Have you ever asked about an old friend you haven’t seen in a while, only to find they moved away to work in the cannabis industry?
In the eight years since Colorado enacted Amendment 64, allowing adult-use cannabis, 43 other states have followed suit either legalized recreational or medical cannabis – creating over 200,000 jobs in 2019 according to Leafly.
Utah residents, primarily those under 30 years-old, have been known to migrate to these states for a chance to work in the growing industry – until now.
With medical cannabis making its arrival into Utah, the various companies who were selected to produce and sell products to patients have slowly been developing since the beginning of the year, creating hundreds of jobs for Utahns along the way.
Aubrey Mack (left), Pharmacy Associate, and Richard Maloney, General Manager, man the counter at WholesomeCo Cannabis located in Bountiful, Utah.
Although opportunities are slowly rolling out, the good news is, more are on the way and these jobs are available for people with a wide variety of skills and knowledge. Whether you’re interested in getting your hands dirty in agriculture, developing new ways to consume, or helping patients inside the pharmacy, there is an opportunity for you.
If you’re ready to take a leap into this budding industry, here’s a list of jobs to keep an eye out for in Utah’s Green Scene:
Pharmacy Associate
A Pharmacy Associate, or a “budtender,” works at a pharmacy to answer patient questions, provide the correct information, and generally be the customer’s go-to resource for making purchases. Think of a sommelier, but for the legal cannabis world instead of wine. Accordingly, these employees must be personable and have exceptional customer service skills while also processing experience in sales and customer relations.
Edible Confectioner
With medical cannabis available in multiple forms, including tinctures and edibles, a variety of jobs have emerged to produce those items. Edible confectioners, or chefs, are personally responsible for creating recipes and producing goods. There are a variety of other roles in the edible industry, too, from working on an assembly line labeling and packaging. A job working with cannabis edibles will require experience with food handling and production. In many cases, a culinary-related degree is preferred.
Salt-Baked Staff
Medical cannabis growing inside of a facility located in Salt Lake City operated by Zion Cultivators. They are one of eight companies awarded licenses to grow cannabis by the state.
Harvester
Harvesting cannabis involves a number of tasks, including growing, trimming, and packaging. These entry-level jobs tend to be quite labor-intensive and physically demanding, but prior experience is not usually required (although it may be preferred).
Pharmacy Manager
As more pharmacies open throughout the state, store managers are needed to successfully run each location. Having previous experience working in a dispensary is a huge asset, and usually required to land one of these illustrious positions. At the very least, you’ll need to have retail skills and be able to demonstrate your ability to successfully manage employees, retail operations, and sales.
Security Guard
Security guards are needed in pharmacies, manufacturing areas, and other places medical cannabis is produced and distributed. In many cases, you’ll need to be certified as a guard and licensed to carry a firearm if the job requires an armed guard.
Delivery Person
Although the Department of Health hasn’t finished developing the state’s home-delivery system, pharmacies will be offering these services to patients within the year. A delivery job will require a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and no criminal record. Some companies will require you to have your own vehicle and GPS device, and for legal reasons, you may be required to posses your own doctor-authorized medical cannabis permit to work with the company. In cases where you’ll be interacting with customers, solid communication skills are a plus.
How to Get a Cannabis Job
Looking for a cannabis job in Utah’s Green Scene? Job searching in this emerging industry isn’t quite different from looking for a job in a more traditional field. The usual methods apply: networking, referrals, and even job search sites can help find your dream job. Following some of the new companies in the state on social media can also give you a head up on available openings, and also give you a direct route of communication with employees.
Salt-Baked Staff
Beehive Farmacy located at 1911 S 3600 W in Salt Lake City is Utah’s latest pharmacy to open doors since medical cannabis started being sold in the state earlier this year.
