Working in the Cannabis Industry

 

'Legal cannabis is America’s fastest-growing industry, with more than 321,000 jobs across dozens of states' - Leafly

 

 

'Cannabis companies need advice on intellectual property, employment, taxes, license and regulatory compliance, lending and financial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and a host of other specialty practice areas. That creates rich veins for lawyers to mine for billable opportunities.' - Bloomberg Law

 

 

'According to a report from CannabizTeam, marijuana is seeing “a second wave of senior management … drawing from proven business leaders from the CPG (consumer packaged goods), biotech, food and beverage, retail, financial services and pharma industries. Demand for this new talent has pushed average executive comp up as much as 16% in 2020.” - MJBizDaily

 

 

'The most-advertised cannabis roles on the website (Indeed) included quality assurance, retail workers, production assistants, maintenance technicians, executive assistants and nurses, which is likely connected to the existing medical marijuana market. Want ads in the recreational market will also add to opportunities in the already established medicinal pot industry' - The Globe and Mail

 

As for the salaries, the on-demand jobs are very in line with other industries. When it comes to full-time jobs, outside sales jobs pay on average a salary of $73,000, which is in line with other outside sales jobs. On the higher end, a compliance manager can make $149,000, a director of extraction makes on average $191,000, and a director of cultivation on the high end can make $250,000.' - TechCrunch

 

In most places in the world today, working in the cannabis industry means that you are a shady criminal, a repulsive drug grower or peddler, growing your plant in hiding and selling your produce under cover of darkness, away from the prying eyes of law enforcement and troublemakers. You are considered among the dregs of society, damaging society and its youth through the criminal act of growing and selling the evil plant that leads to madness and the urge to rape everything that you see.

However in some parts of the world, there are rays of hope emerging for the lover of the sacred cannabis plant consumed by hundreds of millions of people world wide for its vast medicinal, spiritual and recreational benefits, that is if you are passionate enough to adopt a means of livelihood involving the plant. In many places in the US, Uruguay and Canada where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational use, there is a booming cannabis industry generated hundreds of thousands of jobs of all kind. The US alone created 321,000 jobs in the cannabis industry by 2022. 

 

Jobs include cultivators, trimmers, processors, packers, distributors, retail staff, bud tenders, security, technical experts to handle plant related technology, greenhouse managers, operations managers, test lab technicians, regulators, advocates, lobbyists, media persons, data analysts, branding and advertising experts, and cannabis tasters. Other than the direct plant related jobs, there is also cannabis research at the industrial, government and university levels, cannabis tourism, cannabis events, the wellness industry, food industry, beverage industry, cannabis accessories, cannabis education, cannabis consumption lounges, and the very small matter of over hundreds of industrial applications of cannabis, to name just some of the new jobs emerging in the booming cannabis industry.

Jobs are starting to pay very well, with many roles comparable to the best in other industries. Many cannabis companies already meet the minimum wage requirements of $15 per hour that the US is looking to make mandatory. Job sites are regularly listing openings in the cannabis space, and the momentum is picking up. The cannabis industry is currently rated as one of the most equitable industries, with one of the best female to male ratios across industries. Business leaders from many other industries, including former politicians, are taking up leadership positions in the boards of global cannabis companies. Cannabis is no longer a shady industry with its workers looked down upon, it is emerging as one of the coolest, hippest industries to work in. As such, it is drawing some of the brightest talent, giving all other industries a good run for their money when it comes to workplace satisfaction and quality of employment.

When the world plunged into the doom and gloom of Covid, the cannabis industry continued to grow and employ an increasing numbers of persons. The situation demonstrated the resilience, sustainability and the potential for the cannabis industry to bring long term growth and employment to large numbers of people. In the US, in states where cannabis has been legalized for recreational use, cannabis was declared an essential service along with food and medicine during the fake pandemic related lock down. 

 

Worldwide the cannabis industry can lift economic activity and provide jobs to millions of people, enabling them to lead good quality lives in a sustainable manner. World leaders and governments need to wake up and recognize the potential of the cannabis industry to generate sustainable environment friendly employment and economic benefit for all who associate with it. Governments pay lip service to job creation, while millions of persons find themselves unemployed, desperately searching for ways to survive in the hellish world created by the persons who focus on creating personal wealth through ways that are unsustainable for humans and the planet.

