Why the questions matter
Budtenders are not clinicians and the role carries no licensing requirement. Some are excellent. The way to find out is to ask questions with factual answers.
The six questions
Ask these in order.
- • "Can I see the certificate of analysis for this batch?" — a licensed retailer can produce one.
- • "What is the total THC, not just the delta-9?" — the number that lets you compare products.
- • "What are the top three terpenes?" — the most reproducible way to find this product again.
- • "What is the smallest dose this comes in?" — you want 2.5 mg THC or less to start.
- • "Is this infused?" — pre-rolls and flower can be enhanced with concentrate and be far stronger than they look.
- • "When was this batch tested?" — old test dates on fresh-looking product deserve a follow-up.
What not to rely on
Indica or sativa labelling does not predict effects — genomic and large-scale chemical analyses both show this. Neither does the strain name, which is not standardised between growers.
A confident recommendation is not evidence. A lab result is.