5 Cannabis Careers To Think About Getting Into
As the cannabis industry expands, so does the potential for making a career out of cannabis. The cannabis industry is fast becoming one of the largest industries in the United States. Within an economy where traditional jobs may be few and far between, cannabis careers represent an exciting new field to explore.
Our list of cannabis careers is by no means exhaustive; let it provide you with the inspiration you need to explore a career in the wonderful world of weed! Here we will review five cannabis careers to consider.
Overview of The Cannabis Industry
The cannabis plant has quickly become a more effective and socially acceptable driver of admirable career opportunities. The federal government still labels cannabis as an illegal substance. According to NORML, however, more than thirty states have regulated medical marijuana, making the plant legal. Out of those 35 states, 11 of those have shifted to permit recreational cannabis sales as well.
Entry-Level Cannabis Jobs
Passionate about getting in on the emerging cannabis industry action? Nationwide, the legal, medical marijuana space already provides work for as many as 243,700 individuals. Marijuana Business Daily projections indicate that by 2023, that number of entry-level employment could rise as high as 475,000. Accordingly, the legal cannabis industry could tremendously support the employment of those in great need of a work line.
1. Budtender
The first on our list of cannabis careers is, of course, the budtender. A twist on "bartender," a budtender is the point of sales consumer representative. Imagine being able to handle weed for a living and educate customers on the many wonders of the cannabis plant. Being a budtender may sound easy. However, budtending requires a lot of work, passion, and commitment.
Budtenders are required to have extensive product knowledge and good customer service skills. The ability to tailor cannabis recommendations to customers' needs is essential to create strong consumer relationships, helping your client find the most effective product for their needs.
Generally, a budtender is a face of the dispensary, working behind the counter of a cannabis dispensary and utilizing their customer service skills to make clients feel at home. Especially for new cannabis consumers, dispensaries can indeed feel intimidating for some. So, making your clients feel at home and comfortable is the ultimate goal.
Online courses are now emerging from qualifying budtenders to stand behind the desk and advise people on cannabis. As it becomes more prestigious to be a budtender, you should consider taking one of these courses to spice up your resume.
Here are a few aspects that may help you land a budtender role:
- Restaurant, bartender, or retail experience
- Point of sale skills
- Cannabis training certificate for general marijuana education
Not to mention, in addition to standard hourly wages, a lot of budtenders earn pretty solid tips. The average salary range is between $21K to $40K+.
2. Cultivator
In states like California and Oregon, only the best of the best makes it into cultivation, nevertheless, dispensaries. Of all the careers in cannabis, the cultivator job might be the toughest one to crack. But to grow weed for a living - oh, how divine! If you consider yourself the expert grower, why not try your hand to supply some of the dispensaries around? Dispos need a constant weed supply, but an average harvest just won't cut it these days.
Getting your green thumb into action as a part of the cannabis industry can be complicated. You must start with a license to grow cannabis and be committed to harvesting it every year. Suppose you want to be licensed as organic. In that case, your farm has to be adequately prepared first with organic soil, nutrients, and pesticides.
Lastly, you have to know what you want to grow. Will you be growing high THC material, potent CBD plants, or will you be growing plants that will finally be turned into concentrates? These are all points you need to think about before deciding if you want to be a cultivator.
Also, cultivators help growers gather and take care of their cannabis crops in a grow-house or on a marijuana farm. Accordingly, cultivating jobs tend to be rather physical in labor. That said, a cultivator is an attractive occupation for individuals who enjoy gardening or landscaping. You can find cultivation occupations offering base salaries anywhere from $17K to $41K+.
3. Writer
While many thriving jobs within the cannabis industry directly touch the plant, there are plenty of other professional occupations that indirectly support cannabis business operations.
People love reading about cannabis. After all, you're reading this article, aren't you? If you fancy yourself a wordsmith, being a paid cannabis blogger can be a rewarding, work from home job. Across the industry, many cannabis companies require branding and content for their websites. And that's where writers and editors come in. Why not combine your passion for the written word with cannabis and create content readers will truly enjoy? Every company website needs an engaging copy. And many cannabis producers, dispensaries, and edibles manufacturers like to promote their brands through creatively written content on their own blogs.
Get in touch with your favorite online cannabis publication or have a browse through job listing websites. Offer yourself as a master of words who can inform customers about the benefits of using cannabis. Quality information and industry knowledge is the best way to get your cannabis written story published. As a writer, you will find the average earned income is between $34K to $122K - depending on your level of experience, job responsibilities, and expertise within the cannabis industry.
4. Chef
Despite what cannabis lore may tell you, those delicious edibles don't come from the weed fairy. Behind each baked good, candy, and beverage is a master of cooking with cannabis. Cannabis cuisine is nothing short of an art, and there is a huge demand for healthy and delicious cannabis edibles.
First things first, you will need to have a robust culinary experience to get into this field. A passion for cooking with cannabis will also hold you in good stead. Being a chef, cannabis-focused or not is a formidable career that requires a lot of hard work. Albeit, it can be extremely rewarding.
Additionally, there are various other positions in the edibles industry, too, from working on an assembly line to labeling and packaging. Nonetheless, a job working with cannabis edibles will require experience with food handling and production. In many cases, a culinary-related degree is preferred. Individuals who've had culinary arts training can pursue this avenue of cannabis employment, with an average yearly income ranging from $40K to $90K+.
5. Entrepreneur
In any field, entrepreneurship carries an inherent risk. However, there is also the potential for great success. Do you have a passion for cannabis and the desire to push the industry to the next level? Perhaps you are sitting on an idea that will change the way the industry operates. The cannabis industry is still in its infancy, which means there is lots of opportunity for new ideas.
It's no small endeavor to become a cannabis entrepreneur, but it can be gratifying - financial or otherwise. Some things to consider - if this a route you're interested in taking - are the obstacles you may face along the way. Cannabis remains federally illegal. So expect many red tapes when setting up a cannabis business, and always make sure you keep up to date with cannabis laws in your state.
If you want to work with weed, there's no shortage of cannabis careers out there. Remember, this list isn't exhaustive - there are various other cannabis-related jobs you can be a part of. If you're passionate about cannabis, explore the possibilities and start building your cannabis career today.
Cannabis Career Tips
Similar to any other emerging industry, there is an ample amount of new cannabis job opportunities. Depending on your particular set of skills, there is at least one job out there for you - you'd be surprised. While you're doing online digging to understand the cannabis business ecosystem better, here are cannabis career tips to help you land your dream job:
- Become knowledgeable of industry terminology and policies
- Be adaptable
- Have love for compliance
- Be professional
- Consider making a move to a cannabis-friendly state
- Do your research!
But Wait, There's More
On the topic of cannabis professions, another job that keeps the cannabis ecosystem thriving is delivery. Speaking of delivery...
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