Meet CAC Taunton's Cultivation Techncian Kait!
Name: Kait
Hometown: Bridgewater, MA
Years in Cannabis: 10 months
Role at CAC: Cultivation Technician
Nickname: Kellis
What is your cannabis origin story?
I have been a cannabis advocate for around 10 years now. About a year ago I decided to change the career path that I was on and jump into the cannabis industry to help people in a new way.
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?
Before working at Commonwealth Alternative Care I was heavily involved in the special needs community. I worked as a Developmental Specialist helping the adult special needs population, heavily leaning towards adults with autism. This prepared me for my role today because I learned to be able to adapt to a constantly changing environment. I also was able to see first hand the benefits medicinal cannabis can have on people with epilepsy as well as anxiety in people with autism. It is truly an amazing plant.
What is your strain of choice?
Mimosa! Or anything with citrus notes.
What is your favorite edible?
Chroma Peppermints!!! America runs on Dunkin’ and I run on CHROMA. They're the bomb.
Favorite delivery method? e.g. smoke, dab, vape, eat, topical.
I love smoking flower, specifically blunts. I definitely do love a good edible though!
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?
How do you ensure first time visitors are comfortable with their first dispensary experience?
Being a part of the cultivation team, I ensure our visitors are comfortable by always striving to grow the cleanest, best product.
What do you do for fun?
I am a HUGE gamer. I love video games. I also love to spend time in my garden (cannabis and vegetable) and I love spending as much time with my nephews as possible.
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I have a huge crystal/rock collection, I have ever since I was a little kid. I also collect houseplants.
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?
I go to my coworkers! They are all super knowledgeable and definitely know a lot of the answers. I also absolutely love reading books about cannabis.
What is the coolest new cannabis-related gadget you’ve seen recently?
A nectar collector! They are super cool and convenient. Great if you need to take your rig with you!
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?
NF1 ANYTHING!! Can’t get enough of it.
What do you like most about working at CAC?
My co-workers. They are some of the funniest, most interesting, knowledgeable people I’ve ever known.
Meet CAC Taunton's Inventory Manager, Andy!
Name: Andy
Hometown: Norton, MA
Years in Cannabis: 1+
Role at CAC: Inventory Manager
Nickname: Andy
What is your cannabis origin story?
I discovered cannabis about half a lifetime ago and while that was for fun, in recent years I have found the medicinal properties to be of great benefit as I get older, and have learned how to use those properties properly to achieve relief given the situation at hand.
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?
I have spent the better part of the last decade managing inventory and overseeing international shipping for a car wash soap manufacturer/distributor in Connecticut.
What is your strain of choice?
I’m a big fan of our Candyland Animal Cookies cross at the moment, it really covers the Goldilocks checklist of effects for me personally.
What is your favorite edible?
Peanut Butter Cups all day long! I was also very pleasantly surprised by the Cake Pops we did last year.
Favorite delivery method? e.g. smoke, dab, vape, eat, topical
Fresh flower in glass, or a flavor packed cold start dab.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?
I’ve been learning about the cornucopia of things that can be done with topicals, from using balms and oils straight out of the box to making your own at home recipes with distillate.
How do you ensure first time visitors are comfortable with their first dispensary experience?
Our inventory team works hard alongside our cultivation and production teams to make sure that whoever comes in the dispensary door has a product there for them to meet their needs when they are greeted by one of our awesome PSA’s.
What do you do for fun?
I recently started playing some guitar again, I also spend a lot of time just learning about new and sometimes random subjects.
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I have a solid hot sauce collection going at home. We also have a good rubber band ball going in the vault.
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?
My peers - rarely if ever does a day go by where I don’t learn something new about cannabis. Our facility is staffed by extremely passionate, knowledgeable people and if you’ve got a question, you’re going to get a well educated answer.
What is the coolest new cannabis-related gadget you’ve seen recently?
I tried a Puffco Peak for the first time recently and it was the best torch free device I have used to date.
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?
Flower: LA Kush Cake
Concentrate: Platinum Alien Sugar
Edible: Peanut Butter Cups
Topical: Wonder Balm
And who could forget that monster 221g diamond in the lab!!
What do you like most about working at CAC?
My colleagues. Day in and day out I’m amazed at the level of professionalism, knowledge, and overall fantastical attitude everyone consistently brings to the workplace. Spending the day in a room quite literally surrounded by some of the best cannabis products in Massachusetts isn’t so bad either.
What is the most difficult part of your job?
The dispensary can’t dispense if the inventory isn’t in check. We live in the details, and being a highly scrutinized, and state regulated industry, we cannot afford to skimp on those details. There are a lot of moving parts in medicinal cannabis, and it’s up to us to make sure they all fit together. It is fast paced and challenging, but worth every bit of that effort when a patient walks out the door with a big smile on their face.
Meets CAC Taunton's Flower Manager , James!
Name: James
Hometown: Mansfield MA
Years in Cannabis: 1, professional, 7 years personal experience
Role at CAC: Flower Manager
Nickname: Jimmy
Interesting fact: I went to school for criminal justice and ended up in commercial cannabis.
What is your cannabis origin story?: I first started cultivating cannabis in college because I didn't want to spend money on flower anymore. As soon as I harvested my first crop I grew a passion for cultivating cannabis and I knew it was going to be something I did for the rest of my life.
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?: Before this I worked in events for conference center and ballroom. We had to task employees daily in order to complete event set-ups in a timely manner. This related directly to the flower department because I need to task a team of employees daily in order to ensure that all maintenance is completed at the proper time.
