MJ careers

420democrat

420democrat

Well-Known Member
With legalization becoming a reality in more and more States, being a young person just starting college I'm very intrested in what steps can be made to have a career working with marajuana. Is there money in it even if you don't own a dispensery? How would you walk into the medical aspect of it? It all just arouses my curiosity
 
420democrat,
Hippie Dickie

Hippie Dickie

The Herbal Cube
Manufacturer
it's just like any other business ... it's just another consumer product.

take an entrepreneurial class or several. and marketing - there's always need for marketing.

design and engineering, if you're a techno-weenie.
 
420democrat

420democrat

Well-Known Member
Hippie Dickie said:
it's just like any other business ... it's just another consumer product.

take an entrepreneurial class or several. and marketing - there's always need for marketing.

design and engineering, if you're a techno-weenie.
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Is that my only option? I always assumed there's a way to work with patients and bud. I'm more intrested in working in a medicinal marajuana facilitie helping patients and not just consumers.

Engineer would be awesome but I don't believe I'd have what it takes as I'm not very creative

I wanted to be a pharmacist but as I've gotten older I don't know if I would feel good handing out evil pills all day
 
420democrat,
Bouldorado

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
There's basically 4 parts of the cannabis industry you can work in:
  • business (retail, B2B, marketing)
  • medical (research, practitioner)
  • production (growing, processing edibles/concentrates)
  • accessory production (consumption paraphernalia, growing/extraction equipment)
 
clouded vision

clouded vision

Well-Known Member
Start with sciences, you will eventually want to choose between botany or medicine.
Based on the limited info, it sounds like you are interested in being a caregiver. Every states laws vary but basically you would grow and directly distribute to patients. You work with the patients to find or develop strains the are best suited for their condition.
 
420democrat

420democrat

Well-Known Member
clouded vision said:
Start with sciences, you will eventually want to choose between botany or medicine.
Based on the limited info, it sounds like you are interested in being a caregiver. Every states laws vary but basically you would grow and directly distribute to patients. You work with the patients to find or develop strains the are best suited for their condition.
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That is exactly what I'd want. That would be AMAZING. Do you have links to anywhere I can further educate myself on this? General reqs, best major, best state for said career. How to open the door to that career when I'm prepared?
 
420democrat,
Bouldorado

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
Perhaps a major in therapy/psychology and a minor in botany. Being a cargeiver is one part grower and one part counselor. Times are changing, but all the caregivers I've met or read about tend to be older (35+) and became one after they or their friends recognized a legitimate need for cannabis.
 
Delta3DStudios

Delta3DStudios

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
Depends what you're looking for.
Being an entrepreneur personally, I follow my boss's mantra of "The riches are in the niches".
If you're looking for a profitable future, look for a niche (something few others are exploring).

If you're looking to better humanity and maybe get a footnote in some history book, go into medical and research the benefits MJ on the human body. Our society spends a substantial amount of all research funds dedicated to MJ's negative effects on the body (something like over 90% of all research money is spent on the negatives). Very little money is dedicated positive effects of MJ.

Another old saying that always comes to mind (Aristotle's advice I believe) - If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. - Look for something you enjoy. something that will excite you, and inspire you to hop out of bed, ready to embrace the day.

I changed my major 6 times over a 10 year period (yes, I was a true Van Wilder - I was legitimately full time for the better part of a decade). I tried a LOT of different courses over that time (Thermodynamics?? God my professor was horrible, couldn't understand a word he was saying, even if he did speak perfectly clear English, which he of course didn't). Don't be afraid to waste a few credits on something different, you may find you enjoy the subject more than you ever imagined.

Cheers!
 
Bouldorado

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
@Ratchett

I hope you got multiple degrees because 10 years is a ridiculous amount of time to spend in undergrad. It's cool to take different classes but at some point (after 5 yrs IMO) you're just throwing money away.
 
Bouldorado,
Delta3DStudios

Delta3DStudios

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
Bouldorado said:
@Ratchett

I hope you got multiple degrees because 10 years is a ridiculous amount of time to spend in undergrad. It's cool to take different classes but at some point (after 5 yrs IMO) you're just throwing money away.
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Nope, changed schools halfway through and shifted gears (many credits transferred, but not all). Plus my boss paid for the whole thing, I graduated with zero student debt. (I've been at the same company for over 10 years)

It was hell, but I mainly did it to finish for my father's sake (he never finished, kept pushing me to get a degree). The knowledge I gained outside of the classroom working full time for a small business was far more valuable to me than anything my professors taught from some old textbook.

But at the same time, I didn't suggest @420democrat attend for 10 years, I merely suggested he try some other courses. If you speak to your adviser, you'll often find random courses can be applied to your declared major as elective courses and such.
 
syrupy

syrupy

Authorized Buyer
Knowing an owner of a dispensary, I wouldn't say it's like any other business. There's a ton of legal issues most businesses don't have. Before going into business, consult an attorney. A good one. The owner mentioned before ran into trouble with the feds. Put a real damper on this guy's life. Good luck!
 
SD_haze

SD_haze

Well-Known Member
420democrat said:
With legalization becoming a reality in more and more States, being a young person just starting college I'm very intrested in what steps can be made to have a career working with marajuana. Is there money in it even if you don't own a dispensery? How would you walk into the medical aspect of it? It all just arouses my curiosity
Click to expand...
I'm a graduating undergrad business major, and also doing some similar considerations.


"The marijuana industry requires a lot of back up -- programmers, attorneys, security system installation specialists, designers, chemists, biologists and other scientists, lab technicians, and much more -- so look for fantastic businesses such as Canna Security America or CannLabs that operate in the niche element.

