1 in 3 Americans now live in states with legalized cannabis. Next, to allow cannabis in the state is Montana, beginning this year. In 2021, the legalized cannabis industry supported 321,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Even during the pandemic, cannabis saw 32% year-over-year job growth. As a new market in many states, the potential for rapid expansion is palpable. Entry-level employees who join soon have the potential for rapid advancement.
The cannabis job market supports employees with many different skill sets. Harvesters and cultivators are often recruited among cooks and dishwashers in the restaurant industry. Dispensary managers, by contrast, tend to come from high-end retail or pharmacology. Retail and restaurant workers who shift to working in the cannabis industry often find a more supportive and welcoming workplace than the one they left behind. Not every job requires an individual to work with marijuana directly; every business needs marketing, accountants, and IT, for example.
Getting started in the cannabis industry is easy. Some states require special licenses for marijuana workers, but not all. The important steps to getting hired are to expand cannabis-related knowledge and present oneself as a professional, not an enthusiast. Cannabis could employ thousands more by next year.
