It is almost New Year’s! We made it to 2019! You already know what your resolution is going to be. You are going to quit your crumby job doing (who gives a rat’s whistle) and start working in cannabis. Why not? You already consume it; might as well sell it!

You too could look this happy at work every day.

Slow down there Tommy Chong

“Ardin, I want to work in cannabis, but I don’t have XYZ. What should I do?” Simple answer, get whatever XYZ is. But that’s not always easy to do…

Sometimes XYZ is years of education (there is more science in cannabis cultivation and processing today than you can shake a stick at), or a ton of cash (cannabis companies are expensive to start, and don’t forget all of those legal fees in trying to deal with state and local government red tape), whatever it is, XYZ can delay a person’s cannabis career by months or years.

But hold on a second! You aren’t trying to map the cannabis genome, start a 20 acre grow, or open the first cannabis dispensary on Mars… are you? You are just a layperson who just wants a “J-O-B” in cannabis. If that is the case, I have put together this handy three-step guide to get you started on your road to a cannabis career.

1. Learn your ABC’s of THC and CBD

Cool, yup, I see… what am I looking at?

Before you go sticking your foot in your mouth in front of an interviewer, let’s make sure you know what you are talking about. Cannabis is more than just trees, flowers, bud, or green. It comes in many forms now: concentrates (shatter, crumble, sauce), edibles, tinctures, flowers, capsules, and more. It can be smoked, vaped, eaten, swallowed, and even rubbed on. And there are slang terms for everything!

So start by getting a basic cannabis vocabulary. This glossary of terms should help to get you started: The Colorado Pot Guide Marijuana Glossary

Also, get to know your state’s cannabis regulations:

National Cannabis Industry Association

National Conference of State Legislatures

Basically, do your homework before you move on to step two. What’s step two? I’m glad you asked…

2. Get to know your peers

Alzheimer with his co-workers Nervenklinik Munich 1909-1910

You want to work in cannabis, but do you know who you will be working with? The types of people that work in cannabis are as varied as the jobs. A good way to know if you will be a fit for a company or position is to talk to the people who are already there. Attending industry events is a great way to meet those people and engage in conversations about what their job is like.

Speaking of conversations, here are some good questions to ask when networking at cannabis industry events:

How many people do you work with?

Is it a large or small company?

Do you spend most of your time alone, or working with others?

What does a typical day look like for you?

What are some of your key responsibilities?

Where does your company fit into the cannabis space?

Essentially, you are doing a reverse job interview. You are interviewing the person who already has the role that you want to interview for. This way you can find out if it is a fit before you even submit your resume.

To get you started, here are some free resources to find industry events near you:

MeetUp.com – Search for FREE (and sometimes paid) local cannabis industry events. You can connect with other event attendees on the platform (it is a good way to follow up if you don’t get their contact details at the event).

Eventbrite.com – Search for tickets to paid industry events in your area.

Instagram.com – Follow your favorite companies to find out when they will attend major industry events.

3. Hit the job boards

It’s like we’re living in “The Matrix,” man. The boring part, where Neo had a desk job.

Now that you know the lingo, are up to speed on the laws and regulations, and have made some connections, it is time to dust off the old resume and start pounding the digital pavement. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to look for a cannabis job.

Most of the major job boards are cannabis friendly. Here are links to some of the biggest:

LinkedIn – Build your resume, research companies, and apply to open positions, all in one place. Stick with the free version unless you get truly stuck trying to make a connection with someone in a cannabis company.

Indeed – No need to keep an exhaustive profile like on LinkedIn. Just upload your resume and start applying.

Jobs on Cannabis.net – Cannabis specific job board. Good place to look for jobs not posted anywhere else.

CannaWorkHere – Newer cannabis specific job board. A little light on listings because it is new, but worth keeping an eye on it.

Finally, keep at it!

Having talked with enough people already in the industry (and now being one of them) I know that finding that first cannabis job doesn’t always happen overnight. But be persistent. Keep attending industry events. Follow up with the people you meet. Stay on top of regulatory news. And set up alerts for new job postings on all of the cannabis job boards. I am certain that if you keep at it, you will find the cannabis job you are looking for in 2019.