The legal cannabis industry in the US was valued at $11.9 billion in 2018. Globally, the industry is expected to be worth a whopping $66.3 billion by the end of 2025, various data analytics firm estimate.
With the legalization of the drug (for medical purposes) in as many as 33 states and no social stigma attached to it whatsoever, many people are now looking to grab job opportunities in the cannabis industry. If you too want to be a part of this enticing industry, here are all the skills that you must acquire or polish to make it big:
A degree or certification in cultivation
We’re pretty sure that you must be thinking how can employers expect would-be employees to have a degree in the industry that has recently been legalized? Right?
Well, this is, in fact, a misconception. Applicants with clearly similar, transferable skills — for example, people who have cultivated specialized microgreens — will find many cannabis companies eager to hire them.
Furthermore, many top universities have begun offering both online and offline courses in the same. The Medical Cannabis Institute, for instance, offers many state-approved courses; while, Oaksterdam’s University, which is also referred to as “America’s first cannabis college”, has over 40,000 alumni worldwide
Laboratory/Technology skills
If you have spent considerable time in a laboratory, a dispensary or an extraction company, you are well-experienced to land a job in the marijuana industry and many employers will welcome you with open arms.
Also, the marijuana landscape has a lot of openings for experts in computer networking, data scientists and machine-learning engineers. Therefore, if you have failed to land an interview with Google and Facebook, you can always apply for the same role with prominent marijuana firms.
Finance/Manufacturing/Operations
Since cannabis is illegal at the federal level, banks do not provide services to even legal businesses. Thus, all the purchase and selling of the drug happens in cash. With so much cash to deal with, all dispensaries and businesses need accountants.
Furthermore, cannabis is a rapidly growing industry – companies are always on the lookout for experienced professionals in manufacturing and operations, who can help them expand their business to other states/cities.
Sales & Marketing
There is a lot of competition in the marijuana industry which will only intensify with the legalization of drugs in other states and countries. Hence, companies need skilled sales and marketing executives to entice customers and sign deals that will take their business to new heights.
