Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
There's little independent data to guide voters as the sparring continues over the retail marijuana industry's claim of 1,300 local jobs, and how many of them might go away if only medical marijuana sales are allowed.
Local, state and federal governments say they do not know how many marijuana jobs are in Pueblo County.
As of July, about 1,430 people with Pueblo County addresses had received marijuana work licenses over the past two years but how many of them were employed in the industry was not known, the state Department of Revenue says.
Also, the number does not account for residents of other counties who work in the industry in Pueblo County, or Puebloans who commute to a marijuana job outside of the county, the state noted.
Meanwhile, a speaker at this month's annual Pueblo Economic Forum said a lack of data kept researchers from offering any analysis of recreational marijuana's impact on employment and the economy.
"Further study is needed," said Mike Wakefield, a business professor at Colorado State University-Pueblo and director of the school's Healy Center of Business and Economic Research.
The focus on employment comes as voters in Pueblo County and the city of Pueblo face a series of ballot questions that will determine the future of retail marijuana sales in the area.
Ahead of the vote, supporters are promoting their jobs figure, which they say is based on an internal survey of local employers early in the summer. Opponents are questioning the number.
Mesa Organics owner Jim Parco, one of the spokesmen for the local industry, said he thinks local employment is now greater than the summertime estimate.
Pueblo County's marijuana cultivation and manufacturing segments continue to grow, he said. As for jobs, "that number has only gone up," he said.
Of the total jobs, Parco estimates about 60 percent are tied to greenhouses and other cultivation operations, 30 percent are retail and 10 percent are in areas such as product development and manufacturing.
The county is home to dozens of businesses and growers of varying sizes that work in different segments of the industry, including the large Los Suenos Farms, which itself employs probably 70 people to 80 people, he noted.
Charlene Graham, a spokeswoman for a group opposed to retail marijuana, said the group wants the industry to release more-detailed, independently verifiable information to support its jobs claim.
"We honestly don't know. We don't because there's no way to track it and they (industry leaders) certainly haven't been forthcoming with where the jobs are. Are they full time? Are they part time? Are they mixed?" she said.
The county's 20 retail stores likely employ a fraction of the 1,300 figure, she said. She cited a staff photograph published recently by one of the stores which showed seven workers.
As for grow operations, "I know we have a lot of grows but I don't know how many people it takes," and whether any of the workers are part time or seasonal, Graham said.
Opponents also question how many of the jobs would go away given that Pueblo County and the city of Pueblo would continue to allow medical marijuana sales, she said.
"I'm certainly not saying there won't be some loss of jobs but 1,300?" she said.
Parco said he believes a ban on retail marijuana would result in a sharp reduction in jobs, in part because of state rules that require marijuana businesses to grow a large percentage of their own product.
"Are we going to lose 1,300 jobs, no. Are we going to lose 1,100, probably," he said.
Even if the job losses would be less, he said. "What is the acceptable number of lost jobs in Pueblo County? How many more people do we want to add to our unemployment line?" he said.
Other governmental agencies do not know the number of marijuana workers locally.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that tracks local, state and U.S. employment, including by job sector, does not release data specifically on marijuana jobs, a spokeswoman said.
Pueblo County government does not have any data, a county spokeswoman said.
The county earlier this year awarded a grant to CSU-Pueblo in part to help fund future research into marijuana's economic impact on the community, including the number of jobs, she said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Little Data Available On Pot Jobs
Author: Dennis Darrow
Contact: (719) 544-3520
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain
Local, state and federal governments say they do not know how many marijuana jobs are in Pueblo County.
As of July, about 1,430 people with Pueblo County addresses had received marijuana work licenses over the past two years but how many of them were employed in the industry was not known, the state Department of Revenue says.
Also, the number does not account for residents of other counties who work in the industry in Pueblo County, or Puebloans who commute to a marijuana job outside of the county, the state noted.
Meanwhile, a speaker at this month's annual Pueblo Economic Forum said a lack of data kept researchers from offering any analysis of recreational marijuana's impact on employment and the economy.
"Further study is needed," said Mike Wakefield, a business professor at Colorado State University-Pueblo and director of the school's Healy Center of Business and Economic Research.
The focus on employment comes as voters in Pueblo County and the city of Pueblo face a series of ballot questions that will determine the future of retail marijuana sales in the area.
Ahead of the vote, supporters are promoting their jobs figure, which they say is based on an internal survey of local employers early in the summer. Opponents are questioning the number.
Mesa Organics owner Jim Parco, one of the spokesmen for the local industry, said he thinks local employment is now greater than the summertime estimate.
Pueblo County's marijuana cultivation and manufacturing segments continue to grow, he said. As for jobs, "that number has only gone up," he said.
Of the total jobs, Parco estimates about 60 percent are tied to greenhouses and other cultivation operations, 30 percent are retail and 10 percent are in areas such as product development and manufacturing.
The county is home to dozens of businesses and growers of varying sizes that work in different segments of the industry, including the large Los Suenos Farms, which itself employs probably 70 people to 80 people, he noted.
Charlene Graham, a spokeswoman for a group opposed to retail marijuana, said the group wants the industry to release more-detailed, independently verifiable information to support its jobs claim.
"We honestly don't know. We don't because there's no way to track it and they (industry leaders) certainly haven't been forthcoming with where the jobs are. Are they full time? Are they part time? Are they mixed?" she said.
The county's 20 retail stores likely employ a fraction of the 1,300 figure, she said. She cited a staff photograph published recently by one of the stores which showed seven workers.
As for grow operations, "I know we have a lot of grows but I don't know how many people it takes," and whether any of the workers are part time or seasonal, Graham said.
Opponents also question how many of the jobs would go away given that Pueblo County and the city of Pueblo would continue to allow medical marijuana sales, she said.
"I'm certainly not saying there won't be some loss of jobs but 1,300?" she said.
Parco said he believes a ban on retail marijuana would result in a sharp reduction in jobs, in part because of state rules that require marijuana businesses to grow a large percentage of their own product.
"Are we going to lose 1,300 jobs, no. Are we going to lose 1,100, probably," he said.
Even if the job losses would be less, he said. "What is the acceptable number of lost jobs in Pueblo County? How many more people do we want to add to our unemployment line?" he said.
Other governmental agencies do not know the number of marijuana workers locally.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that tracks local, state and U.S. employment, including by job sector, does not release data specifically on marijuana jobs, a spokeswoman said.
Pueblo County government does not have any data, a county spokeswoman said.
The county earlier this year awarded a grant to CSU-Pueblo in part to help fund future research into marijuana's economic impact on the community, including the number of jobs, she said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Little Data Available On Pot Jobs
Author: Dennis Darrow
Contact: (719) 544-3520
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain
