Careers & Jobs In The Cannabis Industry

xomsladylala

xomsladylala

New Member
Hello, I am fairly new to cannabis activism. I have been medicating for 10 years now. I'm interested in starting a career in this industry and don't know where to look or how to go about it. Help!
420-magazine-mobile1659820041.jpg
 
A interesting topic. For a career from what I'm seeing as I research is a bachelor's in horticulture would be good, a portfolio of your grows as experience is key when trying to get hired, I enrolled in CTU however it was silly in my view and immediately asked for a refund.
 
I run a dispensary in New Mexico the only way you're really going to actually get hired with no experience at a dispensary is to actually fight for the job and show them that you want it more than other people because there is such a long line of people waiting for us to go through their applications that we can be backlogged and sometimes I don't even accept applications we started with one store now we have 3 here things are starting to get a little easier what makes it hard is if a person has an arrest record of any kind it makes it really hard to get them hired
 
I would love to get into cannabis data analysis or on the quality and process side! I've looked a lot but you tend to only see budtending, growing, trimming, or management related work.
Cannabis data is going to be a big deal soon I think. It's stuff that people haven't really been tracking and organizing on a big scale since it hasn't been a necessity. Commercial cannabis is going to open up hundreds of avenues to work in the industry in one way or another.
It's exciting stuff!

Does the idea of cannabis data excite anyone else as much as it does for me!? Lol
 
For those types of jobs you would not contact dispensary you would actually want to contact the labs that do our analysis because we do not do it it would be conflict of interest for us to do that to our own product so we send out to federally secure Labs which chest from everything from E coli mold mildew pesticides Etc I hope this helps
 
420 Warrior said:
It's my hope and dream that EVERY state will have job openings available in the Cannabis industry but until people start fighting for it everywhere it'll be a long, long time before that happens...sad really :rolleyes:
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warrior think how i feel here in Scotland UK its illegal its a joke !!
Id take a job in the Rockies lol anywhere i can take it for medical reasons and even more perfect get a job doing some gardening take me on please :)
 
Top notch growers are a dime a dozen in my neck of the woods, it's the guys that can keep the whole show running smoothly that are in demand. My pharmacist got a job at the local large scale operation, he knew nothing about cannabis but had the required knowledge of chemistry. Sure not my world no more.
 
Although this topic is about 4 years old... I figure I could share a little insight on working in the industry....

So how do you get into the industry.....(here is from my experience from 4 years in the legal industry)

Find skills that you already know and find positions in the industry that you have experience with...... cannabis businesses really are no different than any other business, they need marketers, they need accountants, salespeople, lawyers, laborers, chemists... So just like any other company I suggest getting in where you can, but highlight your skills you can offer and start there.... even if it means you maybe have to take a pay cut, or may have to work longer hours than normal.... its the type of sacrifice that you need to make in order to prove yourself....

Be loyal, hard working, and Trustworthy..... Obviously this goes hand and hand with any job, but in cannabis especially due to the heavy regulations and large sums of value/money you may be dealing with.... trust and loyalty are on the top of the list for cannabis workers. Due to the ups and downs, changes in regulations, you need to know you have team players who are willing to roll with the punches and not going to complain or cause mutiny if something changes which is always happening in the industry.... be flexible, be dependable, be honest....

Highlight your values, but don't be arrogant. This industry is tough, and although many may think cannabis companies are making tons of money... many aren't.... the costs of compliance, supplies, and employees as well as the limited deductions cannabis companies make really cuts into profits.... So most cannabis companies can not pay "market value" for your position just yet... so if you go into an interview knowing the average salary for your position is 60k or 70k a year... expect that in the cannabis industry you may only get an offer for 40k or 50k... you may have to work your way up to a pay raise so be willing to be flexible on your skills and not arrogant or expecting.

Reach out to the owners of the companies, not the employees or HR for jobs.... Just like most companies, at the end of the day the CEO and owners are the ones who have the final say, and also know what values they need in their company where a HR person may not be in tune as much with company needs. Approach the owners, show them you want the position, stand out over all other applicants and make the owner see your value...

Remember that although this is the cannabis industry, its defintely ok to use cannabis, but don't be that employee that expects to be completely blasted at work all day, all the time, unless you also are getting your work done. Some people can work fine when high, some honestly shouldn't...lol Each company is different but at the end of the day, they pay workers to accomplish tasks and not be a liability.. and especially in this industry, simple mistakes can cost many tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars and mess up business relationships with other companies quickly, so keep in mind why you are working... believe me management does see who can work high and who can't, and generally those that can't don't last.

Also, know that the cannabis industry is still very young... its not for everyone.... and there are some drawbacks too....
  • Generally you will be paid probably less than you would in other industries, as cannabis companies right now are still trying to survive all the costs of startup and compliance/licensing, high taxes and minimal deductions..etc... (unless you are an executive or key management role which can pay fairly good)
  • Most banks will not bank with cannabis companies who "touch the plant" and getting paid in cash, or having to switch direct deposit monthly is quite common. Also due to banking issues, many times other clients in the industry can't pay their bills which means sometimes pay might be delayed for weeks at a time because money is that tight...
  • You will get sick of smelling cannabis after a while and it will coat your clothes and the smell will linger for hours in your nose after leaving work... so the smell definitely loses its luster after a while.
  • Because the industry is constantly changing, regulations constantly changing, many times employees have to be able to react quick to changes in operations, procedures, workflow and sometimes even hours of work on very short notice..
  • Many companies don't offer insurance, only hire part time, and many times go through a lot of mass hirings/mass firings due to management/leadership changes, business plan directional shifts and many other reasons, so longevity is possible, but not as likely as it would be for a company and industry which has been established longer and worked out the "kinks".


I hope this is helpful for anyone wanting to get into the industry and shows that with hard work, dedication you can make it become a reality! I started as a hourly part time salesperson making next to minimum wage and 4 years later I had a nice salary, insurance, and was a go to source for the CEO and board members to get things done (kind of felt like an executive in a way, without the fiduciary duty) after 4 years, I brought all 4 licenses to active status and all 4 licensees to operational success and fully compliant...I honestly loved my experience taking a company from idea to operational success, and regardless of the sacrifices and changes it made to my personal "love" for cannabis, it helped me grow as a person which I am forever grateful :)
 
Icemud said:
Although this topic is about 4 years old... I figure I could share a little insight on working in the industry....

So how do you get into the industry.....(here is from my experience from 4 years in the legal industry)

Find skills that you already know and find positions in the industry that you have experience with...... cannabis businesses really are no different than any other business, they need marketers, they need accountants, salespeople, lawyers, laborers, chemists... So just like any other company I suggest getting in where you can, but highlight your skills you can offer and start there.... even if it means you maybe have to take a pay cut, or may have to work longer hours than normal.... its the type of sacrifice that you need to make in order to prove yourself....

Be loyal, hard working, and Trustworthy..... Obviously this goes hand and hand with any job, but in cannabis especially due to the heavy regulations and large sums of value/money you may be dealing with.... trust and loyalty are on the top of the list for cannabis workers. Due to the ups and downs, changes in regulations, you need to know you have team players who are willing to roll with the punches and not going to complain or cause mutiny if something changes which is always happening in the industry.... be flexible, be dependable, be honest....

Highlight your values, but don't be arrogant. This industry is tough, and although many may think cannabis companies are making tons of money... many aren't.... the costs of compliance, supplies, and employees as well as the limited deductions cannabis companies make really cuts into profits.... So most cannabis companies can not pay "market value" for your position just yet... so if you go into an interview knowing the average salary for your position is 60k or 70k a year... expect that in the cannabis industry you may only get an offer for 40k or 50k... you may have to work your way up to a pay raise so be willing to be flexible on your skills and not arrogant or expecting.

Reach out to the owners of the companies, not the employees or HR for jobs.... Just like most companies, at the end of the day the CEO and owners are the ones who have the final say, and also know what values they need in their company where a HR person may not be in tune as much with company needs. Approach the owners, show them you want the position, stand out over all other applicants and make the owner see your value...

Remember that although this is the cannabis industry, its defintely ok to use cannabis, but don't be that employee that expects to be completely blasted at work all day, all the time, unless you also are getting your work done. Some people can work fine when high, some honestly shouldn't...lol Each company is different but at the end of the day, they pay workers to accomplish tasks and not be a liability.. and especially in this industry, simple mistakes can cost many tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars and mess up business relationships with other companies quickly, so keep in mind why you are working... believe me management does see who can work high and who can't, and generally those that can't don't last.

Also, know that the cannabis industry is still very young... its not for everyone.... and there are some drawbacks too....
  • Generally you will be paid probably less than you would in other industries, as cannabis companies right now are still trying to survive all the costs of startup and compliance/licensing, high taxes and minimal deductions..etc... (unless you are an executive or key management role which can pay fairly good)
  • Most banks will not bank with cannabis companies who "touch the plant" and getting paid in cash, or having to switch direct deposit monthly is quite common. Also due to banking issues, many times other clients in the industry can't pay their bills which means sometimes pay might be delayed for weeks at a time because money is that tight...
  • You will get sick of smelling cannabis after a while and it will coat your clothes and the smell will linger for hours in your nose after leaving work... so the smell definitely loses its luster after a while.
  • Because the industry is constantly changing, regulations constantly changing, many times employees have to be able to react quick to changes in operations, procedures, workflow and sometimes even hours of work on very short notice..
  • Many companies don't offer insurance, only hire part time, and many times go through a lot of mass hirings/mass firings due to management/leadership changes, business plan directional shifts and many other reasons, so longevity is possible, but not as likely as it would be for a company and industry which has been established longer and worked out the "kinks".


I hope this is helpful for anyone wanting to get into the industry and shows that with hard work, dedication you can make it become a reality! I started as a hourly part time salesperson making next to minimum wage and 4 years later I had a nice salary, insurance, and was a go to source for the CEO and board members to get things done (kind of felt like an executive in a way, without the fiduciary duty) after 4 years, I brought all 4 licenses to active status and all 4 licensees to operational success and fully compliant...I honestly loved my experience taking a company from idea to operational success, and regardless of the sacrifices and changes it made to my personal "love" for cannabis, it helped me grow as a person which I am forever grateful :)
Click to expand...
If someone wants a job then they have to realize that they were hired to make money for the company. They were not hired to keep them off the streets.

Already in a trade school or program. Stick with it and maybe when there are just 8-12 weeks to go apply for any job related to that trade, telling the boss that the program has to be finished before being able to work full-time.

With the industry getting started in this higher tech world means more jobs are available. Electricians working with the heating and cooling make for a better environment for the growing areas. Building maintenance is more than fixing the air conditioner so people who already have experience in that sort of maintenance will be in high demand. The list goes on. The available jobs are not all going to be in growing a couple of plants.
 
Also intrested in this I am living in mb Canada. Used to sell marijuana when it was illegal and that was my job and also growing. Would like to find something like this.
 

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