Florida Marijuana Jobs: Cannabis in The Sunshine State

The sunshine state is yet another piece of the American puzzle to adopt new marijuana legislation. Although the state hasn’t passed recreational adult cannabis use into law, they have allowed for a more comprehensive medical marijuana program creating an abundance of Florida marijuana jobs.

As so much of cannabis cultivation takes place on the west coast, the south eastern quadrant of the country is slowly, but surely opening its gates to grow operations, dispensaries and other cannabusinesses. With new legislation in place, Florida is set to begin its ascent into becoming a pot powerhouse as the next several years unfold.

While we know that upcoming Florida marijuana jobs will be in the medical sector, interested job seekers are scratching their heads as to how they will their place in this cash-cow industry. Florida has the potential to become the second largest medical marijuana market in the country behind California, and could prove itself to be a major factor in destigmatizing cannabis and lessening the power of major pharmaceutical companies.

Florida Marijuana Jobs: A Breakdown

In each state that has moved from illicit to legal cannabis operations, noticeably shifts occur in the state’s job market as a whole, not just in direct Florida marijuana jobs like growing and marijuana dispensary jobs.

Although many eager cannabis job candidates will likely search for positions involving hands-on interaction with marijuana plants and products, the cannabusiness will need support in its ancillary industries in order to be successful. Ultimately, Florida marijuana jobs will appear along a wide spectrum that includes every position from marijuana dispensary security jobs to marijuana modeling jobs.

Dispensaries

The legal marijuana distribution sector of the industry is primarily carried out via cannabis dispensaries. Dispensaries allow for medical patients to select and purchase products to fit their health requirements. With the assistance of a budtender or dispensary manager, patients can learn an encyclopedia worth of different cannabis products and consumption methods just beneath a polished display counter.

Dispensaries are incredibly important Florida marijuana jobs as they are staffed primarily with entry level or intermediate workers. Most individuals looking for employment in the Florida cannabusiness do not have significant legal experience in the business, positioning dispensaries as a pivotal launch point for the careers of dedicated stoners everywhere.

Cannabis Caregivers

Not every medical marijuana patient is able to access dispensaries on their own. For this reason, there are cannabis caregivers who are legally allowed to grow, transport and provide medical cannabis to patients with a medical card. Cannabis caregiving first became legal in California in 1996 under the Compassionate Use Act as a viable way to provide in-need patients with their medication, just as pharmaceutical delivery systems do.

Cultivation

It’s every stoner’s dream to lead a cannabis grow operation of their own. Unfortunately, this task is easier said than done. Large scale medical cannabis farms and greenhouses are run by experienced, highly knowledgeable cultivators with years of successful crops adding credibility to their name.

As far as Florida marijuana jobs go, lead growers are compensated higher than most other industry employees as they have the pivotal and detail oriented job of bolstering the cannabusiness from the ground up.

Trimming

With new technology, trimming cannabis can technically be done by a machine, but there is really no replacement for the hard working individuals producing piles of manicured mary jane. Trimming is another solid avenue for beginning a fruitful career.

This position allows workers to interact with cannabis daily, meet professionals in the cultivation, processing and distribution sector of the industry and hone their knowledge of the plant.

Concentrate Creation

Out of the legal industry has come a wave of consumer interest in cannabis concentrates. Created by extracting compounds like THC and terpenes from cannabis flower and other plant matter, concentrates are extremely potent, often aromatic substances that can be smoked, vaped or infused into edibles.

Concentrates appear in a number of different textures and colors, such as wax, oil, honey comb, shatter and crumble to name a few. These substances (often referred to as “dabs”) may vary in viscosity, but they are all in incredibly high demand. In response, more cannabis extraction technicians are securing Florida marijuana jobs to satisfy patient interest.

Edibles Creation

Another group of cannabis products that holds special importance for the medical marijuana community are edibles. Edibles have been a part of cannabis culture for a long time, but edibles chefs are now creating delicious delicacies that will fill your stomach and get you high. Everything you could possible imagine has probably been infused with cannabis, or at least attempted to be!

Historically, edibles were made using cannabutter/oil, a substance created by decarboxylating cannabis plant matter in a high fat substance over heat for a number of hours. The result, a potent, yet earthy tasting concoction ready to be used in cooking or baking.

While cannabutter is still a viable option that some commercial cannabis kitchens still use, most processors use concentrates since they have a less plant-forward taste and can be infused with greater accuracy of measurements.

Strain Criticism

Marijuana critic jobs have appeared in higher frequencies as cannabis connoisseurs and interested newcomers look to “professional smokers” to give a breakdown of the myriad strains and paraphernalia on the market today. Major newspapers like The Denver Post and The Oregonian paved the way for professional marijuana reviewers to dedicate themselves to crafting compelling arguments for products in only a few hundred words.

