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There are now more than 30 states that have legalized cannabis for medicinal or recreational use, and the jobs are there if you are willing to look. Due to its stigmatized nature and lack of advertising, finding cannabis industry jobs can be tough, especially in states that have just recently opened their markets.
States like Massachusetts and Michigan are both projected to be highly successful markets. But whereas Michigan just legalized with plans in place for a recreational marketplace within one year, Massachusetts has been legal for two years and has yet to open a dispensary, although that looks to be changing soon.
Every state has set up their legal cannabis markets differently, whether medicinal or recreational. Colorado has one of the most effective and respected programs, and it is highly regulated. California on the other hand has much less restrictions on working in the industry, but a more difficult process of starting a cannabis business in the state.
The more you know about each state’s laws, the easier it will be to decide where you want to work, and what you want to do. Some states are only giving out licenses for growing and extracting, while others have given them all out, and now just need budtenders. Some states require you be a state resident to work in the industry in that state. Other states have no such requirement.
Another way to learn about getting into the industry from the outside is to hear the story of someone who did just that…me!
If you didn’t notice by the author line at the top, I’m Travis, and I’m the guest on this week’s episode of The Real Dirt.
I have been writing for The Real Dirt for over a year, and have been writing about cannabis for roughly 5 years. What started as a fantasy of working in the legal industry developed over time into me picking up and leaving Pennsylvania to move to Colorado to work full time for The Real Dirt and Cultivate Colorado.
It wasn’t easy for me to find a job in the industry, especially from the east coast. It will be hard for you too, but it’s not impossible. You don’t need to pick up and leave with no job security and hope you find something. You just have to look. Hard.
It took me at least 6 months of doing unrelated jobs on the side and looking for cannabis-related jobs before I actually found The Real Dirt. So don’t give up.
My story isn’t anything special. I saw an opportunity and went for it against odds, and succeeded. Now I’m writing this trying to help you get past the point I was stuck at too! If you want to hear more about me and how I ended up 2,500 miles away from all my family, listen to my episode of The Real Dirt!
Plus, I wrote a nice Industry Employment Guide that goes into detail about the fastest growing cannabis industries in the country, and all of the requirements for working in them. Please check that out, download it, print it, frame it, burn it, whatever you want. But it will help you understand the basics of these state’s respective industries should you decide to start looking for a job.
I hope you get something out of this episode and the industry guide, and as always you can ask me any questions at Travis@therealdirt.com, or talk to me on Instagram! I run both Cultivate Colorado’s and The Real Dirt’s Instagram accounts, and I LOVE TALKING WITH FANS!
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It all depends where you live at this point. The Agricultural Act of 2014 allowed farmers to grow industrial scale hemp legally, as long as the THC content was .03% or lower in the plant.
Seems simple enough. But when states have the right to make their own laws, the Agricultural Act becomes basically irrelevant. Some states require .01% THC or less to be considered legal. Other states require .05% or less, and some are even considering raising it to 1% or less THC.
Colorado is the only state in the country that actually includes cultivation in the state constitution. This means that Coloradans have the right to cultivate legally in Colorado. But that could all change soon.
A new measure being voted on this midterm would take the laws regarding hemp in Colorado, and make them statutory rather than constitutional. While the constitutional law currently allows legal cultivation of plants containing .03% THC or less, Amendment X would change that law to better reflect the federal law.
What if the people vote no on Amendment X? Hemp will remain in the constitution of Colorado, with a mandatory THC level of .03%. If the federal government were to reclassify hemp tomorrow and say the new limit is 1%, Colorado could be stuck. With the delays between introducing new laws and voting on them, it could be upwards of 2 years before Colorado could catch up with the rest of the country.
What if the people vote yes? Hemp will become statutory, not constitutional, putting it on par with federal regulation. Growing will no longer be a right, but a regulated law organized and voted on by lawmakers. There will be little noticeable change at first, as the constitutional definition of Colorado hemp is near identical to the federal definition already. But should the federal definition change to lower the plant’s controlled substance status or raise the legal THC limit, Colorado will be on par with the rest of the country.
What would you vote if you were a Coloradan in this situation? Would you want hemp to stay in control of the state, enshrined in the constitution, only to be changed by the people’s vote? Or, would you want to join the rest of the country in a unified federal regulation of hemp?
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Roll it up, ya’ll! Tony Don’t Smoke OG Ep. 4 brings Chip and Tony together once more with their secret guest I225. The gang smokes on some Cookies in this one as they talk grow management and how to organize a cannabis business.
