How to get a job at a cannabis dispensary, according to employees, shop owners, and recruiters

• According to cannabis-recruiting startup Vangst, the cannabis industry is growing rapidly.
• Insider asked six experts for their best tips on how to get a job at a dispensary.
• In addition to acting professionally and preparing for your interviews, it's important to network.

In November 2019, the House Judiciary Committee voted to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, which meant that each state got one step closer to enacting their own cannabis regulations without interference on a federal level, partially due to the success of state cannabis programs.

And as marijuana legalization continues to make gains, we'll see even more dispensaries looking to fill budtender, administrative, marketing, and various other roles. So your opportunity to get into the industry might be right around the corner.

According to cannabis-recruiting startup Vangst, the cannabis industry employed about 200,000 people in the US in 2019, and that number was expected to increase to over 400,000 jobs by 2021. And while the sector is clearly booming, it's still left a lot of people wondering: How can I get in? 

After all, cannabis provides an opportunity for many people to quickly gain seniority in a new industry and be part of an exciting, ever-changing business that holds a lot of clout, with over 50% of the US population now backing medical and recreational use. Not to mention the fact that retail sales were on track to eclipse $12 billion by the end of 2019.

Insider spoke with the people who know the industry best — shop owners, current and former employees, and recruiters in the space — to uncover the top tips for landing a job at a dispensary. 

Act like a professional and be clear on what you're looking for in a cannabis role 

Sun Lee, a recruiting manager at GreenForce Staffing, an Oregon-based, full-service staffing and temporary employment agency focused on labor solutions for the cannabis industry, said that his top piece of advice for candidates is to nail the job search basics. 

"A lot of applicants, because they're applying to a job in the cannabis industry, think it's still this kind of a 'Cheech & Chong' culture. I don't think a lot of people realize this has become a multibillion-dollar business where people like to see professionalism," he said. 

You don't need to be in a full suit or overdress for your interview, he added, "but I do think that a candidate should dress appropriately for the position that they're applying for. As for a resume, make sure that there aren't any spelling errors, make sure that it's formatted in an easy-to-read way."

Lee added that staffing companies can be one of the most powerful ways to break into the industry and eventually land a full-time position.

"We're able to get [potential employees] into the space, which affords them opportunities to network with our clients, which in turn builds up our employee's network," Lee said. 

You can find staffing companies through a simple Google search, and according to Lee, the best way to get the attention of a staffing company is to apply to a position you're interested in and follow up on your application. 

When working with a staffing agency, keep in mind that it's important to know what you're looking for and be able to articulate what you're looking to gain from the industry. 

For example, if you're interested in cannabis because you'd like to work for a startup in a growing industry, you might be a good fit. Whereas, "individuals that think having a job in cannabis means that they don't have to be productive, that they can show late for work, that it'll be an easy job" are likely interested for the wrong reasons, Lee said. 

When you know what you want to gain from the industry, it also makes it even easier for recruiters to find a match that will work for both the employee and the dispensary. Lee was able to successfully place candidates with sales and accounting backgrounds but no cannabis experience because they clearly understood how their skills could transfer and had a genuine interest in cannabis. 

Understand the regulations in your state

Ryan McQueeny, an attorney turned dispensary owner in Illinois, said that his skills as an attorney gave him an upper hand in applying for, and ultimately being granted, a medical cannabis dispensary license.

As an attorney, he'd looked into representing license applicants, but then decided to apply for a license himself once he started to learn more about and build interest in the business. McQueeny is now the head of strategy at Midway Dispensary, where he looks after government relations, conducts cannabis research, and represents the company at various educational forums and industry events.

Under 2019 regulations in Illinois, only patients (those who have a medical marijuana card) could work in dispensaries. McQueeny explained that while landing a job in a dispensary will be similar to other jobs in retail, in states like Illinois, where only medical cannabis was legal, it's important to be aware of state regulations for the safety of your job, and ultimately the business. 

"The ideal candidate is someone who has a working knowledge of cannabis (i.e., understands the strict regulations in Illinois) and someone who has experience in pharmaceutical retail, like Walgreens or CVS," he said. 

He added that, "If somebody screws up and doesn't follow the rules, then we can potentially lose our license — and that's the worst possible thing that can happen." McQueeny explained that the easiest way an employee could endanger the company's license is by stealing cannabis or money, or selling cannabis to people who aren't licensed to purchase it. 

So make sure you understand federal laws, state-level laws and regulations, and of course any regulations specific to your workplace. 

For example, if you live in California, cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, and there's a single regulatory system that governs both the medical and recreational industries. But if you're in Louisiana, only medical cannabis (non-smokable) use is legal, and many patients are still waiting for products to become available. And if you're in Tennessee, medical cannabis use is limited to low-THC oil, and cannabis isn't legal for recreational use. 

You can find some of the regulations for your state here or here. 

Have an intellectual curiosity about cannabis

Emma Chasen, who was named Portland's "Best Budtender of 2016" by Leafly, started her career in cannabis as a budtender at Farma, an award-winning Portland dispensary, before she was eventually promoted to general manager of the shop. She now owns her own cannabis consulting business where she provides a variety of training and helps owners grow their businesses. 

Since Farma valued science, when Chasen was hiring for her team she was always on the hunt for people who were truly curious about cannabis and would put in the work to stay up to date on the latest research. 

"Since we did focus so much on education and the science behind cannabis, and communicating that in an effective way to consumers, we needed new hires that really wanted to learn more — people who would self-study and hustle," she said. 