Cannabusiness Consulting

Something that has become abundantly clear as more states pass cannabis legislation is just how convoluted the laws and regulations really are. Here to help are cannabusiness consultants–lawyers, accountants and other professionals with the specific experience and knowledge of cannabis law and culture to accurately guide potential business owners through the overwhelming paperwork and compliance measures.

As more marijuana businesses open, more niche consulting firms are cropping up, dialing in on the unique needs of individuals in newly legal operations.

Marijuana Marketing

As competition between businesses grows in dispensaries and grow operations, marketers are hired to establish and elevate a company’s brand, in hopes of persisting, even as more business owners are awarded licenses. Independent marketers and advertising firms handle everything from basic social media and email marketing to more advanced campaigns and website material.

Tourism

The budding cannabis tourism industry is bringing droves of marijuana enthusiasts from around the country and world into cultural hotspots along the west coast and Colorado. Cities like Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon and Denver, Washington are nurturing already bustling tourism industries with the addition of legal marijuana. As Florida progresses with its cannabis laws, Florida marijuana jobs in tourism will likely begin to proliferate.

Not only does marijuana tourism employ tour guides and organizers, lodging, food and recreational industries are cashing in on cannabis tourism with vacation packages combining leisure, adventure and legal weed.

Education

In response to greater interest in the cannabusiness by inexperienced job seekers, job training programs and educational resources have appeared in greater number. Many of these resources are offered exclusively online and give students the opportunity to become certified in various sectors of the job market, such as budtending and edibles creation.

Cannabis job training resources are particularly important for candidates in states where cannabis is still not recreationally legal, or legal in any form for that matter. By accessing useful information and tools online, individuals are able to better prepare themselves for the eventual comprehensive legalization that is sure to occur in coming years,

Web Development

A sector of the cannabusiness with the biggest promise of earning six figure marijuana industry salaries is web development. The snowballing creation of mobile apps and other online consumer resources have had a particularly significant effect of the legal weed industry. Concerning cannabis dispensaries, several successful apps and websites have appeared to cull the vast majority of legal pot shops into one online forum.

In many ways, the legal marijuana industry is “growing up” in the age of social media and the internet and is strengthened by the presence of popular apps like Instagram, as well as niche resources like Leafly.

Cannabis Journalism and Content Writing

With cannabis themed publications like High Times and Dope Magazine bringing in consistent readers, writers specializing in cannabis content are being hired to help create articles to expand demographics and increase Search Engine Optimization potential.

With growing mainstream interest in cannabis culture and constant legislative progress, writers are necessary in order to provide readers with compelling, well-written news articles and blog posts, keeping their finger on the pulse of cannabusiness development.

Medical Research

A crucial sector of the cannabis industry that has been largely overlooked is in the venue of medical research. Researchers commit themselves to acquiring new information about the medical benefits cannabis can provide.

While a broadening population has accepted the medical efficacy of cannabis, the plant still has a fair share of dissenters, including NIDA, which blocks researchers from potential progress. As long as marijuana continues to be upheld as a Schedule 1 substance, it is legally denoted as having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical implications. Adding insult to injury, cannabis is characterized as more dangerous than drugs like cocaine and Vicodin.

Advocacy

Now more than ever, advocacy and activism is essential in continuing to make positive progress toward comprehensive cannabis legalization and decriminalization. Florida marijuana jobs in advocacy simultaneously educate consumers and implore political establishments to allow for fair cannabis practices.

In addition to legalization, advocates and activists are needed to make sure that the legal industry is fair and doesn’t discriminate against minorities, devalue its workers or allow corporations to smash small businesses. Worthwile online resources like Norml.org leverage the communicative power of the internet and social media to provide helpful information regarding cannabis law in each state and clear up any confusion surrounding legislation.

Security

Something that the cannabis industry simply cannot do without is security protocol. Everything from dispensaries and grow operations to processing facilities have security systems in place to prevent against internal and external theft, as well as other crimes. In some instances, companies will hire security guards to add an additional layer of composure to business operations.

Glass Blowing/Paraphernalia Creation

As cannabis is further ingrained into pop culture, paraphernalia has elevated from clunky metal and basic glass pipes to beautiful and sometimes extravagant glass art that is just as much a centerpiece as it is a, well…smoking piece.

With vaping becoming more popular as an alternative to smoking, companies are creating sexy, sleek and discrete vapes that can easily travel and fit inside one’s bag or pocket.

Florida Marijuana Jobs: The Future

If there is one thing to take away from Florida’s legalization of cannabis, it’s just how significant the impact of cannabis has on associated businesses in nearly any industry. As medical marijuana patients buttress cannabis sales, other industries will be similarly reinforced by this bloom of economic development.

Florida is uniquely suited to embracing cannabis cultivation and distribution given its location. While there are still many hurdles facing all-inclusive legalization in the sunshine state, it has finally joined the ranks of other regions in bringing the industry out from under the covers of the black market and into the light of legalization.