New program helps marijuana offenders get jobs in the legal market

Getting caught because of weeds is no walk in the park. There is arrest, a series of court dates, usually a conviction, and depending on the severity of the offense, a penalty that can include prison terms and heavy fines. Maintaining punishment is the difficulty one often faces when getting out of the clink and back into productive society.

Corporations can be careful about hiring ex-inmates and anyone else who on paper appears to be a questionable choice for an employee. However, one organization has taken a novel new approach to helping cannabis offenders secure employment: helping them find work on the legal side of weed.

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An Ohio nonprofit called URC Grows recently partnered with Riviera Creek Holdings, which operates a number of medical marijuana dispensaries across the state, to help people with cannabis convictions find jobs in the legal smoking sector. According to the program’s website, “URC Grows wants to be different by offering Ohio Department of Education-approved certification in three areas of focus. We will also provide entrepreneurial development services and land for any entrepreneur to grow on or employment in a grow facility operated by the URC. “

According to the US Department of Justice, up to 60% of ex-inmates are unemployed a year after their release. So for some Pot offenders, this program is both a hot ticket back to work and a chance to become a marijuana mogul. “This program will give them the opportunity to get back into the job market,” Brian Kessler, Chairman of Riviera Creek Holdings LLC, told The business journal.

The aim of the accredited program is to make it easier for people with cannabis convictions haunted on their files to find work and walk a path unrelated to jails. It’s not just a program for those with minor blemishes for pot ownership, either. The program is open to all cannabis offenders, including those convicted of more serious charges related to the illegal sale and cultivation of marijuana. Most already understand the basics, so why not get a pro?

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“There have been so many people who ended up in jail as a result, and now that everyone is making money off something they’re already in jail for, we want to give them a chance, everyone needs a second chance, and these are the things the “They can do what they take for granted so that they will be successful. So why not give them this opportunity ”, Dionne Dowdy, Executive Director of URC, told WFMJ.

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Programs like this could and should become more common as more states move towards fully legal cannabis markets. In the case of Ohio, the state has a limited medical marijuana program (around 20,000 patients), so the industry isn’t quite as big as states like Colorado and California. Even so, creating the foundation to help people with cannabis convictions get an honest paycheck in the profession that got them into trouble is the right step.

Once Ohio is fully legalized – something lawmakers are working towards in this session – tens of thousands of new jobs will be immediately available. It is clear that people, not only those with some experience in growing and selling weed, but also with a certificate in specific aspects of the trade that cement their legitimacy, are better able to work than others.

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Although the program has gotten off to a somewhat slow start – only two students from a class aiming for 10 – are enrolled, Dowdy is optimistic. “We already have a problem with the workforce, but if we take the next people who come and we train them and give them a chance; Having a job, having a career, taking care of their family would not only help them, it would help our city, it would help our community, it would help with crime, ”she said.