Thinking of starting a career in the cannabis industry? According to the 2024 Vangst Jobs Report, in the U.S., there are approximately 440,445 full-time jobs in the legal marijuana space. In fact, the cannabis job market experienced a 5.4 percent increase since 2023. What does this suggest? Cannabis is an expanding field where the job outlook is on an upward trajectory. 

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That being said, is there a surefire way to get a career started in cannabis? Is a higher education degree required? Are there certain roles that offer more opportunities for advancement? Is it difficult to transition from a more traditional industry to weed? This article aims to answer all the above and more.

Getting started

In cannabis, there’s a full spectrum of career paths to take. You could work in cannabis retail or automation technology. If neither of those is your thing, maybe you’d prefer working in human resources or marketing for a cannabis brand. 

To determine which steps you need to take to begin your desired cannabis career, it’s important to first figure out exactly what role you want to pursue. For example, the steps to becoming a budtender are very different from those needed to work for a Fintech company serving the industry. 

If you’re not sure which career avenue you’d like to go down, attend industry events—locally, regionally, or nationally—and read trade publications to discover what types of jobs are “out there” in the cannabis space. And don’t sleep on the power of networking, as most people in the industry are happy to share their experiences and offer advice. Knowing your specific interests will help you figure out your niche and get the right guidance to plan your next steps.

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Keep in mind your location will impact your ability to work in cannabis as well (depending on your career goals), as some states have yet to legalize the plant for recreational and even medical use. 

If you want to get involved in the cannabis industry in a plant-touching role—like cultivation or working in a dispensary—your opportunities will depend heavily on local regulations. However, if you’re interested in a non-plant-touching role, like marketing, finance, or other remote-friendly positions, your geographic location is less of a factor. In these cases, you’ll have more flexibility and a wider range of opportunities to explore.

Common misconceptions about working in cannabis

Mainstream media can sometimes make the cannabis industry seem glamorous, but the reality is far from that. Day-to-day work involves tasks that are often routine and not the exciting scenes you see in movies and documentaries. Don’t expect to start your job and begin living in some wild weed movie—working in cannabis is not like Pineapple Express.

Many people assume the industry is all about the lifestyle—everyone blazing up at 4:20—but in truth, it’s just like any other business. There’s serious work to be done, and after a while, you realize it’s about keeping things moving, not living in a trippy movie fantasy.

Is cannabis education necessary? 

It’s exciting to see that there are degree programs popping up across the nation, specifically in cannabis studies. But is a degree in cannabis required to succeed in the industry? Not necessarily. The weed industry, while growing exponentially, is still in its infancy. Because of that, there are alternative ways to break into the field—like having a transferable skill set, for example—without having a cannabis-specific degree.  

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However, it’s vital to be educated on the plant. You’ll need to understand not just your role but also policy developments and the various medical and adult-use programs across different states. Because the industry is still evolving, having a strong, holistic understanding of its current landscape is key to excelling in your career.

Keeping up with regulatory frameworks

Tracking changes in cannabis regulation is almost a job in and of itself. To stay informed, it’s important to read cannabis industry trade media. Listening to podcasts featuring subject matter experts who have a deep understanding of specific areas, like policy or regulations, is also valuable. Overall, receiving insights from people who are actively involved in the industry is much more reliable than relying on outsiders (and outside publications), whose understanding of the industry may be limited or skewed.

Tips for transitioning into a career in cannabis

At the end of the day, cannabis is a business. While it may differ slightly from traditional industries, it still requires effective operations and profitability for long-term growth and team satisfaction. The industry needs skilled professionals in various roles, from cultivation to human resources, dispensary operations, and so on. 

Many transferable skills would be valuable to a cannabis business. However, those coming from outside the industry must familiarize themselves with cannabis terminology, regulations, and marketing compliance to avoid pitfalls that could jeopardize their success. 

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Take, for example, Nohtal Partansky, Co-founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics, an industrial automation technology company for the cannabis industry. As a former NASA-JPL engineer, Nohtal was a cognizant engineer on the MOXIE project, an instrument on the surface of Mars producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. 

Taking his robotics knowledge from his time at NASA, Nohtal started Sorting Robotics to utilize robotics, computer vision, and AI technologies to help brands break through the toughest cannabis production bottlenecks by combining real-time production data analytics with modern IoT hardware. If he can break into cannabis, so can you.

Advice for advancing your cannabis career

Keep your word: Many professionals in the cannabis industry have been burned by people who make big promises but fail to deliver. The most important advice is this: if you’re networking at conferences or events and promise to make an introduction or send an email, follow through. Keeping your word is what will set you apart from most others. 

Always be willing to help: If you can assist someone directly, do so; if not, connect them with someone who can provide clarity or guidance. A significant part of this industry relies on collaboration and support. Even if you see certain companies or individuals as competitors, remember we’re all in this together. Collaboration over competition. Don’t hesitate to lend a hand, as you may find yourself in a similar situation in the near future. 

Never stop learning: As you grow as a leader or advance in your career, remember that progress often comes from small, incremental changes rather than a single piece of advice. Over time, these tweaks add up, and you’ll look back and see how they’ve helped you level up. Stay open to learning from those around you, whether through podcasts, industry articles, or 1:1 conversations with subject matter experts.

Focus on your personal brand: Personal branding revolves around sharing unique perspectives that help others advance in their industry. Consider how you make people feel after interacting with you. Do you leave them feeling better than before, whether in a meeting or on an expo floor? This emotional impact plays a significant role in shaping your personal brand and influences what others say about you when you’re not around, yet it’s often overlooked.

*This article was submitted by a guest contributor. The author is solely responsible for the content.