So, you wanna quit your day job and move to a Cannabis-legal state and get a weed job, do ya? Well in 2017, while that may be a whole lot easier than it was just a few years ago, it’s still not a sure thing. Unquestionably, there are now twice, no three times as many Cannabis businesses in the United States as there were just a few years ago. The ArcView Group says that by 2019 all the state-legal Cannabis markets combined will be worth around $11 Billion annually. Still, the market for jobs is as tight as can be. The desire for those jobs is ever on the climb. Luckily, Cannabis is a renewable resource.
There have been many articles written about the kinds of jobs available in the Cannabis Industry and what those jobs, on average, pay. The service jobs earn the lowest, as they tend to be the least skilled labor force involved in the industry. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone has what it takes to do retail—it’s grueling. You’ve got to be a “people person” and be “on” all the time. But there is little risk to it. The budtenders don’t really “put it on the line” so to speak. It’s not their money. It’s not their plants. They just work here… and with low risk comes low reward. Those jobs pay $9-$15 per hour. Sounds great if you’re a kid. Hard to cut it if you’re out of your twenties with kids of your own and a mortgage. This is especially true in growth-expansion states, like Colorado, California, and New York for example, where the realty markets just don’t line up with reality. Yet I know several budtenders in their 50s who are absolutely loving life… I know others that struggle hard.
Of course, the dispensary owner (really, any successful cannabis business owner) takes all the risk. Even so, they have to share the profits. Not the least of which goes to the state in the form of outrageous taxes. The rest is split between the cultivation team, retail sales force, extractions (if they do them), etc.
The people who put their reputations on the line—like the growers—get paid pretty well. But you’d better REALLY know what you’re doing if you have the nerve to call yourself a “master grower.” It’s one thing to know how to grow a few plants in a tent set up…a totally different thing to manage a 50,000-square foot grow that averages a harvest of 20+ pounds (dried and cured) every 4-6 weeks. Those folks are invested.
So, what’s a weed lover to do? Well don’t be like so many who just figure it’ll work out if they show up. Yes, showing up IS half the battle…but the other half is more important. The half where you actually figure out what you’re gonna do before you make that leap…because faith can be a bitch and she will slap your eyeball out faster than you can say…Blue Dream. Know your skill set. Love of Cannabis is NOT a qualifying skill (though it helps). If you’re successfully working in the muggle world, you can translate those skills to the wizarding, er… Cannabis world. It just takes some thought…and a lot of nerve.
I’ve been “in” the Cannabis Industry for good while now. I’ve had a few positions. I worked the retail side and enjoyed talking with folks at the start of recreational sales in Denver in 2014. I’ve worked in an edibles kitchen and as a sales representative for a couple of different Cannabis companies. I’ve written for the MMMR for over three years now. It’s all been absolutely splendid. Here’s what I’ve got to say about it: FIND YOUR WAY.
I was recently offered and accepted a really good career building job in the Cannabis Industry at an established and well-connected consulting firm with awesome personal growth potential (grateful and thankful). It’s taken me a while to finally land that ideal position, but it’s a perfect fit for me. It’s a fantastic group. I get to help make and direct policy, do technical writing, and I still have opportunity to meet with clients and be “on,” all while helping to open more Cannabis businesses around the United States and the rest of the world. What could be better?
So, find your way. Better if that way is in your own legal state. But do find a way. It may take some time. It is going to take your best efforts. It’s totally worth it.
Denver, CO
May 24, 2017
