As an example, California’s population is more than seven times that of Colorado. California’s new recreational, adult-use cannabis industry could, within a few years easily employ 300,000 workers. If the Trump administration or Congress take action, the number of employees in America’s cannabis industry could easily reach 1 million.
The fast-growth and opportunities in state-licensed cannabis industry have led to an increase in the number of Americans looking at the cannabis industry as a career choice. Whether they worked in the black market, or are looking at the industry as an alternative to working in America’s fast food industry, at a Starbucks, or as a farm worker in the wine industry, tens of thousands of Americans are being attracted to this emerging industry.
Forbes recently reported that at a Terra Tech job fair in Las Vegas, the company’s CEO, Derek Peterson, expected 200 job applicants. 2000 showed up instead. Peterson was quoted as stating, “Most people just want to get into the space....they believe in the product.” He indicated that while many applicants in the 40 to 50 age group had been aged out of the traditional workforce, many in that age group were looking for a new career in America’s fast-growing cannabis industry. Peterson stated that most of the applicants were not high school dropouts, but instead had at least a bachelor’s degree.
There are numerous job opportunities in the cannabis industry. Wages in America’s state-licensed cannabis businesses vary considerably between states and even within states.
The jobs that touch-the-plant, include growing and processing. Cultivators with outdoor grow facilities rely mainly on seasonal workers, not unlike other agricultural businesses. The number of employees will fluctuate as the cycle of planting or harvesting wax and wane.
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