Celebrating Pride Month with RISE: Meet Our Team

As Pride Month approaches, we are thrilled to celebrate the vibrant LGBTQI+ community and the invaluable contributions of our staff at RISE Dispensaries. We are committed to fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces where everyone feels welcome and valued. The cannabis and LGBTQI+ communities have a long common history. Advocacy for LGBTQI+ rights has never been too far from advocacy for cannabis legalization.

To honor this powerful connection between cannabis and LGBTQI+ culture, we would like to introduce you to some of our incredible staff members: Char, Garrison, Tay, and Freddie. Each of them brings a unique perspective and a compassionate approach to their work with our favorite plant.

Now, let’s dive into their inspiring stories and discover how cannabis has influenced their lives, passions, and experiences. Get ready to meet our LGBTQI+ team members and learn about their remarkable relationship with the world of cannabis.

Ready? Here we go!

Char Scott

Pronouns: she/her/they/them

How long have you been at GTI/in Cannabis?

Since September 2022

What is your role?

Production Technician/Fulfillment, in any given week I go from putting the product together to packaging the product to delivering the products to dispensaries! I like wearing many hats!

How did you get your start in cannabis?

A good friend who worked in Cultivation for INSA told me that Cannabis was the right industry for me if I wanted a chill, progressive workplace. A short while after that, I applied to GTI. Of all the places I was interviewing for, they felt like the most welcoming and cool.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

We make a product that almost everyone can enjoy! The industry is a cool space for people from all walks of life. The plant really brings people together.

What can the cannabis industry do to be a better LGBTQI+ ally?

Encourage steps of mindfulness like asking people to include their pronouns when introducing themselves; the industry brings in open-minded people, and we should encourage folks to learn about the broader world of LGBTQI+ 

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

It’s a tie between the Lemon Drip and Afternoon Delight. Especially the Live Resin Afternoon Delight.

Tay Bonetti

Pronouns: she/her/they/them 

How long have you been at GTI/in Cannabis?

I’m new to GTI this year! I helped open the Grove City location in PA right before 4/20!

What is your role?

I am a patient care specialist at RISE and one of my main responsibilities is our patients! I love being able to help and educate new and old cannabis lovers about this magical plant medicine.   

How did you get your start in cannabis?

After getting out of the military and into family life. I needed relief from prescriptions that weren’t helping me anymore. After trying a million things that never worked. I found medical cannabis and the rest is history! 

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

I’m inspired by this industry because it’s growing and changing every day! I love being able to work in an industry that adapts to change and is very inclusive to anyone who might want to learn the benefits of cannabis. 

What can the cannabis industry do to be a better LGBTQI+ ally?

I think representation is the biggest thing we need more of! Let’s normalize the use of pronouns and even name changes. I think being able to be yourself in the workplace can make or break an employee’s experience while working for a big company. No one wants to feel like just another number. 

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

I love me some live RHYTHM carts! My favorite strains (so far) are the White Durban and Fruit Cake.

Freddie Vickers

Pronouns: he/him 

How long have you been at GTI/in Cannabis?

I’ve been in the cannabis industry since about 2016 in the Massachusetts market.

I’ve been with GTI just over a year. I am a supervisor at RISE Mundelein.

What is your role?

My role involves supporting patient care specialists and alleviating some of the management’s tasks. 

How did you get your start in cannabis?

I started in the cannabis industry because I could see how helpful it was for me and how much it could potentially help others. 

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

The inspiration behind me wanting to learn more and be so passionate about the industry is how many people from different backgrounds can benefit from this one plant. 

What can the cannabis industry do to be a better LGBTQI+ ally?

I think RISE does well with being diverse when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community. Many of our staff here in Mundelein are either part of the community or allies. 

Not just at RISE, but in the industry as a whole, I think the community is well represented. For example, CANN’s ad last year for Pride was star-studded and represented all identities and orientations included in the community. Certainly, an example to follow! 

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

I would have to say my favorite way to consume cannabis is to smoke flower. 

My favorite strains are Slapz from our Massachusetts market & Grape Stomper from RYTHM Illinois market. 