Related articles

The following set of articles related to the subject are taken from various media. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.

'This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service, Field Organization, Northeast Area, Plant Genetic Resources Unit, Geneva, New York.

The incumbent serves as the curator of hemp involving preserving, regenerating and producing high quality germplasm and conducting research on the maintenance, genetic diversity, taxonomy, systematics, characterization, enhancement, and evaluation of germplasm.'

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/618091400

'An employee at a cannabis store who is responsible for helping customers. Job duties include educating the public on cannabis products and helping customers navigate and purchase cannabis products. Budtenders use their expertise in cannabis to help guide people through the cannabis experience.'

 

https://www.leafly.com/learn/cannabis-glossary/budtender


https://drugpolicy.bamboohr.com/jobs/


'"Attorneys serving clients from any section of the cannabis industry—or planning to do so--need to be sure they have the most current legal information in this dynamic market,” said Susan Burns. “The cannabis industry affects U.S. and international business sectors ranging from agriculture to finance. Conference attendees will learn more about the global landscape for cannabis-related businesses.”

“The U.S. market for cannabis is growing exponentially,” said Nancy Kaymar Stafford, Chair of the ABA’s International Law Section. “We’re pleased to have the opportunity to inform ABA members regarding trends surrounding the legal market for cannabis.”

https://www.susanburnsllc.com/cannabis-conference

'As the cannabis industry continues to grow in the United States, budtending is one of the most straightforward ways to get into the business and build a career. Loving weed is a great foundation for becoming a budtender, but what else goes into getting the job?

A budtender is an employee at a cannabis store who is responsible for helping customers. The job description for a budtender may contain responsibilities like:

- Helping medical patients or customers find the right products
- Understanding the newest products to emerge in your local market
- Making sure the dispensary stays clean and tidy

Depending on what state you are in, you may be responsible for honoring the privacy of a patient’s health information, helping customers understand purchasing limits on flower or concentrates, or just being that one person who knows what it’s like to actually try a new product. '

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/how-to-make-a-budtending-career-a-reality

'Legal cannabis is America’s fastest-growing industry, with more than 321,000 jobs across dozens of states. If you’re curious about starting a cannabis career—or just want a job with decent pay and cool co-workers—budtending is an excellent way to learn the trade.

Leafly’s 2021 Cannabis Jobs Report found 321,000 full-time jobs in America’s legal cannabis industry. That report was published in Feb. 2021, and since then tens of thousands of jobs have been created in booming states like Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

It’s worth noting that nearly all of those states are east of the Mississippi River. America’s cannabis boom began in the West, but today’s hiring boom is happening in the East.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/budtending-by-the-numbers-heres-where-the-jobs-are

'In June, Amazon announced to treat cannabis in the same way as alcohol by no longer including marijuana in its comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation.

Bloomberg reported that Amazon also advised its delivery partners to prominently advertise that they won’t screen applicants for marijuana use. Such a move could boost the number of job applicants by as much as 400%. '

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2021/10/05/inside-amazons-support-to-legalize-marijuana-at-the-federal-level/

'Industry experts suggest that competitive markets tend to favor businesses with white men in ownership and leadership positions, primarily because of their established access to capital.

In addition, more executives from mainstream sectors are opting into the cannabis industry as a new opportunity, accelerating the increase of white men in power positions.

https://mjbizdaily.com/female-and-minority-executives-lose-ground-in-cannabis-industry/

'Cannabis companies need advice on intellectual property, employment, taxes, license and regulatory compliance, lending and financial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and a host of other specialty practice areas. That creates rich veins for lawyers to mine for billable opportunities.'

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/cannabis-practices-sprout-as-big-law-firms-follow-the-money

'Mainstream retail employees often receive perks and bonuses – gadgets and cash are only two possibilities – depending on how much they sell of certain products.

The same holds true in the cannabis industry – at least for some retailers and product manufacturers.

Depending on the cannabis market, sales reps carry different titles: budtenders, dispensary associates, in-store sales representatives.

