Sacramento, Calif.- A long line of job seekers formed in downtown Sacramento as many held high hopes of gaining access to employment in the cannabis industry.
The Cannabis Job Fair had some waiting for up to two hours before making it inside of Hacker Lab. But prospective employers were also on hand to identify potential employees.
“We’re here to spot talent that could be with us as we grow for the future as well,” said Marj Hebert of Connected Sacramento according to NBC local affiliate KCRA.
With recreational sales now legal in California many cannabis businesses in the state are in major need of additional workers.
“So Jan. 1 we had about 30 members on staff,” Paul Amaro of Northstar Holistic said. “Now we’re about to double that so it’s growing for sure.”
“We have over 130 [employees] and we expect to have 300 by year’s end or maybe the middle of next year,” Hebert said. “We have a lot of revenue flowing into Stockton, into Sacramento. It is a boon for the state.”
But shops and other cannabis businesses are not only in need of growers or cultivators. Herbert is also looking to fill finance positions.”I’m looking for financial people as well as senior accountants, financial analysts because now we have to figure out telling the story,” about marijuana’s growth as a billion dollar industry.
The event also served as a chance for potential employees to show off their knowledge. Cannabis employees know the competition is getting stiff and many are acquiring legitimate science degrees.
“I went to ARC (American River College) to learn horticultural,” Dearborn said. “So besides cannabis, I grow everything, other stuff too.”
The need for innovative technology was also on the minds of many operators in attendance.”We’re looking for production techs, kitchen techs, a whole bunch of salespeople, and really excited about the turnout we’re seeing today,” said Landon Lang of Infusion Factory.
The event’s organizers were surprised at the turnout and expect to hold the next convention in a larger facility.
California’s cannabis industry is estimated to eventually be worth valued at $7 billion and could generate $1 billion in taxes annually. Some analysts predict that legal cannabis could be worth $50 billion in the United States if the federal government were to remove cannabis from its list of banned substances.
