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From thecannibist.com
Want to work with weed? Heres the straight dope on marijuana jobs
Insiders share their stories from the 'fastest-growing industry in America'; marijuana isnt included in mainstream jobs reports, but another report says pot outsold Girl Scout cookies in 2015
Published: Jun 13, 2016
By Brooke Edwards Staggs, The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA, Calif. Some have messy buns and sleeve tattoos. Some have salon cuts and $2,000 suits.
Some are joining blue-collar unions, getting health benefits as they grow and sell a plant theyve long loved. Some say they never touch it, but theyre standing guard outside shops and fiercely lobbying legislators in Sacramento to ensure that others can.
As public support and legalization of cannabis spreads, those whove quietly worked in Californias medical marijuana industry are slowly emerging from the shadows. And professionals who never would have considered joining the industry a couple of years ago are leaving behind traditional careers in law, real estate and finance as they flock to what they see as the next big boom.
The fastest-growing industry in America is marijuana, period, said Jake Bhattacharya, who recently quit his information technology job to open a cannabis testing lab in Upland.
With medical marijuana legal in 25 states and recreational use allowed in four, pot outsold Girl Scout Cookies in 2015, according to a report from Marijuana Business Daily, a 5-year-old news website covering the industry.
Pot retail sales are expected to hit $4 billion this year, and Marijuana Business Daily is projecting that number could nearly triple by 2020.
The actual size of the industry may already be much larger, too, since California hasnt tracked its massive medical marijuana market in the 20 years since its been legal. And it could skyrocket if voters here and a handful of other states approve recreational use Nov. 8.
The lack of reliable data coupled with the niche aspect of the industry is why cannabis and the connected marijuana jobs isnt included in mainstream economic and jobs reports, according to Christopher Thornberg, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development at UC Riverside.
Its still too fly-by-night, Thornberg said.
Californias Employment Development Department doesnt track the diverse daisy chain of cannabis jobs either. And several recruitment firms said they dont deal with the industry.
Job seekers and employers instead turn to Craigslist or specialized sites. Theres a recent post on WeedHire.com for a $75,000-a-year account manager at GFarmaLabs, which makes marijuana products in Anaheim, and one on 420careers.com for growers and trimmers at Buds & Roses dispensary in Los Angeles.
Working in the industry isnt without complications.
It remains illegal at the federal level, which limits access to financial services and causes lingering concerns over raids by federal authorities.
Californias market is also emerging from two decades of nearly nonexistent regulation and intense battles with local governments who were less than welcoming to potrepreneurs. That legacy means newly licensed shops often still rely on growers and manufacturers in the gray market, and they struggle to survive alongside unlicensed operators who arent paying the same hefty taxes.
Then theres the glaring disapproval that comes from shrinking (per the polls) but vocal pockets of the public. Fear of backlash from conservative family members or future business associates kept a number of cannabis workers from speaking on the record for this story.
Lets face it, of course there is a stigma, said Juliet Murphy, a career coach who runs Juliet Murphy Career Development in Tustin.
Murphy expects that it would raise eyebrows for more traditional employers to see a weed industry job on someones résumé. However, Murphy sees it as less of an issue going forward as the industry becomes more mainstream and as millennials continue to transform the workforce.
There are still a lot of kinks that are being worked out. But I think this presents an opportunity for a lot of jobs, provided that people do it right, Murphy said. I think in the next 5 to 10 years, its going to be huge.
Considering a career in cannabis?
Heres some advice from Julie LaCroix, a career counselor based in Newport Beach, and Juliet Murphy, an executive career coach in Tustin.
Educate yourself on the legislation and regulations that impact the industry and stay up to date on changes.
Join a professional association such as the National Cannabis Industry Association or Women Grow.
Treat it as a legitimate industry. For managers, that might mean using traditional employment sites to recruit. For workers, that means being professional.
Dont get in it for the money. As with any job, there has to be a passion there, either for medical marijuana itself or for the particular career youre pursuing in the industry.
Focus on developing skills and relationships and providing value to your employer rather than simply knowing the product and market. These will transfer if the volatile industry flips or if you decide to move away from marijuana down the road.
Be aware of the stigma, and how working in the industry might impact your status in the larger workforce. If status is something you value, that might be problematic due to the stigma that still exists over the marijuana industry.
But dont let fear of that stigma stop you if youre passionate about this industry. Many other industries from alcohol to mortgage banks also carry some stigmas. But people manage to move in and out of these industries every day.
Realize that industry experience is a bonus, but bringing the right skill set is more important. So even if youve never worked in marijuana, your experience as an account manager or security guard can apply.
Here are stories from a diverse group of five locals willing to speak publicly some for the first time about what its like to work in Southern Californias legal marijuana industry:
Meet a budtender:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718961-urbanski-first.html
Meet a technology developer:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718963-norris-industry.html
Meet a public relations specialist:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/simard-718962-industry-dinenberg.html
Meet a lab technician:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/industry-718960-bhattacharya-labs.html
Meet a delivery coordinator:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718959-siegel-industry.html
Sky Siegel of Costa Mesa uses an iPad to coordinate medical cannabis deliveries for a dispensary out of the South Bay.
