Around Flora Farms, everyone’s family. That’s why in today’s blog, we’d like to introduce you to a member of the Flora Fam (what we lovingly call employees). Read on to get to know Cassie Stone.

A Dream Realized

For Cassie Stone, getting a job as a budtender at Flora Farms is so much more than just earning an income. It’s a dream come true. A dream that was three years in the making. “I’ve been applying to dispensaries since it became legal.” Stone says. “I’m so passionate about cannabis, and I really feel like this is where I belong.”  

Stone has lived in Branson since the 1990s. She’s married with 4 kids—2 girls who are 10 and 6, and 2 boys who are 9 and 3. In her free time, Stone enjoys stretching her creative muscles by painting and drawing. She also enjoys the outdoors and taking advantage of the amazing recreation options in the area. The whole family loves to camp and float. They can often be found on the Buffalo and James rivers.   

During most of her career, Stone has worked in customer service, including retail and hospitality, so the transition to budtender made perfect sense. Working as a budtender allows Stone to marry her passion for customer service with her love of weed. Stone has been a cannabis enthusiast since highschool but really started to see the powerful benefits of the product when she was in her twenties. Stone started paying closer attention to what strains provided her relief and saw big improvements in her life. “It helped my anxiety, bipolar disorder, and physical pain,” she says.  

When Stone found out cannabis was becoming legal, she knew she wanted to work in the industry. “I remember sitting around with a group of friends and we were all smoking,” she says. “We thought it would be so cool to just sit around and talk about weed all day. When the opportunity arose to work at a dispensary, of course I jumped on it.” She hasn’t looked back since. “I’ve never worked somewhere where everybody was so genuinely nice to each other and got along so well.”  

It’s not just other coworkers who have been welcoming. Stone has been pleasantly surprised by the reactions of locals to the opening of the Hollister dispensary. “Hollister’s really embraced it, and the people here are just wonderful,” says Stone. “They’re so accepting, and they’re so nice when they find out you work at a dispensary.” 

For Stone, her favorite things about working at the Hollister dispensary are the customers and her managers. “I know this sounds cheesy,” she says, “but I’d say my managers are my favorite part.” When it comes to customers, Stone has gotten to meet so many cool people. “I’ve seen people come in and they’re in a bad mood, but they never leave in a bad mood. They’re always so happy.” After talking to Stone, it’s easy to see why.  

In Her Own Words 

FF: Do you have a preferred method of consumption?
CS: I love smoking. Pre-rolls are my favorite. 

FF: What’s your favorite Flora Farms product and why?
CS: It’d have to be Slurricane. It’s such a nice high. I can be social on it, and it helps me with conversations. I don’t zone out on it. I can still focus and be productive. 

FF: What’s been a memorable moment from your job at Flora Farms?
CS: I remember when all of the different brands came in and they got to do their presentations. Codes’ presentation was so in depth and so detailed. I remember them very vividly.

FF: Describe your go-to munchie?
CS: Bagel Bites.

FF: Who’s your celebrity crush?
CS: Emma D’Arcy (editor’s note: D’Arcy stars in the TV series House of Dragons).

FF: What’s something that most people would find surprising about you?
CS: One of my favorite types of music is sea shanties and old northern Viking songs. I watch a lot of period shows and I’ve always loved the medieval period. The Vikings are the ones I identify the most with.

FF: If there was a movie about your life, what would it be called? 
CS: A Little Soul in a Big Blue World.  

FF: What made you choose that title? 
CS: I like just floating about. I’m just living life to find to be peace and to enjoy it. I‘m just exploring this big world enjoying everything I can. 

FF: What would you do if you won a million dollars?
CS: I would buy land, and I would buy each of my friends a home on the land. We would become self-sufficient and grow crops and have livestock.