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Marijuana Jobs in a Regulated Market

by Travis C | Apr 16, 2018 | Blog, Business, Culture, Growing

“You’re going to have to get a job doing something.”

Some days I really do hear the words of my father ring through my ears. I heard him say it over and over again. Mostly to my sister; I was always a hustler, but I got it sometimes too.

Regulation isn’t the end

I’ve been passing this sentiment on to a lot of my friends lately. They have been involved in the unregulated cannabis industry for years, and are now literally scared of getting regulated marijuana jobs. Well, I know it can be difficult when you work for yourself for years, on your own schedule, paying yourself what you think is a lot of money.

I get it. You quit mainstream society because you didn’t like the boss you had. Or maybe you didn’t like the hours. Or May not of even had a skill. Washing dishes sucks and you wanted out of it. That’s what cannabis did for thousands and thousands of people. And that’s what cannabis still does for people. The plant cultivates us as much as we think we’re cultivating it.

Move with the times, or get run over

Times are changing. You can resist change, and like the salmon, swim upstream. Or you can relax, fire one up, and float down the river with the rest of us.

The first thing to realize is there’s more to weed than just growing. Many cannabis farmers love their job growing or being a cannabis farmer. Now some people get lucrative paychecks under the title grower. Most make 25 bucks an hour.

“So where is my future?”, you ask. The way I see it, California cannabis farmers have two options.

Marijuana Jobs

Option one: Get regulated and become the boss. Start your own business in the cannabis industry and create marijuana jobs. That’s right. Start a business, stop complaining, and do something. Cannabis regulations aren’t that much harder than any other business or franchise.

Swallow your pride, and trade the war stories about the good ‘ol days with a smile instead of a scour. The old days are over, and I predict 10 to 20 times profit on a pound of cannabis are over as well. Let’s look for 10%.

You don’t have to start a cannabis business in order to find marijuana jobs. There are other opportunities servicing the cannabis industry that are regulated in the same methods, which brings up option two.

Option two: Get a job at a cannabis facility. Think of everything that it takes to operate a large scale commercial cannabis grow. From installing light bulbs and watering plants to harvesting. Find your passion within one of those things, develop a resume, and find your dream job.
If you love to harvest weed you can be a harvest manager.

Maybe it’s clones, or trimming, Security, management or accounting. There is something out there that you can do that still keeps you in the industry, even if you aren’t doing what you were before.

If you are committed to staying in this industry and sticking along for the wild ride, you will find a way. If you were a boss in the unregulated market, you can be a boss in the regulated market. It might just take extra effort (and more taxes).

Green Week 2018: the community 420 fest

by Travis C | Apr 9, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, 420 News, Blog, Culture, Growing, Science & Technology

From April 13-22, 2018, Humboldt Green Week brings people from all over to celebrate nature, cannabis, and community.

Humboldt Green Week is a manifestation of culture advancing the ideals of our community while building bridges, honoring the environment, supporting the local economy, and promoting music, art, and solutions through action. The events showcase a week of gatherings to celebrate Earth Day and this special place we call home.

While the real 420 fest known as Cannifest has been delayed due to new laws, Green Week will still celebrate all things green.

A Different 420 Fest

Humboldt Green Week can’t really be compared to other 420 fest events like the Cannabis Cup, Dope Cup, and the like. While these other events focus solely on cannabis, Green Week merely includes it as an aspect of nature. While people appreciate their cannabis during the week long event, they will also learn about the environment, sustainability and community stewardship.

The week is full of different classes and activities for people to participate in, from cannabis yoga to cooking classes, concerts and farmer’s markets.

A week for everybody

Organizer of Green Week and the 420 fest Cannifest Steve Geider talked with Chip about what the week is about:

“Everything from bee keeping workshops to healthy eating workshops to music workshops for kids, families to interact. We showed some folks how to do their own compost at home and a number of other different things, or medicinal teas. All types of things that are just part of our community, part of our subculture if you want to call it that. That are also just the part of the way we like to see the world change.”

Green Week has events for everybody including children, making it a family friendly event that can get everybody in the community involved and more conscious of the environment.

Steve is also the founder of North Coast Horticulture Supply and Humboldt Wholesale, making him a well-known and respected member of the community.

Green Week 2018

This year’s Green Week boasts a plethora of different events and activities for locals and visitors to enjoy. Event-filled days start as early as 7 AM and some events go until 8 PM. While the events will be fun and educational, the main purpose of Green Week is to bring the community together.

With or without a full-blown 420 fest, Green Week’s focus is on the community and the environment. With one of the largest farming populations in the country, Humboldt boasts a community that is very connected to nature. When they all come together and share their ideas, sustainability practices and new innovations with each other, everybody wins.

While the event takes place in California, Cannifest may soon be hitting the road and going national! We could soon see a Cannifest in Denver.

Listen to Steve talk about Green Week and the 420 fest Cannifest on this week’s episode of The Real Dirt Podcast.

California Cannabis: get on board or get out

by Travis C | Apr 2, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, Blog, Business, Culture

So I have been in Northern California on and off for the past couple of months. I mostly live in Denver these days, but I still have my home up in Humboldt.