No matter what they go by, there’s no denying that they’re the tip of the spear for cannabis sales and can have a huge impact on a marijuana brand’s success.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/how-marijuana-companies-woo-budtenders-to-increase-sales-promote-brands/

'The marijuana industry should expect to feel the same impacts as other industries from imminent federal regulations requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to impose a coronavirus vaccine mandate or mandatory weekly testing for those who don’t vaccinate.

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the proposed rules, which will be implemented by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) via an upcoming emergency order.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/bidens-vaccine-mandate-expected-to-apply-to-marijuana-industry/

'Those in search of board members seek experienced individuals who align with their company’s goals and strategy as well as complement current leadership.

“A few years ago, not many people would want to say they’re on the board of a cannabis company,” said Liesl Bernard, CEO of California-based recruiting firm CannabizTeam.

“Today, it’s much more of an exciting, sexy industry to be in. And the conversations are a lot easier to have with executives. They almost feel like it’s a plus that they are part of the cannabis industry versus something that they would want to hide.”'

https://mjbizdaily.com/filling-marijuana-company-boards-is-getting-easier-as-industry-expands/

'Competitive demand for top talent especially is pronounced in emerging or prospective adult-use markets such as Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and New York, according to Bernard.

She noted that the industry has experienced strong growth after most states deemed marijuana operations “essential” during the pandemic.

“That was a big bonus for the cannabis industry and legitimized the industry as well,” she said.

She said many cannabis companies are in a better cash-flow position and have easier access to funding. As a result, they are able to offer higher salaries to pull in high-caliber talent from other industries such as consumer packaged goods, retail and pharmaceutical.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/10-us-marijuana-ceos-get-million-dollar-pay-in-2020/

'According to a report from CannabizTeam, marijuana is seeing “a second wave of senior management … drawing from proven business leaders from the CPG (consumer packaged goods), biotech, food and beverage, retail, financial services and pharma industries. Demand for this new talent has pushed average executive comp up as much as 16% in 2020.”

Bernard said highly sought-after candidates who can command high compensation include people from compliance backgrounds, retail veterans who have managed multiple stores, chief financial officers and lawyers from global companies.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-industry-success-spurs-more-competitive-salaries-benefits/

'Half the states across the country have increased – or will raise – the minimum wage paid to hourly workers this year, but many cannabis businesses, including retailers, are unlikely to feel much of an impact.

That’s because most say they already pay their employees above the minimum wage set by the states in which they operate.

Moreover, that pay is in addition to attractive benefit packages.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-businesses-ahead-of-minimum-wage-increases/

'The number of people working in the U.S. cannabis industry is expected to jump to 240,000-295,000 by the end of 2020, slightly higher than the number of computer programmers employed in the United States.

The anticipated rise in cannabis employment represents a nearly 50% increase over 2019 levels, which was estimated at 165,000-210,000 in the newly released Marijuana Business Factbook.

Cannabis employees include people directly working in the sector, such as budtenders and extraction technicians, as well as employees of ancillary companies – think consultants and lawyers – who support the marijuana industry.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/chart-us-cannabis-employment-could-climb-nearly-50-in-2020-surpassing-computer-programmers/

• 'Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill sparked both sharp nationwide increases in licensing and explosive sales growth for 2019.
• The issuance of U.S. hemp-cultivation licenses saw a year-over-year, nationwide increase of 364% (from 3,546 in 2018 to 16,462 in 2019).
• Small family farms’ entry to the space drove licensing booms in some states, while other states saw the arrival of Big Agriculture interests in their markets.
• In 2019, Tennessee led the trend with 3,200 new licenses, marking more than a 13x increase over its 226 in 2018. Conversely, Montana’s comparatively low 277 licenses in 2019 represent nearly 40,000 acres, averaging a Big Ag-style footprint of more than 144 acres apiece.
• Traditional hemp states Colorado, Kentucky, and Oregon continue to lead in cultivation as the nation overall shows a projected 225,000 acres harvested in 2019, more than a 180% increase beyond 78,176 in 2018.'

https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/increases-in-state-issued-hemp-licenses/


'As such, hemp and hemp-derived CBD preparations that have 0.3% THC or less are not controlled substances, the DEA confirmed. “DEA registration is not required to grow or research” them.

