Cannabis is the top job generator in America right now – here are the stats

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

Can you guess how many people are employed in the US cannabis industry? The numbers might surprise you.

Leafly’s annual Cannabis Jobs Report, prepared in partnership with Whitney Economics, a global leader in cannabis and hemp management consulting and economic research, shows that the American cannabis industry sells nearly $25 billion worth of products and services a year created more than 100,000 new jobs in 2021.

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According to the report, there are 428,059 full-time jobs supported by the legal cannabis industry in the US. Additionally, America’s 11 adult-use markets and 27 medical marijuana states combined sold nearly $25 billion worth of cannabis products — more than $6 billion year-over-year.

The report predicts that total employment potential in a mature legal US cannabis market could potentially reach 1.5 to 1.75 million workers, nearly four times the number of workers in this year’s report.

“Since 2014, when the nation’s first adult-use cannabis stores opened, the industry has created hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the United States – and many more are yet to be created. We understand the potential of cannabis as both an economic engine and a force for good, and it’s encouraging to see that employment numbers continue to reflect this strong growth,” said Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly.

“Leafly is proud to fill the void created by a lack of federal reporting and advocate for federal legalization that is equitable and accessible to all communities,” added Miyashita. “During this mid-election year, it is important that our elected officials recognize the reality that cannabis is a leading domestic American industry and help us achieve our goal of an inclusive and profitable cannabis industry for all.”

Most powerful job creator in America

Leafly told Benzinga that this year’s 2021 report shows cannabis continues to be the top job generator in America. “2021 was the fifth consecutive year that the cannabis industry has experienced an annualized employment growth rate of more than 27%, with a 33% increase in cannabis jobs in just a single year.

RELATED: How to land a high-paying career in cannabis, according to experts

“To put this in perspective, employment in business and finance occupations is projected to grow by just 8% over the decade. With states like New Mexico, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut expected to open their first adult cannabis stores within the next 18 months, the boom in cannabis job creation in America is expected to continue through at least 2025,” noted Leafly. “It has. It’s never been a better time to land a job in the legal cannabis industry.”

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RELATED: 32% growth in cannabis jobs in 2020, despite COVID-19

The Leafly Jobs Report found that nationwide cannabis sales increased 33% in 2021, while “the investment capital that fled the cannabis space in early 2020 has largely returned, giving companies the cash they needed to raise labor costs.” require”. However, the report also found that there are not enough applicants for the industry.

Important findings from the job report

• 2021 was the first year that cannabis job creation hit six figures. After 32,700 new jobs in 2019 and 77,300 jobs in 2020, the industry created 107,059 new jobs in 2021.
• The United States now has three times as many cannabis workers as dentists.
• The cannabis industry employs more people than barbers, barbers, and beauticians combined.
• As of 2022, three out of four Americans now live in a state where medicinal cannabis is legal.
• The total number of cannabis sales in this year’s report — $25 billion — represents only about 25% of the total potential U.S. cannabis market.
• By 2025, America’s total annual legal cannabis sales are projected to be closer to $45 billion, which still accounts for less than half of the total potential market.
• For the past year, America’s legal cannabis industry has added more than 280 new jobs every day.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.