cannabis-retail-regulation-ontario\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario<\/a> (AGCO) says provincial cannabis shops must keep cannabis locked in a secure storage room and there has to be a record of employees who are authorized to enter said space. <\/p>\n<p>The AGCO also states in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agco.ca\/book\/export\/html\/19736\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannabis Retail Regulations Guide<\/a> that store windows need to be blacked out so people from the street can\u2019t see in. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce cannabis products and accessories are on-site, they cannot be seen from the outside of the store (i.e. some retail store operators may choose to use tinted glass or frosted windows),\u201d the document explains. <\/p>\n<p>This particular rule of covered windows differs across the country (in 2020 the government of B.C. removed the non-transparent window requirement for cannabis stores).<\/p>\n<p>Still, despite what the playbooks say, the feedback Leafly Canada received from budtenders coast-to-coast suggests that there is more we can do, as storeowners and as an industry, to protect staff. <\/p>\n<p>These store employees have a lot to deal with during their shift and worrying about their personal safety needn\u2019t be one. Folks, be kind of your budtender and for god\u2019s sakes, put on the damn mask.<\/p>\n<p><em>*names have been chang<\/em>ed <em>for anonymity. <\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/canadian-budtenders-are-scared-for-their-safety-at-work.jpg\" alt=\"Lisa Felepchuk's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Lisa Felepchuk<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Lisa Felepchuk is a seasoned lifestyle editor, writer and digital nomad based in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/lisa-felepchuk\">View Lisa Felepchuk’s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly’s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --> <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2022-02-18 02:05:33 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadian budtenders are scared for their safety at work | Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You’re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Budtender safety in Canada is a real concern for dispensary staff. With over 2600 cannabis retail stores nationwide, that is a lot of frontline workers. Customer-facing jobs draw a certain personality type. 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