40 Under 40: Jocelyn Sheltraw

In 2022, Sheltraw and fellow co-founder Claudio Miranda began working on Budist, a digital forum of cannabis reviews by certified critics — which include certified Ganjiers, cannabis journalists, competition judges and longtime operators — to fill that void. The beta for the app launched at Hall of Flowers in March 2024, “and it’s been a rollercoaster ever since.”

“When we first developed the idea for Budist, we knew that the industry desperately needed solutions that would help our community overcome its challenges,” Sheltraw says. “This holds especially true for small farmers, legacy and equity brands, and everyone affected by the fragmentation and polarization of our cannabis culture.”

The reception for Budist has exceeded Sheltraw’s expectations and it has reignited a passion for the plant among its growing community of users and critics.

“Our mission and ethos resonate with so many members of our community, and it’s both humbling and heartwarming to see so much support for what we’re building.”

Q&A

How did the idea for Budist come about? What prompted the focus on reviews?

We’ve drawn a lot of our inspiration from the wine industry, where ratings and reviews have been transformative for consumer education and product premiumization. With Budist, we’re applying this framework to solve two primary problems: 1) to help consumers find the best products for their needs by giving them greater access to product information and peer reviews, and 2) to help drive product premiumization by creating a platform that celebrates product diversity, particularly for brands that have a more nuanced, niche or premium offering.

Moreover, the cannabis industry has been lacking a social platform that’s dedicated to product reviews, so we felt the timing was right to solve this need in the market. If we look at analogous markets where there’s a culture of foodies, wine & beer connoisseurs or travel enthusiasts, we find that reviews play a crucial role in guiding and informing consumer purchasing decisions. We created Budist to fill this void in the market and to help drive the specialty market for cannabis products.

How did your training at Ganjier help inform the design/review format for Budist?

We had fully developed the concept, design and review format of Budist prior to beginning the Ganjier program. Both my co-founder, Claudio Miranda, and I went through the program in the middle of last year. Throughout the process, we learned that the Ganjier assessment protocol drew inspiration from the wine industry, so the program dovetailed nicely with our approach to cannabis ratings and reviews. The program also helped deepen our knowledge of cannabis, which has been instrumental for us in building a platform that celebrates cannabis connoisseurship.

Being immersed in a community of like-minded cannabis enthusiasts has also helped validate and galvanize our mission and create a team of professional cannabis critics. Several of our Budists are certified Ganjiers, but we believe that the strength and value of our platform will ultimately be based on celebrating a diverse group of voices within the cannabis community, which includes cannabis journalists, competition judges and seasoned operators.

What has the reception for Budist been like?

Thus far, the response from the community has exceeded our expectations! When we first developed the idea for Budist, we knew that the industry desperately needed solutions that would help our community overcome its challenges. This holds especially true for small farmers, legacy and equity brands, and everyone affected by the fragmentation and polarization of our cannabis culture. We’ve all been waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel, but we never imagined that Budist would represent that light to so many people who want to put aside our differences, elevate the conversation, and reunite around our love of the plant. Our mission and ethos resonate with so many members of our community, and it’s both humbling and heartwarming to see so much support for what we’re building.

What was the transition from an analytics firm to Budist like?

Seamless! I spent nearly five years helping build Headset, with a large part of my focus on building community. I traveled the country, getting to know local markets and producers while studying consumer trends. Through both data and community engagement, I learned firsthand how challenging it is for a brand to educate consumers about its offerings and how that translates to sales. Similar to other industries, whether wine, beer or coffee, anywhere from 10-30% of brands make up approximately 80% of total sales. Without substantive educational resources, it’s nearly impossible for consumers to navigate this vast product landscape to find the right product for their needs. As a long-time cannabis consumer who appreciates the connoisseurship side of the plant, I would like to see the market develop so that retail shelf space is better articulated and representative of our community of growers and manufacturers.

Prior to Headset, I spent 10 years working in the mobile app space, which I joined at the birth of the iPhone. So I’ve spent my entire career working in new and emerging industries, often with startups. Building Budist is truly a combination of my past experiences, skill sets and passions.

When did Budist officially launch?

We started to develop the idea for Budist in 2022, but we didn’t start building the app until March of 2023, and beta launched that December. We debuted to the market at Hall of Flowers in March 2024, and it’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since! We’re still in the process of learning from our first set of users and refining our feature set—so we’re still technically in beta—but we plan to engage in broader-scale consumer outreach starting at the California State Fair in July. Our team of Budists are serving as judges for the State Fair Cannabis Awards, so it will be a great opportunity to showcase our app and community to this massive mainstream audience.