New Jersey's Cannabis Industry Expected To Boom Big Time, Workers Needed, Job Fairs Abound

New Jersey’s cannabis industry is getting ready to take off after last week’s statewide launch of adult-use weed. Initially, only seven treatment centers, or cannabis dispensaries in NJ, will sell adult-use marijuana at 13 shops across the state, but those numbers will soon pick up. 

So, now the work begins: growing, producing, packaging, transporting, retail selling…the list is long. Suffice it to say that the cannabis industry is real, it’s big and it creates a lot of jobs.

Leafly’s most recent report shows there will be a meteoric rise in the number of jobs in the Garden State. 

As employers need to expand their operations to serve the soon-to-be huge consumer weed market - with visitors from neighboring New York and Philadelphia contributing to it, no doubt - many will be looking for talented individuals to join their ranks.

Where To Find Cannabis Workers? How About A Job Fair?

NJ.com in collaboration with NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting the Cannabis Insider Live Virtual Job Fair. For those interested, register HERE where you can upload your resume, browse exhibitor booths for new opportunities and even live chat with cannabis company recruiters. 

Event exhibitors include The Cannabist, Puffin, The Botanist, TerrAscend TRSSF, Ascend Wellness AAWH, Longview Strategic, among others.

During the two-day virtual event, recruiters can chat with people who are applying to open positions. Live chats sessions are 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, April 26; and 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, though virtual booths will remain live through May 25, allowing visitors to explore and apply to jobs at their convenience

Sloane Barbour, founder of Engin and partner at cannabis recruiting agency FlowerHire told NJ Cannabis Insider ahead of the market opening that he expects to see a tenfold growth in the number of jobs in New Jersey.

“The sooner that you get revenue going through adult-use dispensaries, the more people are going to hire and the more impact you’re going to have,” he said. “Every million dollars in legalized cannabis sold in a state creates between 14 and 18 jobs. And in New Jersey that means you’re going to have 30,000 to 40,000 jobs created based on those numbers, and 60 to 80,000 in New York,” he said. 

Barbour described the seed-to-sale process, outlining various positions at every step. Genetics, cultivation, harvest, processing, packaging, manufacturing, storage, delivery and logistics are just a few of the areas of employment in a plant-touching company.

And this is not even counting contracted services like marketing and other ancillary services.

Jobs, jobs, jobs...welcome to the cannabis industry.