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New Year Brings Promising Employment Opportunities

Shopping for Marijuana with Family Cannabis Now
Photo Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now

Economics

New Year Brings Promising Employment Opportunities

Perhaps more than ever, it’s a good time to really consider pursuing a job in the blossoming cannabis industry for various reasons. Not only are investors dropping major money on small companies and start-ups with very high potential, but with the passing of legislation that’s legalized cannabis, many states will have a need for more local employees.

According to reports, an estimated 200,000 jobs in various fields within the cannabis industry will be created just this year. From budtenders (borrowed and remixed from the term bartender) to cannabis tour guides, there’s a whole world of cannabis careers that will be available to interested and qualified candidates.

Right now, some of the hottest, most popular jobs in the industry include cultivators, edible artisans, extraction technicians and dispensary managers. However, there will also be a need for employees who aren’t directly related to or in contact with cannabis at all, but instead deal with the additional aspects of marijuana. In the coming year and beyond, there will be a rise in demand for cannabis attorneys or lawyers who specialize in marijuana law, designers who can adhere to regulatory standards for packing requirements and security personnel that can safely guard retail locations.

There are also ancillary jobs that will be created or, at the least, stably maintained to keep up with the demand like gardening or landscape supply stores and any other parallel business that unknowingly caters to the specific needs of the cannabis industry.

Some of the current leaders in the business are growers like Green House Seeds and edible companies including Auntie Dolores and Dixie Elixirs. However, venture capitalists have been looking to increase the diversity in the market by making large-sum investments into cannabis start-ups looking to get their foot in the door.

Reports reveal that investors have contributed nearly $90 million towards businesses in the cannabis industry, although most of that money has gone to companies in Canada where medical marijuana is federally legal.

The rise in opportunities for business and people looking to enter the industry will continue to grow. This is just the beginning. Matt Karnes, founder and managing partner of an independent financial research and cannabis advisory firm called GreenWave Advisors, LLC gives more insight into the future of jobs.

“By 2020, assuming the most likely progression of state by state legalization, we expect the combined [medical and adult use] retail marijuana market to reach $21 billion. Jobs are just the beginning, a cultural shift towards the cannabis plant is taking place,” he said.

Would you like to work in the cannabis industry? What would you do? Tell us in the comments. 

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