Garrison Latimer

Pronouns: He/Him/His

How long have you been at GTI/in Cannabis?

Two years in June with GTI, two years prior as a consultant for cannabis companies

What is your role?

As the Visual Merchandiser at GTI, my role is heavily focused on the customer experience within our stores. Creating an engaging and compelling environment within our dispensaries is vital to retaining our loyal patient and customer base as well as attracting new customers, especially new, curious consumers who may be intimidated by the idea of a dispensary. My goal is always that a brand new, canna-curious consumer would walk into one of our stores and feel immediately comfortable and encouraged to explore.

I’ve also had the great opportunity to work closely with many of our CPG brands to design and develop displays that enhance our own products not just within RISE dispensaries, but also in third-party dispensaries across the country.   

How did you get your start in cannabis?

Having worked in the retail space for almost two decades, much of that time in stores, I have a rich experience that led me to a role with an agency focused on consulting and supporting retail brands in visual merchandising and other creative aspects of the business. It was this role that led me into the cannabis industry. I ended up working with three major NSOs (Trulieve, Holistic Industries, and Columbia Care) to design, develop, and implement visual merchandising strategies across all their stores.

This experience led me to my role at GTI. The hardest part of being a consultant was getting to the end of a project and saying goodbye before moving onto the next one. When I came across the Visual Merchandiser role at GTI, I jumped at the chance to work directly for a great company in a similar capacity. The difference being that instead of working on a project for six months, I would have the opportunity to learn and evolve the VM strategy over time, fine-tuning it to ensure we are always elevating and improving to establish RISE Dispensaries as the best in the biz.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

The passion behind and belief in what we are doing. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some incredibly smart and talented people in my career and while they all have inspired and helped to develop me into who I am today, I’m not convinced they all would make it in this industry. 

The daily challenges, in-the-moment pivots, differences in regulations across markets, etc., these are all things that can frustrate even the most tenured employee in any department. To make it in cannabis, you must embrace every single one of these obstacles. The passion for and belief in what we are doing is the motivating driver that keeps me moving forward. The passion can come from a number of sources, but for me it comes from my sister. I’ve told this story before, but I retell it again and again as a way to reinvigorate my motivation.

My older sister Lynn passed away in October 2018 after a 15-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis, the last nine of those years were spent in a nursing home near Charlotte, NC, where she had lived with her husband and my oldest niece. Because my sister lived in a state where cannabis was, and still is, an illegal substance, she was never given the opportunity to receive it as treatment. While I do not have any unrealistic, fantastical ideas that cannabis would have cured her from this debilitating disease, I firmly believe that Lynn would have benefitted greatly if she had been given access to this natural treatment. She may not have been with us much longer than she was, but the quality of her life would have improved tremendously.

This is the root of my passion for this industry. I get to play a part in destigmatizing this wonderful plant and in turn, help others in similar situations to my sister’s gain access to a treatment that could benefit them in ways that traditional medicine cannot. I think about this every day, and it is a privilege that I never take for granted.

What can the cannabis industry do to be a better LGBTQI+ ally?

The biggest gripe I have with many industries and corporations is that they position themselves as allies only during Pride month. I’m queer 24/7, 365 days a year. While Pride month is a wonderful time to celebrate, I want to feel supported year-round.

I would love to see more representation and recognition of how the LGBTQ+ community contributes to the cannabis industry on a regular basis, not just during Pride month. This goes for all marginalized groups. I want to feel like the industry is a true ally and not just capitalizing on a PR opportunity for one month each year. 

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

While I’ve tried and enjoyed a variety of different methods to consume, I am a traditionalist at heart, and nothing beats winding down the day with a great joint. When I don’t have the time to roll one myself, or just don’t want to wait that long, Dogwalkers are absolutely perfect. I’m an artist outside of work and often smoke while working on my art. White Durban is one of my favorite strains. It tastes great, gets me energized, and helps me focus during bursts of creativity.

Patti Austin

Pronouns: She/Her

How long have you been at GTI/in Cannabis

I started with FP Wellness which is now owned by GTI and is operated as RISE in August 2020. This was my first position in the Cannabis industry.

