Cannabis Startups Are Growing A Huge Number of New Jobs

The cannabis market is growing each year and bringing more jobs as it expands. Recreational marijuana is now legal in 18 states across the United States, and the push for legalization in other states is never ending. With the number of jobs and the amount of revenue the cannabis market brings to states, it is safe to say that more states will legalize recreational marijuana in the coming years.

Why Legal Cannabis is Booming: Legislation

In the past year alone, legal cannabis supported 321,000 full-time or full-time equivalent jobs across the U.S. Jobs are available due to the fact that 1 in 3 Americans now live in states with legalized cannabis, and there are even more states that are preparing to legalize in the next few years. In 2020, cannabis employment exceeded that of many mainstream industries such as engineers, web developers, and even jobs in healthcare such as nurses and paramedics. This is because of the amount of jobs that are available within the cannabis industry.

Some jobs require scientific background such as positions in the actual greenhouse or in the lab crafting new products and ensuring the quality of crops, but other jobs have no experience needed. Many restaurant workers or retail workers find themselves in positions in dispensaries or in the greenhouse helping growers to keep up the maintenance of the crops. Dispensary workers help customers find the right products for them and keep an overall friendly atmosphere.

Retail workers that find themselves working in the cannabis industry often report finding a more supportive and welcoming workplace. Oftentimes this comes from the amount of people who work in the cannabis industry. Retail and restaurants are experiencing short staff which causes more stress for existing employees, but the cannabis industry doesn’t see these problems.

The Legal Cannabis Market Opened Doors for Employment

The pandemic saw many Americans lose their jobs due to many businesses shutting their doors. This is when many workers turned to the cannabis industry to find new careers. In 2020 during the peak months of the pandemic, 243,000 workers found jobs within dispensaries, labs, and greenhouses. The cannabis industry didn’t just supply thousands of jobs, it also provided another way of bringing profit into the country during an economic decline. In 2020, recreational marijuana saw $18.3 billion in sales, a 71% increase from the previous year.

Getting started in a job can be very easy. There are many websites that post job opportunities in the cannabis industry that can start the job search process. Expanding cannabis-related knowledge can be helpful too. People who work in the cannabis industry are professionals more than enthusiasts, and so having knowledge on the history, social impact, and medical benefits of marijuana can help in getting a job. In some cases a marijuana worker license may be required, but that is dependent on the state.

With the wide variety of jobs and the many benefits of working in the cannabis industry, the amount of people joining the industry is going to continue to grow each year. There are many opportunities for advancement as well as competitive wages, so it is no secret why so many people are choosing to find jobs in the marijuana industry. Will you find your next job in the cannabis job market?