In the past, there weren’t any legitimate jobs in the cannabis industry, and the best many people could hope for was a position in a smoke shop that served only ‘tobacco’. Today, thousands of people make a living in the cannabis industry and the cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing industries today. Worth more than $18 billion as of 2021, more than a quarter of a million jobs have been created thanks to marijuana.
Are you interested in taking advantage of this expanding market? Hemp Temps specializes in helping cannabis professionals find and get hired for the jobs they want. We help our applicants gain the skills they will need to qualify as cannabis professionals. Our company has placed thousands of applicants and can help you find a job that fits your skills and interests.
This guide to cannabis careers has been created to help future cannabis professionals learn more about the industry and the opportunities available to them. If you haven’t already read Careers In Cannabis: Part 1, be sure to give it a read to learn about these five cannabis job titles:
- Trimmer
- Harvester or Cultivator
- Cannabis Extractors
- Edibles Chef
- Product packer
As part two of this series, we’ll take a closer look at three more job titles in the cannabis industry and what it takes to earn them:
Cannabis Consultant
Running a cannabis business can be tricky, especially with confusing municipal, State, and Federal laws often contradicting one another. If you live in California, the State has legalized cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes, but that doesn’t make them fully immune to Federal regulations, which still prohibit cannabis. Similarly, municipalities and local governments can place restrictions on businesses in their areas, sometimes blocking cannabis companies from setting up shop despite State laws.
With so many factors to navigate, many cannabis companies hire a cannabis consultant. Cannabis consultants typically have an extensive background in the cannabis industry, but those that don’t often come from legal and financial backgrounds. Cannabis consultants work with business owners and managers to find the right business locations, obtain state and local licenses, and advise on necessary safety regulations.
Additionally, cannabis consultants help businesses to remain in compliance with local laws, and should understand the ins and outs of state-monitored inventory systems like METRC, BioTrack, and more. Cannabis consultants are required to have a high degree of expertise and experience, and should be able to take on multiple roles and responsibilities for various cannabis businesses.
Dispensary Manager
If you have a background working retail or have managed a team in the past, you might qualify for a position as a dispensary manager. Dispensary managers oversee the daily operations of a dispensary, making sure everything runs smoothly. What you do each day will depend on where you work and how you run your dispensary, but some of the most common tasks completed by dispensary managers include:
- Ensuring the dispensary property is safe and up to cleanliness standards at all times
- Implementing notes, comments, criticism, or instructions from state or municipal inspectors
- Order, manage, and maintain product inventory including pricing, sales goals, etc.
- Interview, hire, and train new employees
- Create employee schedules
- Be a positive role model and effective leader
- Enforce dispensary rules, standards, and protocols
- Communicate with customers/patients
To become a dispensary manager, you will need previous experience in the cannabis industry, should have good customer service skills, should enjoy working with people, and will need to demonstrate a high degree of reliability and dedication. Since you are essentially the leader of the pack, you’ll need to be able to handle stressful situations with grace and confidence. Ask any dispensary employee and they’ll tell you the attitude of the dispensary manager and make or break the team’s success.
Budtender
Most cannabis careers take place behind the scenes, growing, preparing, analyzing, and managing the sale of marijuana. Unlike many of these positions, budtenders spend the majority of their time at center stage, talking face-to-face with customers about their needs and the cannabis they have for sale. Budtenders do two things: talk to people, and know a lot about weed, but don’t be fooled by the relative ease of this job description, budtenders need to be knowledgeable and highly skilled.
If you land a position as a budtender, you’ll spend your days meeting new people, hearing their stories, and helping them choose the cannabis products that suit their needs. If you are passionate about marijuana, talking cannabis all-day might sound like a dream, but remember that you have to be able to talk to lots of different types of people, not just cannabis experts. Budtenders spend a lot of time educating their customers and explaining the different types of cannabis and cannabis products. Not only will you need to be familiar with all the products on sale, you’ll also need to know how to explain what they are and how they work to people with a wide range of knowledge about cannabis.
While having an in-depth knowledge of cannabis will help you earn a position as a budtender, this isn’t the only important qualification you’ll need to bring to the table. Other qualities you’ll need to demonstrate before you’ll get hired as a budtender include:
- Friendliness and good customer service
- Having a working knowledge of marijuana strains and products
- Ability to organize well
- Record of no criminal convictions
- Reliability and trustworthiness
How To Get a Job In the Cannabis Industry
Don’t delay: start your search for the perfect job with Hemp Temps if a career in cannabis sounds right for you. Thousands of professionals have found exciting career opportunities with Hemp Temps, thanks to our placement services. Hemp Temps can help you get started, whether you have experience with cannabis or are looking for your first cannabis job.
Visit Hemp Temps online or contact us by calling 866-430-HEMP toll free today!
