New job opportunities in the cannabis industry

The cannabis sector is booming in the US. According to a report by The New Frontier, the US market for legal marijuana will create more than 250,000 jobs until 2020, if not more, as this study doesn't take into account possible legislative changes that could lead to more legalization still. Besides tens of thousands of job opportunities, this will also bring million-dollar gains and an increase in tax revenue that'll contribute much to the economic growth of towns and cities.

According to the same study, the Cannabis market will produce 7,200 million dollars in 2016. As to their expectations, this number might increase by 17% a year till 2020. In this way, marijuana sales are expected to grow from 4,700 million dollars in 2016 to 13,300 million dollars in 2020. This constantly evolving market will need new professionals!

Besides more traditional job profiles such as growers, pickers or the already famous budtenders, other new professions will emerge and become more and more demanded in the US and thus in all countries with legalisation processes on the way. Here are some of them.

Marijuana sommelier

In addition to cooks and pastry chefs specialised in cannabis, experts in the art of combing marijuana with food will become necessary too. Just as a sommelier recommends the best wine to guests, a cannabis professional can suggest the most adequate strain according to the consumer's gastronomic preferences. These experts will have to be able to distinguish the best strains through taste and smell.

One of the learning centres they could be trained in is the Trichome Institute in the city of Denver (Colorado). There, trainees learn from the potential impact of heat, temperature and light on marijuana to the best containers for conversation or the dangers of pesticides just by watching or smelling the buds.

Engineers and lighting experts

As is well known, light is vital for cannabis cultivation. That's why the sector of artificial lighting for greenhouses or indoor crops could benefit tremendously from the increase in cannabis consumption. Discovering the characteristics lights or lamps should present in order to increase the plants' yields will be the task of new experts, who will require engineering training specialised in lighting and some knowledge in cannabis botany for a better understanding of the light's effect on the plants.

Growers and seed producers

It takes broad and detailed knowledge of the marijuana plant and its cultivation to produce the best harvests in terms of yields and quality. As more companies are expected to come into play in 2017, more marijuana crops will be necessary to meet the customer's demand. The selection of the best strains for commercial purposes will be a decisive differentiating mark from competition. In the US, selling marijuana seeds requires federal authorization in order to be recognised as a legal activity, but in many European places, for example in Spain, it is perfectly permitted. So, if you've got some experience and pay attention to details, this will be a booming sector in the next years!

Glass manufacturers and traders

This industrial sector has been existing for quite some decades already, of course, but its sales could increase much thanks to the legalisation of marijuana. Water pipes and bongs made of glass have been widely used to consume cannabis throughout history. Launching a new business with these products might be a good way of addressing the needs of those who love to consume marijuana with this kind of tools. If you happen to be gifted for glass blowing, you could even produce and sell at the same time. Slinger, Jolex, Zach P., JD Maplesden, Bluegrass Glass or Nerv Glass are just some of the names most heard of among those worshipping this art at the service of cannabis, whether in form of flowers, oil or extractions.

Concentrate processors

A lot of the patients using medical cannabis use concentrates, so this is another sector in need of new professionals, especially for manufacturing. Achieving concentrates, such as tinctures or CBD oil, not only requires great ability, but also great responsibility as it involves dealing with compounds meant for sick people and with possibly inflammable products and solvents.

Candidates for these jobs should have chemical training and lab experience to get along well in these surroundings. And they'll be richly rewarded, for these new chemists' salaries are expected to grow exponentially.

Cannabis delivery person

Just as one makes a call and gets food straight to the doorstep, it might also be possible to send marijuana to one's home. This will mainly mean jobs in courier companies that work with medical cannabis dispensaries – a good way to bring the plant that will improve their health closer to the patients, who might sometimes have some difficulties leaving their homes.

Besides, many of these services are carried out with sustainable means of transport, e. g. bikes or electric scooters, so they contribute even more to the community. Now, of course, the salary is not quite one of the best, though it can always be topped up with fees and tips.

Cannabis wedding planner

More and more couples choose cannabis weddings. Therefore, event management companies have started to hire professionals who know the cannabis world and whose main task is to give advice to the bride and groom and to provide the multiple options that make a wedding a true "green success": From the floral decoration or background music to a bar with free cannabis so the guests can enjoy the best strains while dancing.Given the money usually spent on this kind of events, this is a great business to bet on.

Marijuana tourist guide

Though weed tourism hasn't taken off yet, companies in the US start trying their luck in this sector. Their business consists in offering guided tours where tourists and visitors are shown everything about the local cannabis culture, from a marijuana crop to a medical dispensary or a factory that processes buds into different products. So, just as people usually visit vine cellars, they could also explore marijuana warehouses, tasting included.

Cannabis sale representatives

Like every expanding business, the cannabis industry will need sale representatives who will be responsible of visiting shops, dispensaries and other related establishments in order to present and sell their products there. These professionals have to be well informed about everything connected to the business: From the products they offer to the existing regulations in each area. A high percentage of their salaries usually consists of commissions, that is to say, the more talented the worker is and the more cannabis products he sells, the more he'll earn.

Experts in cannabis administration

Selling any service requires administrative staff. Likewise, the cannabis industry needs professionals taking care of the income statement. Accountants, secretaries or administrators will ensure the smooth functioning of cannabis companies.

Besides the necessary training for each area, candidates for these positions also need a profound knowledge of the cannabis world: Types of customers, the regulation of each country the company does business with or the management of the weed production itself.

Consultants

Every sector has its consultants, and the cannabis industry is no exception. Such specialists could help growers to build their business from the ground up and identify growing and expanding areas. Expert consultants in marketing, for example, would advise the company in creating its brand image, providing it with the identity necessary for hitting the sales market. No doubt this is a great opportunity for consultants that are currently working in others sectors and looking for new professional goals.

This way, the cannabis industry can offer plenty of new job opportunities to different professionals who want to make marijuana their life style too. The only missing link to fully close this circle of professional investment are the financial institutions, which still seem quite reluctant to join the sector. For you see: There are more than enough job opportunities.