What is your role/tell me a little about your role

I am a Patient Care Specialist at the RISE Halfmoon location. We are still medical only at this time so my role is really educating patients on the medical benefits of Cannabis, and helping guide them to the right products.  I spend a lot of time making recommendations and going over the different products we offer with our patients.  We also try to educate those who are not certified yet on the benefits of becoming Certified as New York begins to open Recreational Dispensaries.  

How did you get your start in cannabis?

I had been working in the very stressful field of Mental Health for almost ten years, which honestly had caused my anxiety and stress to become unmanageable. I had gotten my Medical Card to help me deal with this anxiety and stress without the awful side effects of the “traditional” medications my doctor was initially recommending.  After visiting the dispensary here in Halfmoon several times as a patient I fell in love with the atmosphere. It was always so welcoming and every seemed happy to be here.  I decided that a career change was exactly what I needed, and knew the team here was the perfect fit. I am extremely grateful that the Management Team here decided to take a chance on me despite my lack of experience!   

What inspires you about the cannabis industry

Seeing the benefits of Cannabis first hand with our patients is inspiring every day. To hear that Veteran tell me that they got the first good night’s sleep in years after a recommendation I made, or that patient who finally feels in control of their crippling anxiety is so rewarding.  I personally believe in signs, and about a month after I started working in the industry, my mother was involved in a life altering, near fatal car accident.  She was in the hospital for almost three months and pumped fill of heavy narcotic pain medications. She at that time, had been in Recovery for over 40 years and myself and my family knew that we were not going to let this accident set that back and let her fall victim to becoming addicted, but at the same time with over 14 broken bones in her body we knew she needed something to address the pain.  After my own research, a lot of feedback and recommendations from the pharmacists here, My mother was able to come off of all Narcotic Pain medication within two weeks of transitioning home from the hospital. Today, while still struggling with the physical setbacks of the accidents she lives Predominately pain free and is back to herself.  This would definitely be my personal inspiration to stay in the industry.   

What can the cannabis industry do to be a better LGBTQ+ ally?

I think that so far in my experience the cannabis industry has been a strong ally.  For me personally, I think that it is more about supporting and celebrating ALL communities ALWAYS and not just within the week or month designated to celebrate them.  GTI seems to care about everyone and their identity at all times not just during Pride month.  That is what matters.  

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain? 

Here in New York, we have not yet been fortunate enough to roll out the Rythm Brand.  I have heard nothing but amazing things about Animal Face and Brownie Scout so I assume those will be the first joints that I roll when Rythm Brand officially comes to NY. 

Celebrate The Potent Synergy Between Cannabis and The LGBTQI+ Movement this Pride Month

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Char, Garrison, Tay, and Freddie and their unique stories. But remember, they are just a few among the many remarkable individuals who make up our diverse community.

At RISE dispensaries we proudly celebrate pride, identity, and sexual orientation every single day of the year. Our commitment to diversity is at the core of what we do. When you step into any RISE dispensary you can expect to be embraced with kindness, respect, and inclusivity. We honor and acknowledge your preferred pronouns, and we warmly welcome and accept individuals of all genders and sexual identities.

As you make plans to join Pride celebrations, we invite you to stop by one of our dispensaries and explore the coolest cannabis products that will make your festivities even more fabulous! You can also order online! We’re here to help you find the perfect products to enhance your Pride experience.

Looking to elevate your Pride Month celebrations with cannabis? Look no further than CANN Social Drinks, a fantastic LGBTQ-owned product that you can find at RISE Dispensaries. Immerse yourself in the spirit of pride as you indulge in these carefully crafted cannabis-infused beverages. CANN offers a range of delicious flavors infused with high-quality cannabis extracts, providing a delightful and uplifting experience. By choosing CANN, you not only support an LGBTQ-owned brand but also enhance your celebrations with a product that embraces inclusivity and diversity. Make this Pride Month unforgettable with CANN Social Drinks, available at RISE Dispensaries. Cheers to a joyous and empowering Pride! Let’s celebrate love, acceptance, and the beauty of individuality together. Happy Pride Month from all of us at RISE and Green Thumb Industries!