Read more: How To Get A Job In The Booming Legal Marijuana Business

 
Bouldorado

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
Ratchett said:
Nope, changed schools halfway through and shifted gears (many credits transferred, but not all). Plus my boss paid for the whole thing, I graduated with zero student debt. (I've been at the same company for over 10 years)

It was hell, but I mainly did it to finish for my father's sake (he never finished, kept pushing me to get a degree). The knowledge I gained outside of the classroom working full time for a small business was far more valuable to me than anything my professors taught from some old textbook.

But at the same time, I didn't suggest @420democrat attend for 10 years, I merely suggested he try some other courses. If you speak to your adviser, you'll often find random courses can be applied to your declared major as elective courses and such.
Click to expand...

Ah that makes more sense. I thought you were at the same school for the whole time.

syrupy said:
Knowing an owner of a dispensary, I wouldn't say it's like any other business. There's a ton of legal issues most businesses don't have. Before going into business, consult an attorney. A good one. The owner mentioned before ran into trouble with the feds. Put a real damper on this guy's life. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I've noticed this as well. The turnover rate for dispensaries seems to very high. i.e two years ago about 5 dispensaries in my town were shut down because they were apparently <1000ft from a school. Every few months there's another one that is shut down or goes out of business (though there's often a new one that pops up). Couple that with the inconsistencies of growing a plant and you have a severely risky business.
 
clouded vision

clouded vision

Well-Known Member
BTW I strongly suggest the OP try to get in contact with a few caregivers (should be easy enough to find on facebook or other social media) to discuss and really understand what you may be getting yourself into. That is not a career to get into for the money but the social rewards instead. People don't realize but proper cultivation is expensive and some smaller growers barely break even or some even take a small loss, especially if an entire crop ends up infected with mites or mold or fungus.

Also it is very important to remember that despite the current executive policy, until the federal government recognizes MMJ, you are at breaking the law and at risk of federal prosecution. The president sets executive policy so the next president may decide he/she is against MMJ and order the DEA and other federal agencies to crack down on Marijuana despite state laws.
 
Caligula

Caligula

Maximus
I dont really consider
Bouldorado said:
Ah that makes more sense. I thought you were at the same school for the whole time.



I've noticed this as well. The turnover rate for dispensaries seems to very high. i.e two years ago about 5 dispensaries in my town were shut down because they were apparently <1000ft from a school. Every few months there's another one that is shut down or goes out of business (though there's often a new one that pops up). Couple that with the inconsistencies of growing a plant and you have a severely risky business.
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Sigh. One of my favorite dispensaries got shut down because they were too close to a University of Phoenix. A fucking UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX.
 
L

linux3214

Well-Known Member
I was in your exact same position just a year ago and that is what compelled me to pursue undergrad business administration (berkeley, haas) as my major with history (modern china) and political economy (w. europe) as my side minors. It certainly helps if you are inclined to a blend of social sciences, humanities, and statistics. I'm thinking with legalization it will open a huge opportunity to develop and a race to integrate production and markets so business with an international focus is uniquely tuned to this chance along with many others in case weed doesn't bloom.
 
linux3214,
pakalolo

pakalolo

Toolbag v1.1 (candidate)
Staff member
First step: move to Washington or Colorado. Even then, until the federal prohibition is removed it will be complicated to get into cannabis research. I suspect that working in a dispensary or retail outlet will be a low-paying job with high turnover. (:lol: See what I did there?)
 
pakalolo,
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420democrat

420democrat

Well-Known Member
I understand the laws and how hard it may be. I just thought there wasa particular major/minor I could pursue and if laws change by the timea graduate then I'd be prepared and if not I could use the education in another field. But it seems none of it is as simple as I believed
 
Enchantre

Enchantre

Oil Painter
For anyone wanting to get into ANY business, I'd recommend looking up and contacting SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) (in the USA, sorry). Free advice and guidance from those who spent successful time in the trenches of business.

if nothing else, they can get you a local contact who may know the business where you are.
 
Enchantre,
max

max

Out to lunch
I'm more intrested in working in a medicinal marajuana facilitie helping patients and not just consumers.
Click to expand...
You should probably just think of mj, medically speaking, as just another drug. You be the farmer or the seller-both in the case of caregiver. I can't imagine that there are any medical mj facilities with patients, any more than you'd find an aspirin facility with patients. Whether mj is used for pain relief, appetite booster, or fighting tumors, it's just a tool/product. If you want to grow it you need to learn how. That done, supplying as a care giver isn't that hard. Running any kind of shop (medical or otherwise), requires business skills.
 
max,
djonkoman

djonkoman

Well-Known Member
I think most has already been said, choose a factor/subject related to cannabis that you can study. but I would add that I think it would be wise to not focus solely on cannabis, choose a subject that you find interesting no matter if it's cannabisrelated or not, but that could also lead to cannabis.
for example, I am studying plant sciences. I could get into the cannabis-business if I finish it, but I don't know if I will, primarily I just like plants, all plants, so I would be just as happy working with plants that aren't cannabis. but I do have the option to get into cannabis, if the 'climate' is right when I finish my degree.(I don't really know yet what I want to do afterwards, maybe something in developing new varieties of crops focussed on organic growing, since that area is growing rapidly too, but maybe going into breeding isn't that much fun, since current breeding is a lot about genetics and techniques like markerassisted breeding, so a lot of data on computerscreens instead of directly working with plants).

(I first wanted to get into breeding after reading a book by Luther Burbank, wich I found really inspiring, but his work was back in the day when breeding was much closer to the plant, and genetics were just being discovered, with growing out massive numbers and observing for the right traits, but since then the techniques have evolved a lot)
 
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djonkoman,
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