Will a Marijuana Career be right for you?

The cannabis industry is emerging from the gates after legalization in Canada and multiple US States. What do you need to know about this industry before deciding if it is the job for you? We will dive into the ups, downs and arounds of jobs in the Cannabis industry and let you decide the rest. Important to note: this field is highly professional and most companies that are already operating are doing so by servicing the needs of medical patients, and any job that directly provides medical products to the government is incredibly strict and professional and should not be taken lightly.





There is a lot of new jobs appearing that most people would not have expected to see in their life times - bud trimmer, budtender, concentrates processor, seed harvester and grower to name a few. These are relatively unique to the cannabis industry: bud trimmers are line workers who trim leafy buds into beautiful nugs - if you are looking to work hard and get rewarded this is a good place to begin as overtime can be offered or even mandatory (with written consent) to get those large orders out on time. Budtenders are the 21st centurie’s new bartenders, in some US states they even receive a serving-wage and are given the opportunity to earn tips - this is important to note for those who expect a constant wage or salary so make sure you pay attention when applying. Concentrates processors and seed harvester are more specialized jobs in the industry and would require previous experience (possibly from working in the either the food, medical or farming sectors) or working your way up from lower positions in the industry. If you are interested in growing be sure to keep your eyes on job postings as you could begin your path down the cannabis industry as a grower at the right farm.









These are mostly unique jobs and should not require prior experience, you could start as a budtender and move your way up to concentrates - or even into the front office, right now the cannabis industry is about getting your foot in the door and letting your work ethic do the rest. That does not mean that this industry only needs to fill its new positions, a cannabis dispensary or producer also requires the tried and true positions that let companies operate as they do.





There are also a lot of established jobs that the Cannabis industry is in need of: courier delivery persons, security for dispensaries and production plants, reviewers, administration, web and software design and even consulting. If these are fields you have experience in then why do you want to leave your current industry for cannabis? For starters the cannabis industry is brand-new and it may offer higher wages in order to poach the talent it needs. Delivery and security employees may find themselves at the end of the line in their career paths if bartending or cooking does not interest them, in the cannabis industry a security guard may work his way into any facet of the industry as long as your work ethic is permitting and the boss is as forward-thinking as the majority of the industry. This is uncharted territory and most employers do not know exactly which type of employee they are looking for, the motivated worker can use this to their advantage and decide their own career path in this industry.









If you have decided you take the plunge and apply - great, let us discuss where you can go wrong when applying for a new job in the cannabis industry. Stay professional: there are horror stories of managers of dispensaries receiving resumes that read as a check-list of every strain of weed that the applicant has smoked in their lives, this is not a good decision. Your resume should still be the complete professional representation of your history as an employee. Keep it professional and highlight which strengths you have acquired in previous fields and be ready to explain how they will be applicable in the job that you are applying for. If the marijuana industry interests you, go after it! The path is unbeaten and allows anyone to work their way as long as you have the motivation to work hard and pay attention to what your workplace needs. You may be established on wall street, or maybe you’re stuck in a middle level office job - either way if this industry is a passion for you the time has never been better to take a risk and get what you want.