Chasen wanted budtenders to have a relationship with cannabis. This doesn't mean they needed to smoke it — but maybe they liked topicals, maybe concentrates were their thing, or maybe they'd tried baking with cannabis at home. 

"There needed to be some type of emotional connection that [they] had that [they] could be able to then relate to our larger customer base," Chasen said. 

Although Chasen said having a relationship with the plant is important, don't worry about being an expert. 

"A lot of people adopt bad habits of misinformation around cannabis that can be hard to unlearn," she said. She was always open to hiring people who did not have a ton of cannabis knowledge. 

Network, network, network

"The best way to get a job as a budtender is to literally go into a dispensary and with a bunch of enthusiasm say, 'I want to work here!'" said Stephanie Kerns, who started working in the industry in 2010 and has taken on a variety of roles, from sales to brand ambassador to — her personal favorite — budtender before leaving the cannabis world to focus on her art. Her biggest suggestion for any aspiring cannabis worker is to find a dispensary that has the vibe you like, head in with a smile, and introduce yourself. 

Kerns said that she regularly visited more than 250 dispensaries during her career and by doing so was able to connect directly with store owners, many of whom said that they were looking to work with people who came in with a smile and a positive attitude. 

These personality traits are important because budtenders are frontline staff and often the first impression customers get of the business — they work directly with customers to make them feel comfortable and educate them on products, nurture long-term customer relationships, and ultimately make the sale. 

The cannabis industry is also still in its infancy, so if you don't know anyone in the industry (and haven't expressed your interest) landing a job could be a lot harder. This is where networking, like Kerns did, comes in handy.

In addition to walking into a store to show face, nearly every state has its own cannabis calendar where you can check out upcoming events and educational opportunities. In Vegas, for example, where Kerns currently resides, there's one event in particular that she loves called Budtender Fight Club, where candidates can learn more about cannabis and even be recruited on the spot.

Know the brand

Chrissy Hadar got into the cannabis industry seven years ago when only medical cannabis was legal in Oregon. During that time, she had worked as a budtender at her own shop, and she's now building teams across her growing business, Oregrown Industries, Inc., a premier farm-to-table cannabis company.

Hadar said that she's always looking for a culture fit because when you're building a brand, the people you hire are your biggest advocates. 

"You want people to be a representation of your brand. That can be in the way they present themselves, the way they interact with customers, the way they work with their peers, and the way they uphold themselves in their day-to-day lives," Hadar said. 

Oregrown has cultivated an image of "outdoorsy" individuals that are also really passionate about cannabis and its ability to be used in the recreational market, but also its use in athletic recovery. The company even has a section of the website dedicated to showcasing the athletes they support because they're "passionate about empowering people to do what they love while raising awareness about the benefits cannabis brings to a healthy, active lifestyle."

Most people that she hires already know the Oregrown brand. Following a brand on social media can help you get an idea of the company culture, see job postings, learn about their product, and sometimes even put names to the faces you'll see when you go in for an interview.

Get in where you can

Landing a job at a dispensary might not be a linear process, and there are more ways to land your dream role than directly applying. 

Hadar remembers Oregrown's first customer on the first day they opened as a medical dispensary. His name was Ryan Daugherty. 

Daugherty had no experience working in cannabis, but he was a fan of the brand and he became a regular customer. As Hadar got to know him, he was eventually brought on as a budtender, and now Daugherty is the company's director of procurement, building relationships with vendors and negotiating great pricing. 

The key to his success? Hadar says it was his dedication to the brand and his stewardship of the brand from the beginning. 

"Get in the door any way you can. I wouldn't say being a budtender is an entry-level job anymore," Hadar said. Hadar has also hired someone as a trimmer who went on to become a graphic designer at the company. 

Want to find your way in? You can work for a company as a brand ambassador at events, or if you're applying to a dispensary like Oregrown, which has its own farms, you can try your hand at trimming or packaging. 

This tactic can work well, especially considering that many shops like Oregrown like to promote from within. 

Apply for a badge

Depending on what state you live in, you may need to obtain a special state license, permit, or badge to work in cannabis. 

"The No. 1 thing I suggested is to get your badge before applying. Some employers may not even look at your resume without one," Linda Kleiman said. Kleiman, who's worked in the cannabis industry since 2015, has her Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) badge, which allows you to work in medical and recreational dispensaries, and has worked for companies of all sizes, including Pueblo West Organics, a medical and recreational dispensary, and NuVue Pharma, the first recreational marijuana Pueblo dispensary to be licensed by the city. 

In Oregon, for example, you need a Marijuana Worker Permit to work in the recreational industry, and in Nevada you need to obtain a Marijuana Agent Registration Card. If you're a master grower, a MED badge will cost you $250, while if you're budtender, it's just $75. For all of the above, you'll need to go through an application process. 

Although getting your badge ahead of time is an expense, it can show that you're seriously prepared for a job in the industry. You can even call a dispensary in your state to find out what kind of license they ask their staff to obtain. 

Be adaptable

"I've seen so many changes in the five years I've been in the industry. There are growing pains, no guidebook, and rules and regulations can change twice yearly," Kleiman said. 

Over time, Klieman has seen products become more sophisticated and of higher quality, like topicals and edibles. She's also seen the introduction of vape pens, and as the industry has matured, she's seen regulations tighten up. 

So be prepared for plenty of change, training, and knowledge building along the way. You can stay up to date on cannabis news and resources on websites like Leafly, High Times, and Canna Law Blog. 

This article was originally published on Insider December 10, 2019.

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