It was standing room only as the low January mid-day sun streamed across an anxious class-room in Kent Island. A slow motion game of musical chairs was playing out as applicants periodically shuffled from chair-to-chair on their way to one of 3 interviewing agents. What had filled this semi-rural library’s parking lot to capacity? A handful of Jobs at the Green Thumb Industries cultivation center located in downtown Centerville Maryland, one of only 2 cannabis farms on Maryland’s eastern shore.

On Tuesday I saw the announcement for a Job Fair announced on Green Thumb Industries website. Following prompts on the announcement I submitted an online application with resume for the “Centerville Job Fair” position. Upon pressing “send” I immediately received this in return:

Thank you for your interest in Green Thumb Industries, also the parent company to RISE Dispensaries and Essence Las Vegas! We’ve received your application for Centreville Job Fair, we’re grateful to everyone who submits a resume and expresses interest in joining our team. Due to the extremely high volume of applications we receive, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Have a wonderful day!The Green Thumb Industries Recruitment Team Automatic reply from the GTI job fair online application.

Despite not receiving any follow-up contact indicating that I had been “selected for an interview” by TGTIRT, I decided to attended anyway. If there was no chance at interviewing to score a coveted spot at the grow center, I would at the very least be able to get a blog post out of the experience.

Arriving at about 30 minutes after its 1:30 PM start there was no question as to which part of the small town library was hosting a job fair. At the door to the crowded classroom a GTI representative sat working triage at a swag covered desk. Looking for work as a cultivator I was directed to the more crowded column of seats reserved for aspiring cultivation and facilities workers. I lined up at the back of the room and awaited for my turn to sit and shuffle.

Despite a 2.7% unemployment rate eager job seekers in line at GTI’s “Centerville Job Fair” held at the Queen Anne’s County Public Library earlier this week Photo: MDCCA

Wanting blog material -not one to keep quiet anyway-I quickly struck up small-talk-interrogations with the two gentlemen waiting on either side. Both were in their 50’s, living in nearby communities of Queenstown and Easton and were taking a day off from work to attend. Both shared my reason for earnestly applying; a life long desire to work in a legal cannabis industry.

As our line snaked forward my seatmates became more taciturn and I was able to glean tidbits of other’s interviews. All were asked if they had already submitted an application online, unsurprisingly none had. They were then instructed to do so in order to be considered; only applicants being considered for positions would receive followup by the end of the week.

The GTI recruiter that my line fed in-to was engaging and friendly; expressing either a genuine interest in each applicant or an all-star poker face as she processed the replenishing line of aspiring cultivators and facilities managers.

One management candidate who interviewed before me tried to steer the course of the conversation to his “longtime support of and advocacy for cannabis legalization.” After the second or third such diversion the recruiter stated flatly that “we leave advocacy to the people in Chicago”, before re-asking a question more relevant to the “facilities manager” position.

Despite Just 18 months in lightly populated Oklahoma (population 3.9 million) already has more Cannabis jobs than Maryland (pop. 6 million)

Upon leaving around 4pm, every seat in my line was still filled with with patient job-seekers but there were was no longer a standing line at the back of the room.

The lady at the triage desk thanked me and offered ‘rythm’ stickers and ‘the feel collection’ bags. Bad swag-grabbing habits on display I was sternly informed that it was either/or, not both; I grabbed a bag.

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