Cannabis Industry Jobs

Are you looking to move into the bud business? Become a pot purveyor? Deal in dope? Now that marijuana has become legal in some states, and even in some countries, more legitimate jobs are opening up for people who want to work in this industry.

Some of them are exactly what you’d expect, but others might surprise you. Let’s take a look at jobs in the cannabis industry.

1. Budtender

   We have to admit, that’s a pretty cool job title, but what is a budtender, other than a clever turn of phrase? A budtender is really a clerk who works in the storefront of a cannabis dispensary. They do what all store clerks do: they help customers find products and know their inventory. There is also stocking, cleaning, customer service, and other duties involved.

2. Medical Marijuana Dispensary Employee

   Medical marijuana dispensaries are a lot like cannabis shops, but they have a more medical focus, and working in one often means you need to be more caring and understanding because you’re often dealing with sick people or people who suffer from chronic conditions.

   Knowing the product, the “doses,” and methods of taking cannabis or CBD is more important when managing health issues, and having a little healthcare knowledge (or a lot) can be required.

3. Wellness Advisor

   This job is a step up from being a medical marijuana dispensary employee and will definitely require some healthcare experience. Some of these people are employed in dispensaries, medical labs, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities. Knowing how different strains of cannabis and different methods of ingestion are critical data points for this career.

4. Cannabis Marketing

   Even outside ad agencies and firms are setting up specific individuals or departments that deal in this specialized area. You could be involved in the creative end of marketing or work in the sales and business end of getting marketing clientele. It’s a growing field, so you might even be able to create your own hybrid job title and duties.

5. Master Grower and Cultivation or Botanical Specialist

   This business is quickly becoming big business, meaning there are a lot of large corporations that want in or that are cropping up. Expect to see more large cannabis companies, and with that, there will be all of the jobs that corporations have – from CEOs and CFOs to janitors and secretaries.

   One of those key jobs when it comes to marijuana will be growing and cultivating different varieties of cannabis and then determining potency, characteristics, and other key information.

6. Lab Technicians

   Assisting the botanical team will be a lot of people who work in the lab. These labs are very specialized, and experience in the field or training will be necessary. But once you’ve moved into the industry, there could be the potential to move up and learn more about the business.

   While working as a lab technician, you’ll need to test samples to learn about cannabinoid content and any contaminants they may contain. The more pot becomes mainstream and legal, the more hoops will be required for licensing, so there’s a lot of job security here.

7. Security

   Speaking of security. Here’s an interesting fact, because cannabis is still illegal according to federal law, businesses cannot have bank accounts because banks are federally insured. That means it’s a cash business which necessitates a lot of cash being on hand.

   This makes security a top priority. There are a lot of security jobs opening up for people who have law enforcement or experience in security.

8. Cannabis Business/Legal Consultant

   This is a strange time when the laws surrounding marijuana are confusing. Federal law is one thing, and state laws are another. You may also find that there are local ordinances that can affect a cannabis business. If you love learning about the law, then this area might be a great place to focus.

   Companies and even small dispensaries will need help navigating the laws to operate legally in their region. While the laws may change regularly and require a lot of work and research, the pay is exceptional, and you’ll have a lot of demand.

9. Cook/Chef

   The popularity of edible cannabis products (edibles) means that there needs to be a food product that carries the cannabis. Not only does the person making these tasty treats need to understand food, they need to know how much cannabis and what types to infuse in their creations.

   There’s more to this than you might realize, but the right person can turn this into a huge business and create their own brand. Think of it as the opportunity to become the Hostess of Herb.

10. Cannabis Party Servers

    Expect to see small booths popping up at private events, maybe not as frequently as you see bars and bartenders, but they’ll be there. If you can take your people and bud skills on the road, you can become a cannabis party server and encourage people to include your wares at their next big event.

11. Trimmer

    This is a true entry-level position in the cannabis industry, but if you want to get a foot in the door, it’s as good a start as any. Marijuana farms need trimmers to remove the buds from harvested plants and package them for sale. Precision is important, but that can be learned on the job once you get a real feel for the plants.

12. Quality Manager

    As with any industry, quality matters, and your company’s reputation can be the make or break for your business. A good quality manager will oversee testing, growing, cultivating, and the final product to ensure it’s safe for use and lives up to the expectations and standards set for each strain or variety.

13. Concentrates Expert

    Marijuana isn’t just about buds and smoking joints or bongs. In fact, the majority of today’s cannabis consumption isn’t smoked. Instead, it’s turned into a concentrate and then sold as an oil or what’s called a dab.

    Concentrates have stronger effects which can be more useful in medicinal situations. This, of course, means they’re also very popular in recreational use situations too. Knowing how to make a concentrate and even coming up with different applications for concentrates can ensure you’ll have a long professional career.

14. Packaging

    Cannabis, marijuana, pot – whatever you call it, if it’s being sold, it needs to have some sort of packaging. We already mentioned that an entire marketing team is necessary, and they’ll be the ones who are responsible for what the packaging looks like. But there will also need to be people who package up the product.

    Typically, they’ll work in warehouses, and this will be a factory-like job where they work on assembly lines putting the packages together, then putting those smaller packages into bigger boxes and getting them ready for shipping.

    This job doesn’t require much experience or skill and no educational training at all, making it a good entry-level job if this is an industry that interests you.

15. Courier and Delivery

    One dispensary may sever many different areas or places, especially where medical marijuana is involved. Think of it as the pizza delivery of pot. If a hospital or a nursing home needs a shipment, they’ll get in touch with you to have it delivered.

    Maybe you’ll be delivering to an individual who can’t leave home or someone who just wants their recreational drugs delivered to their home. There’s a lot of opportunity in this area because you can work for the corporation or the growers, work for a dispensary, or set up your own business and develop your own client list.

16. Executive and Manager

    Both of these higher-level positions will be required, especially as more and more marijuana labs crop up. This is a job you can transfer into from another industry, or you can try to work your way in and get promoted.

    If this really interests you, getting your feet wet in upper management in any business will help you gain experience in this field. Having previous experience in the medical field or law can also benefit you when working in this field.

17. Entrepreneur

    Guess what – this industry is so new that no one knows exactly what the future holds. That makes it ripe for the entrepreneur. If you’ve got a creative mind and you’re a go-getter, you might be able to think of the next greatest thing in the world of herb. What you do with that and how you turn your interest in cannabis into a lifetime career is entirely up to you.

    The entire field of legal cannabis production and sales is very fresh and new, which means it’s changing every day. There could be a new category of profession that pops up soon that no one even considered in the past.

    Maybe you’ll be the person to come up with that job or find a way to tie your current job into the pot field. The opportunities are almost endless, and they’re expected to continue to grow in the future.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.