This story was first published on OCRegister.com
http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/06/13/marijuana-jobs-inside-dope/56096/
Want to work with weed? Heres the straight dope on marijuana jobs
Insiders share their stories from the 'fastest-growing industry in America'; marijuana isnt included in mainstream jobs reports, but another report says pot outsold Girl Scout cookies in 2015
Published: Jun 13, 2016
By Brooke Edwards Staggs, The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA, Calif. Some have messy buns and sleeve tattoos. Some have salon cuts and $2,000 suits.
Some are joining blue-collar unions, getting health benefits as they grow and sell a plant theyve long loved. Some say they never touch it, but theyre standing guard outside shops and fiercely lobbying legislators in Sacramento to ensure that others can.
As public support and legalization of cannabis spreads, those whove quietly worked in Californias medical marijuana industry are slowly emerging from the shadows. And professionals who never would have considered joining the industry a couple of years ago are leaving behind traditional careers in law, real estate and finance as they flock to what they see as the next big boom.
The fastest-growing industry in America is marijuana, period, said Jake Bhattacharya, who recently quit his information technology job to open a cannabis testing lab in Upland.
With medical marijuana legal in 25 states and recreational use allowed in four, pot outsold Girl Scout Cookies in 2015, according to a report from Marijuana Business Daily, a 5-year-old news website covering the industry.
Pot retail sales are expected to hit $4 billion this year, and Marijuana Business Daily is projecting that number could nearly triple by 2020.
The actual size of the industry may already be much larger, too, since California hasnt tracked its massive medical marijuana market in the 20 years since its been legal. And it could skyrocket if voters here and a handful of other states approve recreational use Nov. 8.
The lack of reliable data coupled with the niche aspect of the industry is why cannabis and the connected marijuana jobs isnt included in mainstream economic and jobs reports, according to Christopher Thornberg, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development at UC Riverside.
Its still too fly-by-night, Thornberg said.
Californias Employment Development Department doesnt track the diverse daisy chain of cannabis jobs either. And several recruitment firms said they dont deal with the industry.
Job seekers and employers instead turn to Craigslist or specialized sites. Theres a recent post on WeedHire.com for a $75,000-a-year account manager at GFarmaLabs, which makes marijuana products in Anaheim, and one on 420careers.com for growers and trimmers at Buds & Roses dispensary in Los Angeles.
Working in the industry isnt without complications.
It remains illegal at the federal level, which limits access to financial services and causes lingering concerns over raids by federal authorities.
Californias market is also emerging from two decades of nearly nonexistent regulation and intense battles with local governments who were less than welcoming to potrepreneurs. That legacy means newly licensed shops often still rely on growers and manufacturers in the gray market, and they struggle to survive alongside unlicensed operators who arent paying the same hefty taxes.
Then theres the glaring disapproval that comes from shrinking (per the polls) but vocal pockets of the public. Fear of backlash from conservative family members or future business associates kept a number of cannabis workers from speaking on the record for this story.
Lets face it, of course there is a stigma, said Juliet Murphy, a career coach who runs Juliet Murphy Career Development in Tustin.
Murphy expects that it would raise eyebrows for more traditional employers to see a weed industry job on someones résumé. However, Murphy sees it as less of an issue going forward as the industry becomes more mainstream and as millennials continue to transform the workforce.
There are still a lot of kinks that are being worked out. But I think this presents an opportunity for a lot of jobs, provided that people do it right, Murphy said. I think in the next 5 to 10 years, its going to be huge.
Considering a career in cannabis?
Heres some advice from Julie LaCroix, a career counselor based in Newport Beach, and Juliet Murphy, an executive career coach in Tustin.
Educate yourself on the legislation and regulations that impact the industry and stay up to date on changes.
Join a professional association such as the National Cannabis Industry Association or Women Grow.
Treat it as a legitimate industry. For managers, that might mean using traditional employment sites to recruit. For workers, that means being professional.
Dont get in it for the money. As with any job, there has to be a passion there, either for medical marijuana itself or for the particular career youre pursuing in the industry.
Focus on developing skills and relationships and providing value to your employer rather than simply knowing the product and market. These will transfer if the volatile industry flips or if you decide to move away from marijuana down the road.
Be aware of the stigma, and how working in the industry might impact your status in the larger workforce. If status is something you value, that might be problematic due to the stigma that still exists over the marijuana industry.
But dont let fear of that stigma stop you if youre passionate about this industry. Many other industries from alcohol to mortgage banks also carry some stigmas. But people manage to move in and out of these industries every day.
Realize that industry experience is a bonus, but bringing the right skill set is more important. So even if youve never worked in marijuana, your experience as an account manager or security guard can apply.
Here are stories from a diverse group of five locals willing to speak publicly some for the first time about what its like to work in Southern Californias legal marijuana industry:
Meet a budtender:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718961-urbanski-first.html
Meet a technology developer:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718963-norris-industry.html
Meet a public relations specialist:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/simard-718962-industry-dinenberg.html
Meet a lab technician:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/industry-718960-bhattacharya-labs.html
Meet a delivery coordinator:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-718959-siegel-industry.html
Sky Siegel of Costa Mesa uses an iPad to coordinate medical cannabis deliveries for a dispensary out of the South Bay.
This story was first published on OCRegister.com
http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/06/13/marijuana-jobs-inside-dope/56096/
