Your counter staff carry more weight than you might think. A new study of 1,023 U.S. adults who used cannabis in the past month found that dispensary staff were the most trusted source of general cannabis information, ahead of friends and healthcare providers.
That trust is an asset. It is also a responsibility your training program needs to cover.
What the study found
The NIDA-funded study in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, published October 22, 2026, asked participants to rate trust in seven information sources on a 1-to-5 scale.
Dispensary staff: 3.7
Friends: 3.5
Healthcare providers: 3.4
State and federal government: 2.9 each
Other sellers and people on social media: 2.6 each
The gap between dispensary staff and healthcare providers was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Friends and healthcare providers were statistically similar.
The picture shifts by purpose. For using cannabis medicinally, 55% picked healthcare providers as their most trusted source, versus 20% for dispensary staff. For fun or relaxation, 47% picked dispensary staff. For avoiding unwanted effects, 39% picked dispensary staff and 28% picked healthcare providers.
One finding matters for medical-leaning customers: for medical information about cannabis, people who used cannabis for medical reasons were significantly more likely than recreational users to trust dispensary staff most rather than healthcare providers. The authors' conclusion is mostly aimed at healthcare: they call for cannabis training and minimum knowledge standards in healthcare provider education.
What changes at the counter
Customers are already treating budtenders as advisors. Training should assume a customer will act on what they hear.
Budtenders are strongest on effects. Customers lean on staff most for experience questions and for avoiding unwanted effects. Dosing basics, onset times for edibles, and product differences are where staff should be sharpest.
Medical questions need a clear line. Some customers will bring medical questions to the counter, including those who trust staff over their own healthcare providers. Budtenders should not diagnose, recommend cannabis to treat a condition, or advise on medications. They should refer customers to a healthcare provider and follow your state's rules on what staff can and cannot say.
Manager checklist
Train every budtender on onset, duration, and dosing for each product format you sell.
Write a short, approved script for referring medical questions to a healthcare provider.
Review your state's rules on health claims and staff communication; make them part of onboarding.
Flag high-risk topics for automatic referral: medications, pregnancy, chronic conditions, mental health.
Teach staff how to handle "start low, go slow" conversations for new customers.
Spot-check counter conversations and give feedback.
Keep printed, compliant product info on hand so customers leave with accurate details.
What the study can't tell you
The authors note several limitations. The sample came from Prolific, an online research platform, and is not representative of all adults who use cannabis. Responses were self-reported and may be affected by social desirability and recall bias. The main trust questions were designed by the authors and were not validated elsewhere, and medical needs and cannabis use were asked about in broad terms. The survey was conducted in 2024.
What one shop tells its staff
Anthony Silvestri of Mid Maine Marijuana, speaking about the shop’s adult-use customers, said training comes down to “education, first and foremost. We make sure we are well versed in the particular strains available.”
Medical questions get a disclaimer before anything else. Staff first tell customers they are not doctors and that “everybody is different,” Silvestri said, and send them to a doctor for any medical concerns. Then they go back to the details of the strains on the shelf.
FAQ
Who did the study survey? 1,023 U.S. adults, 18 or older, who had used a THC-containing cannabis product in the past month, recruited through Prolific between June and August 2024.
How big is the gap, and is it significant? Dispensary staff averaged 3.7 out of 5 and healthcare providers 3.4, a 0.3-point gap. The researchers report it as statistically significant (p < 0.0001; Table 2).
Where should budtenders draw the line on medical questions? Budtenders can explain products, effects, and dosing basics. Questions about conditions, treatment, or medications should go to a healthcare provider, and all advice should follow your state's rules.
Source: Meacham, M.C., Hughes, D.A., Mian, M.N., Thrul, J., & Cheshire, C. (2026). Trust in healthcare, dispensary, and online information sources about cannabis. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2026.2748012. Supported by NIDA grant K01DA046697.