Budtenders are the ultimate gatekeepers of the cannabis industry, influencing consumer purchasing decisions in more ways than one. The cannabis shopping experience carves out a unique role for store associates: They are part salespeople, part educators that intimately assist customers and patients with their purchases.
When Brightfield Group asks cannabis consumers what influences their purchases, “budtender recommendation” is not at the top of the list for most. In 2023, 11% of U.S. cannabis consumers and 18% of Canadian cannabis consumers list “budtender recommendation” in their top five purchase influences, according to Brightfield Group’s consumer insights. However, when Brightfield surveys budtenders with questions about how influential they are, they believe they have a much larger impact. In fact, 80% of Canadian budtenders said consumers buy the products they recommend.