The confirmation will be good news to the CBD industry, which has exploded recently. But any manufacturers making health claims about the CBD-containing products will still receive scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, individual state laws and restrictions may apply.'
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/dea-may-finally-let-others-grow-cannabis-for-research/


'Using CBD products as an onramp to a marijuana business also makes sense from a cash-flow perspective. When a state legalizes cannabis and announces a future date for its sale, companies need to hire employees, rent space, find distribution etc. There can be delays in licensing and other issues. Selling hemp-based CBD products while the company waits for the THC business to kick in, provides an income stream to draw from.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2019/08/24/cbd-companies-positioning-themselves-for-cannabis-legalization/

 

'Today’s cannabis employees have high expectations. They want and deserve more than just a paycheck. So, what makes a company one of the best places to work? What benefits do employees find the most enticing? The mg staff and advisors evaluated hundreds of nominations, considering incentives, benefits, and reports from employees themselves in order to find companies that do right by their people. From basics like health and dental insurance, which all the honorees offer, to unique perks like fully-stocked breakrooms and stock options, here are fifty cannabis companies that invest in their employees.'
https://mgretailer.com/business/50-best-companies-to-work-for-in-cannabis/


'I think there’s more than 160,000 employees across the cannabis industry right now, and by 2022, the industry is expected to grow to around 340,000 full-time employees.

We did survey 1,500 people to put together a salary guide and one of the questions we asked was how much of their labor needs are seasonable versus otherwise, and they said about 30 percent.

As for the salaries, the on-demand jobs are very in line with other industries. When it comes to full-time jobs, outside sales jobs pay on average a salary of $73,000, which is in line with other outside sales jobs. On the higher end, a compliance manager can make $149,000, a director of extraction makes on average $191,000, and a director of cultivation on the high end can make $250,000.'
https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/24/jobs-platform-vangst-just-raised-10-million-to-plug-more-people-into-the-fast-growing-cannabis-industry/


'The times, they are a’ changing—and quickly. About six in 10 Americans (62%) are in favor of legalized marijuana, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. With the growing acceptance of weed blowing through the country comes another change: We’re seeing an influx of companies posting cannabis jobs on Monster. As with any company, the opportunities vary. Click on any of the
below links, and you’ll see job titles that range from tech to sales to operations to retail. The jobs noted below are just a sample of what’s currently available and include medical marijuana jobs as well as recreational-usage jobs. As you check out the positions for which each company is hiring, remember that these listings are updated regularly, so come back frequently.'
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/marijuana-jobs


'The most-advertised cannabis roles on the website (Indeed) included quality assurance, retail workers, production assistants, maintenance technicians, executive assistants and nurses, which is likely connected to the existing medical marijuana market. Want ads in the recreational market will also add to opportunities in the already established medicinal pot industry'
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/cannabis/article-cannabis-want-ads-longer-marijuana-job-searches-up-as-industry-grows/


'"Experienced people in Colorado are very used to working under very strict guidelines and regulations. [They] have a great experience in a mature, regulated and highly competitive market. Because of that, there are new and potentially lucrative opportunities in states that are newly legal with similar highly regulated markets," said Ryan Smith, the COO of Cure Holdings, a Colorado-based medical marijuana company that also has operations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Hawaii.'
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canada-enters-marijuana-market-colorado-131800114.html


Who says hard work doesn't pay? You never know when the skills you've acquired will come to good use...

'The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate “extensive experience with and the ability to perform the above tasks,” NIDA’s notice says.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/the-feds-are-hiring-professional-marijuana-joint-rollers-kind-of/


'Cannabis dispensaries switched drivers from independent contractors to employees and their businesses didn’t crumble. They didn’t have much of a choice—as California ushered in legalized marijuana, those who wanted to be a part of what could be a billion-dollar business had to play by the rules set by the state. '
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/09/gig-economy-independent-contractors/570307/


'Tucked into the forests of Mendocino County, accessible by a two-lane road that winds through hills of golden grass abundant with rattlesnakes is the small town of Covelo, where hundreds of seasonal workers converge every year, eager to help harvest the region’s most lucrative cash crop — marijuana.

