Transitioning From Non-Cannabis to Cannabis: What You Need to Know
Written By Christy Essex
So, you want to work in cannabis? There is a lot of “buzz” going on, especially when it comes to people looking into transitioning to cannabis from non-cannabis fields.
Cannabis companies have needs, just like any other company in any other legal industry. In the fastest growing industry in the nation, opportunities are popping up everywhere.
The process of transitioning from traditional non-cannabis careers into the cannabis industry may seem daunting, however there are more connections between the job you have now and your future career in cannabis than meets the eye.
One of my favorite quotes by Henry Ford is “Whether you think you can-or think you can’t-you’re right!” I kept this quote by my desk as I set up to pivot into the cannabis space, myself. Now, here I am ten years later loving my decision to transition into the cannabis workforce.
So, if you are still wondering where to start, here are some recommendations;
From Red to Pink - Part VIII: Hot Pink mess
Written By Lindsey Gunter
Listen up people: You can be a big, bad whatever, but if you put two types of weed in the bag, you’re doing bad business. Period. It’s unacceptable. I could not believe the blatant illegality of this, outside of the poor planning and product development. Such shamefully low regard for the consumer. There is only one C.O.A. for good reason, and besides, people have eyes and can clearly see a difference.
'Red would never have done something like that' I remembered thinking to myself. What a shame it felt like at times, everyone from the teams I worked with running dispensaries were scattered all over the place by now, and couldn't likely come in to see what all that I learned from them could make.
For some, after the amount of drama that had so far unfolded, they were starting to feel embarrassed about even being associated with the place. I wondered what my own late business owning mother would say about Pink as I watched ownership and the owner's assistant show family around the dispensary around holiday time.
From Red to Pink - Part VI: The Pink Era Begins
Written By Lindsey Gunter
My layoff date approached, red jackets began to appear in thrift store windows around town (ouch), and I found myself sitting in a dark, shabby room covered in concrete dust - clearly the only habitable place in the general sea of construction going on inside. I was interviewing for a new dispensary’s ownership that got my resume from The Blacklist. “Gold” someone had called it. We knew some of the same people, shared some brand-building opinions and a desire for an open, feminine, inclusive ideal for the dispensary. I shook hands and agreed to an hourly rate until opening, upon which time a salary for myself and the people I brought into other key positions would go into effect. I walked out and just about danced all the way home.
Do you ever wish you could just go back in time, not to prevent anything from happening necessarily, but to warn yourself? I probably would’ve just tapped myself on the shoulder and simply said, “Don’t dance yet.”
But alas, as I danced down the street, “Finally,” I thought, “this is my chance to put a real dent in the binary!”
Women Are Now Networking Over Blunts & Brunch: Next stop - Vegas!
Written By Lindsey Gunter
Would you know if a woman smoked cannabis by looking at her? This is what’s hard for brands and companies to connect with in cannabis when it comes to marketing toward women.
What better way to begin building awareness as well as connection to this vast and unfamiliar assortment of women than a woman-focused event? One with “activations” and more, within which women can explore and converse! Cannabis is still a very male-dominated industry, women sticking together in cannabis will inspire women to stand together more in general - Events are a great way to accomplish this.
When it comes to this niche, Adelia Carrillo (CMO/Co-Founder of “EventHi”) and “The Marijuana Momma” Parisa Mansouri-Rad’s “Blunt Brunch” has grown to become one of the nation’s best places for women in cannabis to network and empower one another. 2022 has been a great year, as Blunt Brunch has successfully put on events in multiple cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and, coming up - Las Vegas!
From Red to Pink - Part V: SPIES, SUCCULENTS & LOOK DAD I'M ON TV
Written By Lindsey Gunter
Woah, I remember thinking. “Could I trust the people I work with?” I mean, can you trust anyone, really, further than a certain point at least? I was just Sourcing and Production, so I hoped so, but…what? I could not imagine a single person in my area of the office being any type of spy, and laughed to myself at the thought of the buyers or master data bros in black ninja outfits. I mean, hopping through lasers and narrowly avoiding booby traps…for legal weed?