What is your strain of choice? : NF1
What is your favorite edible?: Low dose mints. I don't handle edibles well so a low dose is perfect for me.
Favorite delivery method? e.g. smoke, dab, vape, eat, topical: Smoking flower
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?: With under canopy lighting you can limit the stretch on plants when they enter the flower cycle. This can be extremely useful if you are growing in limited space and are challenged with height.
What do you do for fun, and do you have any hobbies or collections?: I like to spend most free time outdoors and enjoy activities like playing guitar and archery. My hobby is cultivating craft cannabis for personal use. I am always trying different methods and I am constantly learning.
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?: I learn about cannabis at work quite a bit. There are a lot of techniques I have learned here that I had previously not used.
What is the coolest new cannabis-related gadget you’ve seen recently?: An Electronic nail for a dab rig. This ensures that you are ALWAYS ready to take a dab.
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?: My favorite product right now is the NF1 flower.
What do you like most about working at CAC?: My favorite thing about working at CAC is that my work is my passion and I have the privilege of working with like minded people daily.
What is the most difficult part of your job?: Watching rooms getting harvested. After working the rooms for 50 plus days trying to get the highest quality flower we can possible, it is somewhat difficult to watch them getting harvested.
What is the most rewarding part of working for CAC?: Knowing that we are growing flower to help people with numerous issues. Whether the flower is used as is or extracted into one of our various forms, it is rewarding to know that I am actually helping people daily. My grandmother uses our Slate cream daily and it helps her vastly with her severe arthritis in her hands. This is something no prescription or pill was able to help her with.
Meet CAC Taunton's Assistant Flower Manager, Chris!
Name: Christopher
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Years in Cannabis: 1
Role at CAC: Assistant Flower Manager
Nickname: Schulzy/Alaska
Interesting fact: I used to play in a couple hardcore punk bands growing up. The second band I was in was named “Brainwreck” after a strain of cannabis.
What is your cannabis origin story?
I started growing marijuana in 2016 to save money while I was doing a tattoo apprenticeship. I ended up spending more time with my plants than with my drawings, so I researched everything I possibly could to get better yields, terpene profiles, higher potency, etc. I applied at CAC in 2018, and they gave me my shot at professional cultivation.
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?
I was a tattooer in New Bedford. I spent hours researching different techniques, better equipment, and insane attention to detail. I think never settling and always striving to do better coupled with keeping a watchful eye is what helped me get a good start in this role.
What is your strain of choice?
For indica, I’d have to say Purple Punch has been a go to lately. For sativa, I’d go with NF1 for that clear headed, ready to start the day high!
What is your favorite edible?
I love our dark chocolate peanut butter cups, but lately it’s been the raspberry fruit chews!
Favorite delivery method? e.g. smoke, dab, vape, eat, topical
I love it all, but I prefer to smoke and dab. Smoking for all day relaxation, dab for the quick effect and overall feeling.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?
THCV is a cannabinoid that is super beneficial to overall health. It stimulates bone growth, can help with Alzheimer’s, helps with diabetes, and can also encourage weight loss! It’s found more in African sativa strains.
What do you do for fun?
Snowboard, play video games, hang out with my girlfriend, and grow/smoke flower.
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I have started to collect marijuana seeds from breeders I like and have started collecting higher end glass pieces.
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?
My peers here at CAC, watch YouTube videos, ICMag Forums, Ed Rosenthal books, etc.
What is the coolest new cannabis-related gadget you’ve seen recently?
I wouldn’t call it a gadget, but the King Palm pre-rolled leaf wraps have been an awesome alternative to blunt wraps.
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?
It’s a toss up between the NF1 flower and the Alien OG sugar.
What do you like most about working at CAC?
My coworkers and the knowledge gained! Plus, who doesn’t want to touch cannabis plants all day?
What is the most difficult part of your job?
Leaving! I work in bright, hot rooms all day long, so the climate can be hard to adjust.
Meet CAC Taunton's Executive Chef, David!
Name: David
Title: Executive Chef
Hometown: Watervliet New York
Years in Cannabis: 2 years
I started cooking professionally when I was 16 years old and eventually graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1988 with a degree in classical French cuisine. After school, I worked in various French restaurants in upstate New York, where I became highly interested in baking and pastry. In 1994, I relocated to Boston where I was the pastry chef at the Top of the Hub Restaurant after which I accepted a position at the Ritz Carlton in Boston as Assistant Pastry Chef.
For a decade after the Ritz, I was the Director of Research and Development for a national wholesale pastry company where I oversaw all phases of product development. I established product portfolios for Wegman’s, Trader Joe's, Wholefoods, Starbucks, Kroger amongst other global brands. Most recently, I was the Executive Pastry Chef for Legal Sea Foods Restaurants where I developed a pastry and beverage program for all 35 locations. Now in cannabis, I’ve taken the same approach that I’ve always had to pastry: Use the finest ingredients to craft the most consistently delectable creations for everyone to enjoy.
What led you to cannabis after your position at Legal Sea Foods?: The challenge of applying cannabis to sweet and savory products that are the highest quality.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?: All the testing and checks and balances that have to be correct and in place before products can be developed and sold.
What is the most difficult part of your job?: Making sure the millions of pieces of edibles are consistently dosed.
What is the most rewarding part of working of your job?: Knowing that the product I make helps other people.
Do you have any hobbies or collections? : I collect electric guitars, and have an interest in model railroading!
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?: My peers and colleagues I currently work with and now and in the past.
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?: 5mg Strawberry Shield Tablets.