Garrett Smith has managed a bar and a medical-marijuana dispensary.
“Running a dispensary is like running a pharmacy,” he said. “Running a bar is like running a bar – in a college town.”
Smith, 33, was general manager of Lady Falconburgh’s Barley Exchange in Durango before opening Herbal Alternatives, a medical-marijuana dispensary in Cortez.
Smith has a dozen employees at the dispensary and recently finished building an expansion to meet increasing demand. He also has applied to sell retail marijuana to customers who don’t have medical cards.
“I have an entrepreneur spirit,” he said.
Smith, who lives in Durango, is part of a cohort of young entrepreneurs and employees in the burgeoning marijuana industry.
Many of them are finding jobs they love in the marijuana industry, promoting a product they’ve used for years. Some claim marijuana has helped them with pain or other issues.
They’re joining a young industry that is feeling its way. Many of Durango’s medical dispensaries are adapting to newly opened retail operations.
For the workers, it’s an exciting time – one young pot store employee compared it to Silicon Valley in the 1990s, when money was flowing into technology and fresh ideas were changing the world. But the industry’s growing pains affect workers. While the marijuana businesses typically pay competitive wages, few of them offer traditional benefits such as health-care insurance or a 401(k) retirement account. Marijuana’s illegal status under federal law means bankers and insurers are reluctant to work with pot businesses.
“Other industries are a bit skittish about working with the cannabis industry,” Smith said.
Employees said a passion for marijuana’s new frontier led them to the industry.
Haley Robinson, 23, is a budtender at Animas Herbal Wellness. Budtenders are the face of customer service for dispensaries and retail shops, guiding customers through the ever-expanding range of marijuana products.
Robinson moved to Durango from Missouri in March, and she sees a bright future in the industry.
“I could definitely go places with this,” she said. “It’s the beginning of an industry. There are businesses to be made and ideas to be tried out yet.”
Travis Roquemore, 24, moved from Austin, Texas, to take advantage of Colorado’s medical-marijuana law. He suffers from chronic pain because of an abdominal neuropathy.
After working as a raft guide and at a local furniture store, Roquemore caught on as a budtender with Santé Alternative Wellness. He said the career move was a no-brainer.
“Obviously, marijuana is way cooler than furniture,” he said.
Roquemore enjoys discussing the benefits of marijuana and the range of products with customers.
“My job is basically to talk to someone about cannabis all day,” he said.
Jay Diffey, 38, is co-owner and grow manager at Good Earth Meds in Pagosa Springs. He came to the marijuana business after several years in construction and, before that, summers on Alaskan fishing boats.
After herniating discs in his back, Diffey was looking for a less physically demanding line of work. He ended up serving as a caregiver for medical-marijuana plants and eventually joined Good Earth Meds.
The Pagosa Springs medical dispensary and retail store was started by Bill Delany, who turned to marijuana to treat his Crohn’s disease.
“Short term, there’s good job opportunities,” Diffey said. “As far as longevity with some of those companies, I don’t know.”
Diffey said he wouldn’t advise his young daughter to join the marijuana business.
“I’d have a hard time telling my child to select this industry,” he said.
Inevitably, marijuana-industry workers face questions from family and friends about their choice. This is true for Joelle Riddle, who started working for Durango dispensary Medical Horticultural Services after serving a term as a La Plata County commissioner and a stint at a local clothing boutique. She joined Santé Alternative Wellness as manager earlier this year.
Riddle, 48, said one local business person told her she was disappointed, and she’s received many quizzical looks. But the number of times people have looked askance are outweighed by support from those closest to her.
“I think they know my personality well enough that I’m going to make decisions based on what feels right,” she said.
One family member has been particularly supportive.
“My mom actually got a (medical marijuana) card,” she said.
Smith said he doesn’t worry about future perceptions or questions if he makes a career move to another industry.
“I don’t see why any of that would affect anything in the future,” he said.
Riddle said the marijuana industry is “not for everyone,” but it makes sense for her. She uses marijuana to relieve stress and aid sleep.
“I’ve never been happier in my entire life,” she said.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
