The Anthropology of Cannabis Consumers

The Anthropology of Cannabis Consumers

This is my life; the story of an anthropology scholar, passionate about the health and lifestyle benefits of cannabis.

The Anthropology of Cannabis Consumers

Healing and recreating with plants has meant many things in my life, and being raised by two counterculture California transplants in Southern Oregon may have something to do with that. Moreover, having a naturopathic doctor as your primary care physician for as long as you can remember makes growing and using medicinal herbs a natural part of life.

It wasn’t until college that I began to use cannabis more recreationally, but it was at that time that I also began to understand the connection between an individual’s cultural construct and their preferred form of healing or relaxing. This was due to my study of anthropology and the expansion of my interest in understanding what motivates humankind in the past and present. The short answer is: lots of things. Still, I’ve learned that there are categories to everything in life, and differing individuals will often find themselves in the same one.

This concept became even clearer during my time working at Breeze Botanicals in Gold Hill, OR. At Breeze I had the privilege of not only working in a holistic based cannabis dispensary, with the mission to assist in healing with the right combination of herbs and cannabis, but of experiencing the end of prohibition in the state of Oregon firsthand. While Breeze had been helping medical patients find the right consumption method and herbal combination for over a year at that point, legalization brought a completely new and diverse wave of individuals looking to learn about cannabis for the first time. From instructing the elderly on safely heating up the nail of their dab rig to the perfect temperature, to explaining the difference between “getting high” and reducing inflammation to a first timer, working in a dispensary absolutely requires knowledge, patience, and the ability to identify with a variety of customers.

This can be tough, and honestly is impossible when faced with a high volume of customers and an endless variety of product. That is why I was drawn to Baker Technologies and eventually sought my current position as their West Coast Territory Manager. Baker is helping dispensaries connect relevantly with their customers to provide the best in-store experience possible. At Baker, we understand that “the best” experience can be different for everyone, so we give our dispensary partners the tools to offer these various features (category and strain alerts, online reservation, personalized loyalty) with the added power to help build a brand and technology platform that solves the unique issues we face in this industry. Working with dispensaries across North America has cemented my belief in a connection we all share, that can help match us with the cannabis products that benefit our health and lifestyle. Its all about providing the opportunity to connect through the right message, about the right product, at the right time.

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Claire Allen

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