For 15 year’s I’ve supplied the cannabis industry with soil, nutrients and lighting. I sell grow equipment to people all over the country. So I’ve seen several states go legal, so to speak. Maybe regulated is the better term.

The end, or the beginning?

I saw what happened in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. All three states with cannabis history, but marginally regulated or unregulated cannabis. All of those states progressed in their cannabis movement, cannabis growing, and general awareness about the plant.

Price per pound dropped in those regulated states, and I also stopped having to buy anybody out of jail or refer them to an attorney. Now, there is so much doom and gloom here. So many people think, “the California cannabis industry is over.”

Unfortunately if you’re quitting on California cannabis, or don’t want to be involved in what comes next, it’s over for you. But more people smoke weed every day, and demand for cannabis increases every day. The opportunity to sell regulated cannabis or be involved with regulated cannabis is exploding; and it’s just begun.

Get on board with California Cannabis

What is over? The rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle? The endless buckets of cash? The untaxed income? The vacations, the toys? Yes, It’s a lifestyle change. Now it’s gonna be more like normal farming, but still profitable.

Four out of five people I talk to are selling their properties and quitting (or they say they are today, let’s see what happens if their properties don’t sell). I have never seen this much inventory of real estate in Humboldt, Trinity or Mendocino Counties.

Now, in the largest concentration of cannabis production in the world, the government says there are as many as 13,000 commercial farms in Humboldt County alone. This will be a significant impact to the supply chain of the entire cannabis market.

Do it for the right reasons

So here it is. We’re separating the men and women from the boys and girls so to speak. People who were in it for the greed and the people who are in it for the weed.

No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money, but you have to work for it. Regulations, taxes, government control, or in any business you could ever think about being in. Being involved with several other businesses, these new cannabis regulations are not difficult. They may be confusing, but try to get a USDA composting permit. That is difficult.

My suggestions:

– PTSD’s a bitch. You might have to conquer that one in order to get into the regulated market.

– Stop whining. Put a smile on your face that you’re not going to jail.

– Curtail your lifestyle and spending. This one is also difficult.( turn those month-long vacations into long weekends)

– Learn some computer skills. If you don’t have them already going to need them.

My predictions:

– The market is currently flooded with properties for sale throughout Northern California. Half of those who don’t sell will go back to work, growing unregulated ganja.

– At least in Humboldt County, a chunk of those people are going to be regulated by the county and forced to stop growing. They put up zoning restrictions that fine people $10,000 a day. The helicopter didn’t work but I think this will.

– The price of California cannabis is going to rise. Both in the private market and unregulated market. It’s simple supply and demand. If the private cannabis market is separated from the regulated market, there will not be enough weed for the potential 15 million puffers in California.

– Most of the counties in California are not going to regulate cannabis, leaving the potential production to a smaller and smaller area. Mendocino and Trinity County have limited it to 10,000 ft.². San Luis Obispo is limited to 22,000 ft.².

– Many people that enter the legal cannabis industry will not succeed. They are farmers, not businessman. It’s important to find your place. I’m definitely better at business than farming (Yet my thumb remains Green).

Times are changing, and the California cannabis industry is rapidly changing with them. You can either get on board, go legal and pursue an honest career in the regulated market. Or, you can complain about things changing, quit the unregulated market because you have to, and avoid the new industry for the sake of your pride. Remember it isn’t ALL about your profits, it’s about the plant.

Where has Legal Marijuana Landed Colorado?

by Travis C | Mar 30, 2018 | Business, Cannabis Law & Compliance, Season 2, The Real Dirt Podcast Episodes

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His journey with cannabis started like a lot of others; he moved to Denver in 2012 during the heat of the Amendment 64 movement looking for any way he could get involved. After finding a job with a Colorado public interest research group that had him signing students up for photo ID on college campuses, Andrew realized it wasn’t the job for him.

Andrew ended up leaving his first job after a couple of months, and joined Students for Sensible Drug Policy where he would work on the legalization campaign.

“I worked on that campaign, it was awesome, and that’s how I got to know Josh and Mason and Brian Vicente and Christian as well who was keeping the law firm afloat at that time”

Through his work on the Amendment 64 campaign, Andrew met Christian and Brian of Vicente Sederberg LLC. With his work in public policy, specifically related to cannabis, it was a match made in cannabis heaven. Andrew’s policy experience and love of numbers led to multiple job opportunities with the firm, eventually resulting in a full time position.

After the passing of Amendment 64, Andrew’s work increased. With a regulated system that could actually be tracked, more statistics than ever before began to mount. More people were willing to admit to their cannabis use, which revealed new and changing trends.

“The ball is not going to roll down the hill by itself. Even though we think it is, we’re going to have to keep pushing it. There’s friction.”

Despite the vast changes and awesome advances the industry has seen, it is always fighting. With only a few states having full legalization, the rest of the country is watching those states with a microscope. As more states recognize the monetary and societal benefits of legalization they may move to do the same. When that happens, differing laws may arise, to different effects.

