14 Marijuana Jobs In New Jersey: ‘Cannabusiness’ Grows In The Garden State

“Drug dealers don’t card… Dispensary operators do.”

Those words are a favorite slogan of Scott Rudder, president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA), a trade group consisting of 420-friendly business leaders, civic activists and patient-advocates in the Garden State.

To Rudder, the slogan symbolizes the fledgling New Jersey marijuana industry’s march from out of the shadows into the mainstream business culture. [See our list of 14 marijuana jobs in N.J. below]

“The excitement surrounding the legal cannabis industry and New Jersey’s role and opportunities is amazing,” enthused the former Republican state legislator, mayor of Medford and Lockheed Martin executive.

“After 80 years of prohibition, cannabis has been given a bad reputation based on outdated information and stereotypes which still cause concerns for some people today,” Rudder charged. “Once you get a look at recent statistical data as well as research conducted by scientists and medical professionals, you learn that this plant - which has been part of our cultural and medical history for thousands of years - is just a plant.”

• See related article: New Jersey Marijuana Patients Offer Human Side To Weed Debate

New Jersey currently has five licensed and operational medical marijuana dispensaries – also known as Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) – in Montclair, Egg Harbor, Woodbridge, Cranbury and Bellmawr.

Together, these five dispensaries served more than 1,200 pounds of medical marijuana to almost 7,000 patients in 2015, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

• See related article: 2015 N.J. Medical Marijuana Report Released

But according to the NJCBA, business opportunities and cannabis-related jobs aren’t confined to the dispensaries.

“As it stands today, there are thousands of businesses already operating in New Jersey that can expand their existing market to include the cannabis industry,” said Marianne Bays, a cannabis industry analyst and consultant who received a PhD in business from City University of New York (CUNY).

“In addition to the existing ATCs already up and running, people in LED lighting, horticulture, packaging, security, logistics and dozens of other industries will find new customers ready, willing and able to utilize their services,” Bay said.

• See related article: N.J. Marijuana Legalization Bill Would Treat Weed Like Tobacco

But however great the opportunities for legitimate growth in the New Jersey marijuana industry, members of the NJCBA say that the future of cannabusiness in the Garden State will depend on establishing a regulatory framework that will allow businesses to succeed in a responsible manner.

“We have the benefit of adopting the lessons learned from other states who have both medical and adult-use laws on the books,” Bay said. “We have the opportunity to get it right the first time.”

14 MARIJUANA JOBS IN NEW JERSEY

The following list comes courtesy of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association:

• Grow Master – The top-dog in the grow facility. These folks are a combination of surgeons, artists and engineers.
• Store Managers – Obvious but needs to be included.
• Product Manufacturer – A growing market in the cannabis industry are edibles and other forms of ingestion (tablets, drinks) for medical purposes. This requires FDA-standard equipment and processes to get it done right.
• Extraction Technician – These folks take the flower (buds) and transform it into oil or other product which is then infused into edibles such as cookies, tablets, etc.
• Bud Trimmers – These folks work at the grow facility and take the plant and trim it down (get rid of stems, leaves, etc) to the sellable portions.
• Budtender – The experts in retail operations are called “budtenders.” Similar to a barista at an upscale coffee shop or the wine expert at the liquor store, they don’t just to sell cannabis, they answer questions, provide descriptions of the different strains and products, etc.
• Doctor/counselor – Currently, doctors are in demand to help patients through their ailments and if it makes sense, recommend medical cannabis to treat various symptoms. As the market evolves into broader medical applications as well as adult use, people will still depend on guidance to help them address medical issues or other disorders such as PTSD and opioid addiction.
• Edibles Chef/Cook – Wine tastings and pairings are a staple in the wine and foodie culture. The same is true in the cannabis world.
• Lawyer – No one gets and license and stays in business without the help of a talented attorney familiar with the do’s and don’ts for cannabis businesses.
• Accountant – Ditto as above.
• Social Media/PR professionals – As the industry progresses and the number of facilities open up, many in the same time frame, getting noticed and keeping a loyal customer base will be tough competition. Savvy professionals that can get the client a leg up will be a critical skill.
• Security – Nothing is grown, moved, or purchased without a significant amount of security.
• IT/Computer Programmer – The state will require a detailed chain of custody of the plants in each operation in order to ensure that legally grown cannabis does not wind up on the black market. There are a lot or programs out there that can integrate and businesses operations to every gram of cannabis – but someone needs to make the magic happen.
• Consultant – This is a rapidly growing industry with a lot of interest. People with a cannabis background and/or horticultural background will prove valuable as novices roll the dice and decide to jump into an industry that is still in its infancy stage.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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