Cannabis Careers: The Insider's Guide to a Budding Industry

Cannabis Careers: The Insider's Guide to a Budding Industry is a comprehensive resource for individuals interested in entering the rapidly growing cannabis industry. This book provides an accessible introduction to key cannabis topics, including history and culture, to equip readers with essential knowledge.

The cannabis industry is expanding rapidly in the U.S., with medical cannabis legal in 38 states and adult-use cannabis in 24 states. Public support for legalization is at an all-time high, and national legalization appears imminent. This burgeoning industry has already created over 400,000 full-time jobs, with projections valuing the industry at $72 billion by 2030. Beyond direct industry jobs, numerous ancillary positions are available in fields such as web design, consulting, accounting, real estate, and law, often outnumbering direct cannabis jobs.

Cannabis Careers is structured around five vital touchpoints:

1. Cannabis Basics: Essential terms, definitions, and history provide a foundation for understanding the industry.
2. State of the Union: Coverage of the cannabis and hemp industries, the legalization movement, and future prospects.
3. Career Pivot: Guidance on leveraging current skills to transition into the cannabis industry, including researching and finding job opportunities.
4. Employment Opportunities: An exploration of various careers, both plant-touching (e.g., budtenders, growers) and ancillary (e.g., marketing, legal services), with insights from industry leaders.
5. Career Resources: Practical tools including sample job descriptions, job search websites, resume and cover letter samples, and interview tips.

The book addresses the challenges of entering the cannabis industry, such as legal complexities and lingering stigma, and provides strategies to overcome these barriers. It includes chapters on health and medical careers, education roles, nonprofit and government positions, and even unique opportunities in hospitality and tourism. Cannabis Careers serves as a practical guide for those looking to join this dynamic field, offering a blend of industry insight, practical advice, and resources to help readers successfully navigate and thrive in the cannabis industry.

Rob Mejia is an award-winning adjunct cannabis professor at Stockton University. He helped launch CHRIS, the Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton and is president of Our Community Harvest: A Cannabis Education Company, which creates cannabis educational materials including online courses. Meija is one of New Jersey's most sought after cannabis and hemp speakers and presenters, and his cannabis authorship includes The Essential Cannabis Book: A Field Guide for the Curious and The Essential Cannabis Journal: Personal Notes from the Field. Meija resides in Mahwah, New Jersey.

Daniel Johnson is a writer and teacher living in Winooski, Vermont. He teaches English and Creative Writing classes at Saint Michael's College and Community College of Vermont and publishes prose, poetry, and literary criticism in a variety of journals and magazines.