A Recent Flurry of Legislative Activity
In late March, New York’s governor signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana use effective immediately. A week later, Virginia followed suit, signing a legalization bill that takes effect in July. A few days after that, New Mexico’s governor signed a bill that takes effect in late June. They are the 15th, 16th, and 17th states to legalize recreational marijuana use.
Cannabis-Related Jobs Are Booming
As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, cannabis-related jobs are booming. A report by Leafly and Whitney Economics finds that the industry created 77,000 jobs in 2020 alone—a year in which most other industries contracted due to the coronavirus pandemic. They estimate that there are now 321,000 jobs nationwide in the legal marijuana industry. That’s more than in the mining industry.
Rising Job Postings Point to Future Hiring Strength
Job posting data suggest the industry is growing far faster than most others, including the vaping and brewery industries, which saw relatively fast growth in job postings just a few years ago. Those industries face distinct challenges, but both are likely affected by the entry of a legal competitor product.
The Industry Is Creating a Wide Range of Jobs
Many of the jobs in the growing cannabis industry are in traditional occupations, such as marketing and retail sales. But we are also seeing the advent of new jobs that are unique to the cannabis industry, from more common marijuana grower and trimmer jobs to more niche cannabidiol (CBD) pet therapy and cannabis beverage manufacturing roles.
Growing Legal Marijuana Industry Jobs:
