Fortune: Getting a Job in the Cannabis Industry

As we head into Labor Day weekend, maybe you are happy with your job, or maybe you are looking for a career change. If you’re looking to move into something new, then the cannabis industry may be what you are looking for. Thousands upon thousands of jobs are being created and you have the opportunity to enter an industry at its early foundation.

New jobs are opening up all across North America. Canadian companies are certainly hiring, with top dollar going to experienced growers. The Southern Oregon cannabis industry is outpacing the local winery industry as far as wages as the Beaver State continues to bring in more revenue than ever before. Colorado is still breaking its revenue records. California is still working out some serious regulatory kinks, but once they figure things out, the Golden State industry will be a huge job creator.

Political developments in 2018 are already providing dividends and more are on the way. Oklahoma’s medical program is already up and running and Missouri and Utah could be joining the ranks of medical states. Michigan and North Dakota may legalize for all adults this November. Forbes’ Anne Fisher provided an overview of the market and gave some tips on how to find a job in the cannabis industry:

With medical marijuana now legal in well over half of the U.S. and recreational marijuana use allowed in nine states (and counting), cannabis companies are scrambling to fill a rush of new jobs in the industry—an estimated 340,000 of them nationwide by 2020.

Contemplating a career change? Think about this: In older, more established businesses, you may have noticed, a lack of industry-specific experience can land your resume in the circular file pretty quickly. Not so in the marijuana trade, an industry growing so fast that “there just aren’t enough people with direct experience, so we have to bring people in from outside,” says Karson Humiston, founder and CEO of cannabis recruiters Vangst in Denver. “We have no choice.”

Moreover, as the cannabis industry gets bigger, the kinds of talent employers want is changing. “A shrinking percentage of newly created jobs now require you to deal directly with the [marijuana] plant,” notes Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the 1,500-member trade group National Cannabis Industry Association. “Finance managers, marketing and branding experts, HR professionals—cannabis companies are hiring people with the same backgrounds as any other business.”

Some tips that Fisher provides in the article: using traditional job search methods, network and build connections, prepare and do your due diligence, have the mindset of a startup. Fisher also notes that you shouldn’t be intimidated if you’re not much of a cannabis consumer, but know that some employers will want folks with experience.

Happy Labor Day weekend everybody!

If you are looking to get into the cannabis industry, or are already established, then there is no better place to be than the International Cannabis Business Conference to make the connections you need, whether you are looking for a job, an employee, an investor, or a strategic partner. Get your tickets to the next ICBC in Portland this September 27th-28th by September 12th to save yourself $200.