Is a Career in the Marijuana Industry in your Future?

The cannabis industry continues to grow year after year, creating plenty of career opportunities for job seekers everywhere. As of August 2019, over 211,000 employees have secured full-time jobs in the industry, with more than 30% of that number being added only in the last year alone. With more interested investors coming in, and with 11 states set to potentially legalize marijuana over the course of 2020, it’s safe to say that job applicants will increasingly be in high demand, with many lucrative careers requiring very little in terms of education and training. Is a career in the marijuana industry in your future? We have inquired from Resumeble about potential job search pitfalls, resume preparation and understanding the cannabis industry.

Working in the cannabis industry – a potentially ethical dilemma

Before sending out your resume and application to a cannabis company, it’s essential to understand that marijuana remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under American federal law. The Drug Enforcement Agency defines Schedule 1 drugs as those “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Other examples of Schedule 1 drugs include heroin and lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD.

However, in October 2009, the Obama Administration sent out a memo discouraging federal prosecutors from charging people who “distribute marijuana for medical purposes in accordance with state law.”

Couple that with the fact that 14 states have now approved marijuana for both medical and recreational use, while 33 other states allow it solely for medical purposes, and you’re looking at a really confusing situation on your hands. Even the laws governing cannabis in legal states are complicated, to say the least. Not to mention, these laws are frequently changing, and they can affect everyone working in the industry—from growers to sellers and even employees—similarly.

As one can imagine, working in the marijuana industry can be tricky, but the jobs are there, waiting for qualified applicants to fill them. Now that you understand beforehand that there can be legal complications and implications to a career in this industry, then you have to take every step seriously.

According to Joshua Thompson from Resumeble: “We sometimes receive questions from potential customers whether helping them with a CV or a resume to enter the industry will constitute a moral dilemma for our writers. This shows that even in such a simple instance as writing a resume, many professionals still feel unsure about their choice or how their choice will be perceived by others.”

 

Breaking into the cannabis industry

When people hear cannabis jobs, they often think about budding, tending, and being an expert on the many strains of weed available. But the marijuana industry is more diverse than that. Like any other industry, the weed business also offers career opportunities that involve basic business needs such as accounting, marketing, communications, sales, distribution, inventory, consulting, and more. With that in mind, here are six tips on how you can not only boost your chances of landing a cannabis career, but also thrive in it.

1. Understand the difference between ‘medical’ and ‘recreational’

There are key differences between medical and recreational marijuana worth knowing for those looking for a job in the cannabis industry. The most prominent difference is that states that permit medical marijuana require individuals to have a doctor’s recommendation before they can purchase, and their illness must first be state-approved for the application of medical marijuana, such as glaucoma, cancer, and Crohn’s disease, among others.

Meanwhile, states that permit recreational marijuana use requires potential buyers to be over the required legal age. Once their age is verified, the buyers are free to decide on their own whether to use marijuana as a medicine or not, without any doctor’s recommendation necessary.

2. Know the requirements for applicants in your chosen state

Different states have different requirements for job applicants. For instance, the minimum age requirement in Arizona for those who can legally possess weed is 18 years old, while in Washington DC, only adults over the age of 21 are allowed to consume the drug. Other common qualifications include having a clean public record, proper training, and permit to work in the marijuana industry. Look up various resources on the Internet that provide necessary information about your chosen state’s local cannabis industry.

3. Research salaries

The cannabis business hosts a wide range of salaries, so before you go out job hunting, first look into the kind of money you want to bring home. Salaries in the marijuana sector can reach up to $250k annually, with the highest paying jobs, including cannabis consultant, master extractor, master grower, dispensary chief operating officer, and edibles chef. As for entry-level work, which can range from $30k to $60k a year, these include jobs like cultivation assistant, receptionist, data entry clerk, and bud trimmer, to name a few. But beyond the money, you should also look at which marijuana job is the right fit for you. Remember that earning more comes with bigger responsibilities, and you may have to work your way up the ladder to reach your earning goals.

4. Expect the unexpected

As mentioned, marijuana continues to be illegal at the federal level. So, while many states enjoy the freedom to consume to some degree, attitude towards the drug could change dramatically depending on who controls the federal government. New laws could easily undo many of the progress made with marijuana consumption, and with that, to reduce your risk, your most important priority when applying for a marijuana job is to find a job at a dispensary that strictly adheres to all local and state laws and regulations. Official state websites usually provide information about their licensed marijuana dispensaries, making them a good starting point for researching the marijuana company or business that you plan to work for.

5. Be ready to move

Unless you already live in a state where marijuana is legal and are planning to work there, you likely will have to move to a different legalized marijuana state. Many marijuana states require cannabis industry employees to be a certified state resident before they are issued with a permit to work. Some, like Colorado, want applicants to have prior work experience before they can work. Figure out how far ahead of time, you need to be in-state before you can start work. This will inform you of the ideal time frame to send out your resume.

6. Update your resume for the cannabis industry

You’ll want to make sure your resume is uniquely written not only for the cannabis industry but for the specific company and job position you are applying to. A competency-based resume is a generally accepted format for cannabis resume writing, which means focusing more on skills than experience. This does not imply that past work experience is irrelevant—just that it should take a backseat to your skills. Let your first paragraphs highlight your transferrable skills and only include relevant past jobs in the ‘Experience’ section of your resume.

BIO:

Ava Williams is a career development specialist. She is interested in travelling, online learning and courses, and job industry. Ava enjoys writing on education, career, and blogging tendencies. Find out more about Ava’s work by visiting her career blog. You can also follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.