Non-revenue-generating cannabis jobs in peril

As headlines from the past several months attest, employers ranging from multistate operators to small cannabis businesses to ancillary companies have laid off employees.

And for the first time since regulated marijuana markets opened in the United States, the number of cannabis jobs in the country contracted during the past year, according to a report released in February 2023 by Denver-based marijuana industry recruiting firm Vangst.

A national decline in cannabis industry jobs was unfathomable a year ago, given the many new markets and those getting ready to launch.

But global inflation, depressed cannabis prices, a dearth of investment dollars as well as oversaturation in mature markets have compelled many marijuana companies to lay off workers, Vangst reported.

The firm found there were 417,493 cannabis industry jobs (both plant-touching and non-plant-touching) in early 2023, a drop of about 2% from the 428,059 jobs the firm tallied the same time last year.

The days of the “Great Resignation” seem a distant memory now. Recruiters report that fewer cannabis businesses are posting jobs, and many industry workers fear for their job security.

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Photo: Hourly workers are in high demand across the cannabis industry. (Photo by Marvin Sandova)

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