Looking for Numbers: Here are the jobs

Legal cannabis is America’s fastest growing industry, with more than 321,000 jobs in dozens of states. If you’re curious about starting a cannabis career – or just looking for a decent paid job with cool coworkers – budtending is a great way to learn the trade.

Pharmacies in the eastern states are booming, and that means they’re closing.

Leafly’s 2021 Cannabis Jobs Report found 321,000 full-time jobs in the U.S. legal cannabis industry. That report was released in February 2021, and since then tens of thousands of jobs have been created in booming states such as Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

It’s worth noting that almost all of these states are east of the Mississippi. America’s cannabis boom started in the west, but today’s hiring boom is happening in the east.

Here’s a look at budgeting by the numbers.

Salary as a budget tender

This varies from state to state and from city to city. But wages generally start in the $ 13-16 an hour range and rise to $ 18-20 an hour.

Benefits for budget tenders

Cannabis rental company Vangst reports that nearly 80% of cannabis companies now offer paid time off to their employees, while 70% offer health insurance benefits (most of which include dentistry and ophthalmology).

Career development

If you want to make $ 50 an hour, budgeting isn’t your job. But there are few better jobs that serve as stepping stones to a career in America’s fastest growing industry.

Seasoned budget tenders will be in high demand in New York and New Jersey when these states open their adult stores next year.

As a budtender you will gain valuable experience at the forefront, learn what interests customers in terms of product modalities and quality, experience the rhythm of the trading day and week, identify trends, gain an understanding of sales channels and share your passion with customers who are really enthusiastic are shopping in your store.

Top budget tenders usually move up to assistant managers, retail managers or product buyers, but there really are no limits. As a budget tender, you get a look behind the scenes of the entire industry and can pursue your passion from there – be it growth, product development, manufacturing or one of a hundred different roles in the industry.

There’s this proven strategy too: Budtenders who gain experience in a mature retail market like Colorado, Washington, California or Oregon can find their knowledge and skills highly valued by startup cannabis dealers in new legal states like Illinois, New York , and New Jersey.

Related

The U.S. cannabis industry now supports 321,000 full-time jobs

Who is hiring now?

Almost every cannabis company is hiring. This is an industry that is growing in double digits every year. But right now there are a number of emerging markets hiring at breakneck speed.

• Florida: Sales of medical products continue to grow and have increased by 30% since the beginning of the year.
• Illinois: This state of affairs for adults is only just beginning. More deals are on the way and sales are up 45% since January.
• Maine: After a long wait for retail stores to open, Mainers (and visitors) are now welcoming legal sales on a grand scale. Sales have quadrupled since January.
• Michigan: Total cannabis sales have increased nearly 60% since early 2021.
• Missouri: Sales in this new medical condition doubled between January and July this year.
• New Jersey: The state is about to license up to 15 more medical pharmacies and is expected to begin full adult sales in 2022. Professional tip: Find out more about the possibilities at a New Jersey Cannabis Careers Fair on November 17th at Stockton University in Galloway.
• new York: State regulators only announced that medical pharmacies can now sell cannabis flowers, which could trigger a sales boom. That’s even before adult sales begin in 2022. Budget tenders are required.
• Ohio: This medical condition is likely triple the number of licensed pharmacies in 2022. That means a lot of hiring of budget tenders.
• Pennsylvania: Keystone State doubled its medical sales in 2020. Legalization of its use by adults is expected shortly.

Bruce Barcott

Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, research, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.

View article by Bruce Barcott

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