The cannabis industry continues to grow, offering new ways to support the economy
About a year ago, the cannabis industry supported nearly half a million jobs in the US. Now, with a new year getting underway, a projection is again being made about what 2023 could hold for the industry. Experts predict 108,000 new cannabis jobs, with the strongest job markets being New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri and Illinois (adult-use) when fully established. Some states, such as Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, only have medical cannabis but even so, job opportunity growth was evident during 2022.
Chief financial officer, auditor, VP of cultivation, VP of manufacturing, VP of sales, dispensary supervisor and brand manager appear to be the most sought-after positions today. According to a new report from CannabizTeam, an executive search and recruiting firm, the cannabis industry is the most prolific job creator in the entire US, and that the potential legal cannabis market would be between 1.5 and 1.75 million workers when it reaches maturity. This year alone, more than 100,000 jobs are expected to be created.
Leafly’s Cannabis Jobs Report conducted last year was conducted in partnership with Whitney Economics, a firm specializing in cannabis and hemp economic research, and indicates that despite the economic challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cannabis sector was able to continue as the nation’s most powerful job creator. The new CannabizTeam report continues to solidify that sentence.
By 2025, total annual legal cannabis revenue in the US is forecast to be closer to 45 billion, which is still less than half of the total potential market. For that, as in any sector, warehousemen, marketers, programmers, and salespeople are needed, as well as lawyers and public relations specialists. Without a booming workforce, the industry could not achieve the success that many expect to see in the coming years.