It’s been a long, winding road for the cannabis industry. For years its usage has been limited to strictly medicinal use and only in a handful of places across the United States.
But over the past few years, the cannabis industry has exploded, expanding its reach in both the medicinal and recreational markets. This rapid ascent has created a fertile landscape for entrepreneurs and side hustlers to make money within one of the fastest-growing industries around today.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the different types of cannabis-related jobs, tips for finding work, and where you can find a cannabis job to start making money in a growing and lucrative industry.
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Types of Cannabis Jobs
Hobbyists, enthusiasts, and people who just want to flat out make money are flocking to the cannabis industry to get a piece of the pie. Depending on what skills you have to offer, what type of work you’re looking for, and whether or not you want a full-time or part-time job, there are many different employment options.
Jobs within the cannabis industry fall into two categories — jobs that involve handling cannabis directly and jobs that are indirectly related to cannabis.
Hands-On Cannabis Jobs
1. Dispensary Manager or Budtender
Cannabis dispensary managers and budtenders are one of the most popular occupations within the cannabis industry. These are the knowledgeable marijuana specialists and sales representatives you see when you’re in a marijuana dispensary who educate you on cannabis and help you make the right purchase. They also tend to have some business experience and are able to provide great customer service.
The demand for these dispensary jobs is so high that many dispensary managers and budtenders have little to no formal training. This means there’s a good chance you can land a gig right off the bat with little experience.
2. Lab Technician
As cannabis transitions from the tainted image of an illegal street drug to a medicinal healing plant, strict regulations and guidelines must be met to ensure safety and consistency across the industry.
This means being able to produce a safe and effective product that’s free of chemicals, pesticides, molds, and any other dangerous additives. The THC levels must also be tested and controlled for, as different patients will require different strengths of cannabis.
So what does this mean for you? If you’re interested in working in a laboratory environment and know your way around lab equipment, there are plenty of job opportunities at third-party testing facilities.
3. Trimmer
Trimmer and harvesting jobs are excellent entry-level positions as they take little to no experience to obtain. As a trimmer, you’ll be tasked with harvesting plants and cutting any excess leaves and stems from the cannabis plants. Your job will be to prepare a clean and smokeable product that’s ready to hit the shelves.
Many trimmer jobs are paid by weight, therefore, the more you can trim in one day, the more you’ll be paid. While this type of job can be monotonous, there’s a fine art to doing the job correctly and in a fast manner.
4. Delivery Driver
Cannabis delivery drivers for companies like Eaze take cannabis from A to B. It’s as simple as that.
Many cannabis users prefer discretion and anonymity when making their purchase. These means getting anonymous home delivery that’s discreet, private, and unbeknownst to the outside eye.
Delivery drivers require few qualifications outside of having their own vehicle, a valid driver’s license, and being somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to cannabis. If you’ve already gotten your toes wet with other delivery jobs, this may be the perfect fit for you.
Hands-Off Cannabis Jobs
1. Brand Ambassador
Brand ambassadors are the face of entrepreneurial cannabis companies — promoting brands via social media, trade shows, stores, and digital marketing channels.
This role is slightly different from the other cannabis occupations we’ve already mentioned. A brand ambassador will require a human touch and be able to connect with potential customers across different channels and scenarios. For example, you’ll need to be able to adequately communicate the benefits of cannabis online as well as face-to-face in public settings.
Since there are many regulations as to how you can advertise cannabis products, you’ll need to be familiar with the ins and outs of cannabis marketing. Outside of that, great people skills and a few sales tactics wouldn’t hurt to have.
2. Security Guard
For every dispensary out there, there’s likely a staff of security guards to maintain a safe environment for workers and customers alike.
Since marijuana has a history of being considered a street drug and is quite expensive at the same time, security guards are a necessity to police dispensaries and ensure safe transactions for all. Not only is marijuana a sought-after target for thieves, but dispensaries are also cash-heavy businesses that make for a quick payday for criminals.
If you have any law enforcement training or security detail experience, then a cannabis security guard role may be the right fit for you.