These workers, known as “trimmigrants,” patiently cut off the shaggy leaves and brittle stems of marijuana buds, trimming each one into a compact green nugget primed for bongs and brownies.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/us/marijuana-trimmers-emerald-triangle.html



'It goes without saying that anyone can end up unintentionally hiring someone they shouldn’t have, so if any of the following scenarios have happened to you, don’t feel bad. This information can help in many types of businesses and will specifically save you a headache if you work in the cannabis industry.'
https://thecannabisindustry.org/member-blog-hiring-new-budtenders-keep-your-eyes-out-for-these-red-flags/


'As full pot legalization spreads, labor organizations like the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW)—which represents 1.3 million people across multiple fields, from grocery store workers to meatpackers—are seizing on the nascent industry. The UFCW already claims tens of thousands of cannabis workers across the US: In August of last year, Seattle-based dispensary chain Have a Heart inked the state’s first collective bargaining agreement between a recreational cannabis shop and the union. In 2017 in Minnesota, a cannabis production facility and chain of dispensaries struck a deal with the local UFCW. And in New York in 2016, the first union agreement for medical marijuana businesses was established in advance of the seemingly inevitable legalization of recreational use by adults in the state.'
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvy8a7/unionizing-weed-workers-are-reigniting-the-labor-movement


'He also believes his firing has given The Pot Scientist a new mission. While the original concept was about educating adults about cannabis, he now feels he can help fill a void in cannabis education among young adults and high school students.

“The channel has been up for years now and it was kind of on its last legs,” he said. “I wasn’t inspired by the content; I didn’t feel I had a specific audience in any way. I was about to cancel it—and now I feel there’s a need for this knowledge.”'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/youtubes-pot-scientist-fired-for-answering-burning-questions


How cool is your job?
Openly support ganja legalization Spain. The farmers, the growers, the retailers, the consumers, people worldwide are going through hell because of its illegal status and because of lack of access to the plant. European nations, by clandestinely using the herb and publicly opposing it, are fueling black markets and worldwide exploitation of the herb and its people. People, without access to the plant, are forced to use dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, tobacco and alcohol as alternatives or being imprisoned because governments worldwide continue to oppose ganja's legalization for recreational use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnMwHT6f-6s


From IT security to a CBD company..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJBZ4ruZ0wY


'The project is part of a handful of efforts in California intended to get minorities and those negatively affected by the war on drugs involved directly in the state’s legal marijuana industry.

According to an online job posting, the position pays $95,776 to $140,021, requires a master’s degree and at least three years of experience with either economic and community development or providing services to low-income, minority or underserved communities.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/los-angeles-social-equity-cannabis-program-manager/



'In addition to facing background checks and mandatory licensing in some states, budtenders are often asked medical and legal questions that their counterparts in other industries would never encounter. For example, customers at a liquor store would generally not ask the clerk how much beer they should drink to feel the desired effects, or whether wine is helpful or harmful to someone with high blood pressure. It is also hard to imagine a customer asking where they should go to drink the bottle of whiskey they had just purchased.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/how-should-budtenders-respond/



'Listen to the latest episode of the Teamster Nation Podcast and learn how the union is organizing workers in the growing cannabis industry in California and across the country. Plus, remembering the Queen of Soul.'
https://teamster.org/news/2018/08/episode-169-growing-future


'How Does a Marijuana Lawyer Do His Job?
Meet Marshall Custer, who co-leads the cannabis law practice at Husch Blackwell.'
https://slate.com/business/2018/10/whats-it-like-to-be-a-lawyer-in-the-marijuana-business.html


'Most cannabis patients engage with dispensary staff, like budtenders, for medical advice on cannabis. Yet, little is known about these interactions and how the characteristics of budtenders affect these interactions. This study investigated demographics, workplace characteristics, medical decision-making, and online behaviors among a sample of budtenders.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178221817725515


'In this “lack of controlled supply chain, lack of standardization, [and] lack of compositional understanding,” Raber saw both “a job for a chemist [and] an entrepreneurial opportunity.” In 2010, 8 years into his post-Ph.D. career in industry, he founded a cannabis-focused testing laboratory called The Werc Shop in Los Angeles. It has grown into a 75-person consulting firm providing “scientific solutions,” Raber says, including “know-how, technical solutions, formulation expertise, analytical testing, and contract manufacturing support” to a range of clients in the industry. Raber employs scientists—primarily chemists and chemical engineers—with bachelor's degrees, master's, and Ph.D.s. He sees “tremendous” job prospects and adds, “We’re always open to resumes.”'