Listen to Andrew share his story about the legalization movement and where the future of the industry lies on his episode of The Real Dirt Podcast!

Navigating Marijuana Laws with Christian Sederberg

by Travis C | Mar 23, 2018 | Business, Cannabis Law & Compliance, Guest, Season 2, The Real Dirt Podcast Episodes

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Times have changed. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, so does the need for cannabis related legal services, only now the focus is on keeping businesses compliant, not keeping them out of jail. The legal cannabis landscape is ever-shifting, which may leave cannabusiness owners holding the bag, so to speak.

Sudden changes in compliance and regulation can be overlooked or misinterpreted if reading legal jargon isn’t your thing. This is where the need for legal consultation in the cannabis industry arises. You can guarantee that the current compliance landscape is wrought with pitfalls.

You can also guarantee that if you are engaged in a business that deals with a federally illegal substance, you are going to need a lawyer who understands how to navigate through the complexities of the system. This has created an overwhelming demand for qualified legal professionals who not only understand the cannabis industry, but are on top of the ever-shifting stream of regulation.

Vicente Sederberg, The Marijuana Law Firm

One Denver based marijuana law firm specializing in cannabis services has already doubled in size and is looking to expand into California’s newly legalized market. Vicente Sederberg LLC, dubbed The Marijuana Law-Firm by Rolling Stone, has expanded into the former offices of the Marijuana Enforcement Division on Sherman Street.

The cannabis law firm’s expansion, however, won’t stop there. Sederberg is opening a satellite office in Los Angeles. California’s medical marijuana market rakes in more money than Colorado’s entire medical and recreational sales combined. With California recreational cannabis now legal, firms like Sederberg’s may find greater demand for their services outside of Colorado.

According to Brian Vicente of Vicente Sederberg, there are only around 40-50 attorneys in the US who specialize in cannabis with a few hundred that mix cannabis with more mainstream companies. “For years this was viewed as a real taboo area for lawyers to go into. But in the last year or so, the public has realized that marijuana reform is going to spread and spread, and as a result, attorneys are taking a closer look at this, “ Vicente stated to Marijuana Business Magazine. “There’s just going to be more work for attorneys in this space over time. I think we’ll see higher-caliber lawyers getting into this.”

The future needs of cannabis legal services

Cannabis businesses don’t only need lawyers to help them jump through regulatory hoops. As innovation continues, there is a distinct need for lawyers to assist with trademarking, patents and intellectual property. Now that companies have begun to patent cannabis plants and formulas to make them, there will be a virtually unlimited demand for lawyers on both sides of that fight. Another area that will show a spike in demand is that of mergers. As the industry grows, corporate buyouts and mergers will become common place as the industry consolidates. This opens up an entirely new field in the world of cannabis business law.

If you want to get insider industry information about marijuana law, compliance and Section 280E, then you need to listen to The Real Dirt podcast episode with Christian Sederberg of Vicente Sederberg, LLC.

Mary Jane Digitized: Is I Heart Jane the Amazon of Cannabis?

by Travis C | Mar 19, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, Blog, Business, Guest, Science & Technology, Season 2

There are currently a handful of websites and services that may give cannabis consumers live updated menus for dispensaries, operating hours, and even directions.

However a revolutionary new platform is changing the way cannabis lovers search for cannabis and interact with retailers.

Mary Jane, Digitized

I Heart Jane is like the Amazon of weed. When you go on Amazon to buy something, you know what you want; you search for it in the search bar, and it shows you how many sellers have that item, and the price for that item. I Heart Jane has applied this ease of search to cannabis.

Unlike other sites that just tell you about certain strains or where to find your closest dispensary, I Heart Jane connects the user with the dispensary directly from the comfort of a phone or laptop. It’s as simple as typing in what you want.

More than just strains and descriptions

Looking for a OG Kush or maybe something a little more exotic, like Do-si-Dos? Simply type it in the search bar, and I Heart Jane will show you every dispensary in your area that carries it. Not just that, Jane will show you the price difference from each dispensary so you can pick the best price.

With a couple more clicks, you can place a pick-up order with the dispensary of your choice, and they will hold your purchase for you until you arrive. If you live in California, I Heart Jane makes cannabis delivery services a breeze. Just search for what you want, Jane will show you which delivery services offer that product, and you can place an order within minutes.

Looking for recreational concentrates within a 5 mile radius? Jane has you covered.

A Boutique Business Booster

However while similar to Amazon in how it functions, I Heart Jane is much different in that it actively makes an effort to support small businesses. Since the cannabis industry is mainly built on small businesses, this makes I Heart Jane an incredibly consumer and business friendly service.

Instead of businesses having to create their own websites with ecommerce, they can simply use I Heart Jane as a mediator between themselves and the consumer, taking out all of the hassle of managing an online store. For a dispensary that is busy enough with daily customers and keeping the shelves stocked, I Heart Jane can be a game changer.

Next time you’re craving some dank bud you haven’t been able to find, search for it on I Heart Jane. And tune in to Socrates Rosenfeld, founder of I Heart Jane on The Real Dirt Podcast Season 2 Episode 4!