3. Compliance Manager
The world of recreational and medicinal cannabis use is fraught with regulations and legal red tape, so it’s important for businesses to play by the rules and always operate in a legal manner.
Compliance managers help businesses make sure they’re operating legally and that everything is running smoothly. This includes making sure dispensary staff is following all protocol, properly managing inventory, and staying up-to-date on any new regulations and laws that apply to the business.
Since every state and city has its own regulations, this job will require a particular person who’s capable of staying on top of updated rules and has the ability to manage highly profitable cannabis business operations.
4. Business Services
Since cannabis businesses are highly profitable ventures, they require the same services any other fully operational business would. This includes business services like accountants, lawyers, marketing associates, IT professionals, and web designers who can help grow and maintain business operations.
Depending on what you have experience in, you can find a range of opportunities that support cannabis business operations. We’ll leave it up to you to get creative and see how you can apply your expertise to the cannabis industry.
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Before you start looking for jobs and applying, let’s take a look at a few tips you should keep in mind.
5 Tips for Finding a Cannabis Job
1. Look Into Different Types of Jobs
Before setting your sights on a particular cannabis job, you should first understand all of the opportunities that are out there. The variety of jobs we’ve listed above have a little bit of something for everyone. When browsing job boards, keep an open mind as to how you can start making money in the cannabis industry.
2. Play Off Your Strengths
When looking for a job, you should make sure you highlight your specialties and previous experience that you can apply to your new role. If you have extensive customer service experience, don’t be afraid to show it. If you have professional experience helping a business run smoothly, make sure it’s known when applying.
3. Educate Yourself on Cannabis
If you know very little about cannabis, then we recommend educating yourself on the topic before applying. The more you know about medical cannabis, the better off you’ll be. This includes being able to communicate using medical marijuana terms, explaining the medicinal uses, and knowing the different properties and strains of the plant.
This is particularly important with Eaze, the largest marijuana delivery company. They have a strong customer base, and the customers know their stuff. Better to know what you’re talking about than look foolish when selling.
4. Be a Professional, Not a Stoner
Cannabis companies are working hard to break the stigma and stereotypes of marijuana. As it continues to grow in popularity and usage across the general population, people are looking for a professional and discreet experience.
This is a far cry from having a seedy experience that feels as though you’re dealing with a “dry dealer.” If you’re able to show that you’re a professional rather than someone who just wants a job so they can smoke weed all day, the better chance you have of landing a job.
Companies like Eaze are even offering referral programs, like Uber and Lyft once did. This signals legitimacy to the program, meaning they’ll keep growing organically, proving they are a legit company.
5. Get Licensed If You Need To
Since the regulations across the United States are different from state to state, it’s important to know which licenses and certifications you need. The regulations for California might be different from Colorado, which may also be different for Massachusetts. Once you find out exactly what’s required of you, you should pursue the required licenses and certifications. The more legitimate you are, the easier it will be to get a job.
Now that you have a few tips to keep in mind, let’s see where you can find a cannabis job.
Find a Cannabis Job
Now that you have a rough idea of what you want to do within the cannabis industry, it’s time to start looking for opportunities. Since there are plenty of cannabis-only job boards, we’ll show you the best ones we’ve come across.
Here’s a list of the best cannabis job boards out there today.
- Vangsters
- WeedHire
- Hemp Temps
- Canna Recruiter
- 420 Careers
- Cannajobs
- Cannainsiders
- Cannabis.net
- Ms. Mary Staffing
Beyond these exclusive marijuana job boards, you can also find cannabis jobs on traditional job boards like Indeed.com and Glassdoor.
Join the Modern-Day Gold Rush
The marijuana industry is in the midst of a modern-day gold rush. Those who are entering the space with their own businesses and getting their foot in the door early are going to reap financial benefits for years to come.
There’s money to be made and plenty of positions out there for you to apply to. If you get ahead of the game now and lock in a role within this industry, you can make some extra cash in one of the hottest industries today.
