Cannabis Industry Jobs are Essential During COVID-19
If you have ever considered a Cannabis Career – now is the time to get serious. Dispensary jobs are on the uptick as Americans have become college students again – eating, drinking and smoking pot with nothing to do during this quarantine.
Just this week, new reports have emerged showing some states are recording record dispensary sales over the same time last year; some as high as a 100% increase. This has led to an increase in the cannabis industry job market as knowledgeable dispensary agents, inventory clerks and drivers are needed to match the demand. Most people think of Marijuana jobs as cultivation, processing and dispensing and those positions are on the rise as well but the marijuana industry employs so much more than that!
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?
Evaluate your own skill set to determine what you are skilled at or what you like to do. While the cannabis industry is still new, it is a business just like any other. It may sound awesome to be an extractor or grower and kudos to you if you have that skill set, but there are other marijuana jobs to consider if you want to obtain one of the many cannabis jobs available. Take your current skill set and apply it to help you launch your cannabis career.
So, what DO you do at your current job? Do you have experience in marketing, B2B sales, human resources or even accounting? Consider applying to those skills as a way into the industry. Once you are in, if you decide that you want to move into the retail, processing or cultivation side, you will be the first to know about new job openings in your company.
MARKETING, WEBSITES AND B2B SALES:
Cannabis industry jobs in marketing are different than traditional marketing positions. Cannabis has many restrictions on how companies can market it; what they can say, what their labels may look at and where they can advertise – and each state is different! Google will not allow you to run ads as a cannabis company and neither will Facebook. Marketers must understand how to get the word out without breaking any rules.
Everyone needs a website and cannabis retailers are no different. Web programmers and software developers create and maintain apps, websites and check out carts. Even websites are restricted, by state law, in what they are allowed to say, promote and advertise.
No matter how good the product, if you do not have salespeople to introduce it to the marketplace it will not do any good. Experienced sales people in cannabis and hemp will have their own go-to book of business for their territory. Business owners will specifically look for experience when interviewing for those B2B sales positions so they can get their products into the marketplace quickly and efficiently. Salary and commissions will be experience and goal based.
ACCOUNTING & HUMAN RESOURCES
We all pay bills and the cannabis industry is no different. The cannabis business will be purchasing equipment and products and must pay for them. Additionally, they will sell products that must be paid for as well. Experienced accounts receivable/payable employees will be needed to ensure that it is done per proper regulations.
Every business has employees; thus, a Human Resource person is necessary to keep track of employee policy and procedures, records, training, timecards, vacations and payroll. Everyone still gets a paycheck and pays taxes, no different than any other licensed business.
PROCESSING, PACKAGING AND DELIVERING
There are many different marijuana products in the marketplace right now. In addition to smoking flower, people are now vaping, using topical and transdermal products like lotions, salves and patches and consuming tinctures, oils, extracts and edibles. Experience in processing centers, cannabis or hemp, is rewarded with positions in the extraction centers to create the extracts and oils necessary to make those products.
Due to our recent situation, dispensaries have seen a huge increase in the sale of edibles and oil and tincture-type products, which have a substantial duration time and are much more discreet for those that are working from home. Edible companies will need the infusers, chefs and kitchen staff to get their products made and delivered to the dispensaries.
The overwhelming demand for marijuana and marijuana products has led to an increase in the need for factory workers to fill and package the finished products and even make consumption products like vape cartridges, batteries and product packaging.
Businesses also need to move their products from their cultivation, extraction and infusing centers to the retail shops, also known as dispensaries or provisioning centers. Businesses will look for experienced drivers, often with armored car experience and with clean records, to fill these positions.
DISPENSARY JOBS
Marijuana growers need a place to sell their wares, and your local dispensary is the place. Dispensaries can sell either medical marijuana only or both medical and recreational marijuana, depending on state laws. Dispensaries are under heavy scrutiny by law enforcement and look for either experienced dispensary agents, if they are available, or for trained candidates.
It is important to reiterate the value of dispensary training, if you do not have experience. With dispensaries being the face of this industry, it is imperative that the dispensary agents know what they are selling. Dispensary jobs are the most sought-after positions and very demanding. It is extremely important that people who work in the dispensaries are trained in the laws and procedures that apply to their daily transactions to avoid raids and closures.
CULTIVATION
Agriculture is an important aspect of the cannabis trade, after all that is where it all starts! There are large scale farms and smaller more experimental farms throughout the United States. They will grow your traditional marijuana strains and they also experiment with new strains with varying levels of THC and CBD. Positions range from the Master Grower or Director of Cultivation, who knows everything about the cultivation of the cannabis plant and has various degrees and years of experience, to the site workers and trimmers. Are you a plant specialist? Look for marijuana job titles like clone technicians, fertigation managers and water filtration system expert – if that is where your background lies.
BREAKING INTO THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY
Everything changed in the last few months with regards to attending networking events, conferences and even in-person training classes. Person-to-Person now means utilizing software for virtual cocktail hours and tradeshows. In-person training has now morphed into live cannabis webinars to accommodate social distancing and quarantine orders. Take advantage of the everything available to see what interests you, the newest trends and what you can expect from working in the industry. Accredited in both Illinois and Massachusetts, HempStaff has a host of training class topics available to fulfill the minimum amount of annual training hours required in some states. Click Here for our upcoming schedule.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Professionalism is key to getting ahead and landing that cannabis industry job. Dress professionally, act professionally and speak professionally. Marijuana business owners want people who are passionate about the plant, compassionate for the consumer, educated on the products and will be an asset not a liability to their team.
For more information about the cannabis industry or breaking into the marijuana industry, visit HempStaff’s website at www.hempstaff.com.
If you are looking for training topics and class schedule, please visit dispensarytraining.com.
HempStaff’s job board can be easily accessed at cannabisemployment.com.
HempStaff’s recruiters work nationwide. Get in front of them by creating your own private profile at hempstaff.com and upload your resume.