From constantly inspecting your environment to getting down into the dirt, managing a grow is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, growing a couple dozen plants with a couple hands on deck is manageable, but once you start growing your scale, it only gets more difficult.
Chip, Tony and I225 have decades of grow management experience between them, and share their knowledge and tips to boost productivity and reduce oversight. But it ain’t all about the technical stuff!
Cookies is one of the most popular elite strains in the cannabis industry today, with new crosses coming out left and right. The gang talks strain popularity, and what makes a strain so popular in the first place. Plus, we get to hear where the original Lambs Bread strain came from, and how Tony managed to get an original cut back in the day.
Listen to the full episode of Tony Don’t Smoke OG right now here on The Real Dirt, or listen on your favorite podcast app!
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Humboldt is known for pumping out some of the best cannabis, feminized seeds and other cannabis products in the world, and has been known in that way since cannabis first started spreading across the country. The fertile lands, the perfect climate, and the farmers who are committed to the plant make Humboldt a unique place in and of itself.
New laws and regulations from the legal industry now may bring a hinderance to this mass-production area. From to licensing limits to outrageous fines for those who don’t comply, the state is not taking it easy on Humboldt county and the rest of the Emerald Triangle.
There a currently thousands of private market farms in the Emerald Triangle trying to figure out their next move. With barely more than 600 licenses up for grabs, it’s become a competition of luck and money to see who can get regulated in the legal market in time. As all the new legal regulations for California took effect in July, those who are not on top of this are already in trouble.
Those who haven’t gotten licenses or shut down their operations after 30 days of notice can be fined heavily — upwards of $30,000 — just for the initial fine. Those who continue to avoid regulations will be fined additionally for each day after the original 30 days that they do not comply. Suffice to say, a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money.
Humboldt cannabis growers have a long battle ahead of them. Those that do not agree with the new laws can fight it as long as they can, most likely going broke in the process. Those who got a head start already have their licenses, and these farmers are poised to flood the legal market with legal Humboldt cannabis soon enough.
A lot of private Humboldt cannabis farmers will be forced out of the legal market simply due to the high costs. Local, craft farmers won’t be able to front the massive fees to get regulated before getting hit with more fines. This has some worried that only those with the most money will move on, making the legal industry in California pay-to-play.
This is already opening the door for larger companies to come in and buy up land and licenses before smaller businesses get the chance. This power-grab from big players could have negative consequences, most notably a commercialized market with a focus on profit instead of producing a healthful and safe product for the consumer.
Chip lived in Humboldt for years, and has steadily watched and studied the evolving industry in the state of California. Hear what Chip thinks about the current state of things in Humboldt and California on this week’s episode of The Real Dirt!
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Recognized as one of the leading insurance litigation lawyers in Florida, attorney Ted A. Corless spent nearly a decade fighting for some of the largest companies in America. He trained at Shook Hardy, an international law firm infamous for its vigorous representation of Big Tobacco. Shook Hardy triggered his passion for scientific and medical-related litigation.
Corless routinely shares his scientific experience gained from representing the largest tobacco companies in the U.S. He regularly authors articles, gives television interviews and presents lectures on a range of legal topics, including insurance coverage, complex expert testimony and insurance bad faith.
Corless has a broad range of litigation experience including first-chair jury trial experience in matters relating to commercial litigation, environmental law, construction law, bodily injury, advertising injury, products liability and insurance coverage litigation. Ted Corless founded the Corless Barfield Trial Group and is Founder and Editor of newsmunchies.com.
Being an expert in tobacco and cannabis, Ted has studied the science of smoke, and the difference between tobacco and cigarette smoke. Is second-hand smoke real? What about second-hand high? Find out in this episode of The Real Dirt!
The science of smoke, the changing cannabis laws in Florida and the always evolving stigma of cannabis and drug policy. Ted is one of the most interesting Real Dirt guests to date, so tune in on iTunes or right here on The Real Dirt!
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Little Hill Cultivators is an award winning organic cannabis farm located in Northern California’s Emerald Triangle. Little Hill Cultivators specializes in light dep greenhouse flowers utilizing the sun for both full spectrum plant growth and powering fans reducing their carbon footprint. The strains they are known for include many OG Kush hybrids and selections from CSI: Humboldt and Archive Seed Bank.
On this episode of The Real Dirt, Chip sits down with Jefe from Little Hill Cultivators to discuss all things cannabis cultivation in the state of California. Jefe is a master cultivator, and winner of multiple cannabis cups around the state of California.
Fire it up with Chip and Jefe, as they discuss growing cannabis, changing laws, and the future of the industry.
