Cannabis companies are preparing for Canada’s legal cannabis market to go into effect, as they seek out employees to fill a broad scope of cannabis jobs. All kinds of job positions are being filled, from sales and marketing to cultivation.

Alison McMahon operates Cannabis At Work and she says that the workforce is booming. The negative stigma that once loomed over the topic of cannabis is quickly dissipating, thanks to positive legislation and research.

Before cannabis reform, people may have felt deterred from applying for work within the industry. However, people’s understanding of and appreciation for the plant is increasing, which is effectively driving people to pursue cannabis careers.

People employed in Canada’s legal cannabis market can expect wages similar to other industries

The hype that is brewing around Canada’s cannabis industry is giving companies the upper hand in selecting the most talented individuals for the job.

Applicants who are victorious in landing a job should not anticipate sky-high wages if they gain employment in the industry. Rather, they can expect to earn what people in similar industries pull in. According to McMahon, this is around $50,000 per year for growing jobs and $100,000 for production directors.

Canopy Growth Corporation is an example of a company that is hiring. A job fair was recently hosted by the company to find 75 to 100 retail workers for Tweed. This company brand requires managers, receptionists, budtenders and security guards to work at their stores in locations like Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South and Corner Brook. The job fair was held in Newfoundland’s capital, St. John’s. Since this location will be used by Canopy Growth to cultivate legal cannabis, it proved fitting for the event.

“[W]e really focus on working in communities that want us there, and then we focus on creating jobs and opportunities for everybody who works for us,” says Canopy Growth’s regional general manager, Mario Castillo.

Despite the fact that cannabis legalization in Canada could face delays, Canopy Growth is not delaying the hiring process and is getting one step ahead. Even facing the delay of legalization, Canopy Growth continues to hire to be prepared for the inevitable.

“[W]e are ramping up really quickly, hiring people on a regular basis. But it’s just an issue of time. We want to be ready, we want to be the best and we want to be first,” Castillo revealed to CBC News.

Canada’s legal cannabis market could follow in the footsteps of the US

Cannabis legalization in the United States has demonstrated how the market can create jobs. Colorado is a fine example of this. The state created over 18,000 full-time cannabis jobs and attracted $2.4 billion in 2015 alone, according to the Washington Post.

The success of the cannabis market is having a direct effect on other sectors, however.

“By 2024 manufacturing jobs are expected to decline by 814,000, utilities will lose 47,000 jobs and government jobs will decline by 383,000,” Forbes estimates.

The decline in various other sectors is encouraging people to choose cannabis as an alternative career. Darryl Yetman and his wife are two ordinary people who have discovered that the grass is greener on the other side. Yetman is a millwright and industrial mechanic. The married couple made an appearance at St. John’s for the Canopy Growth job fair.

“It’s a new, great industry coming into St. John’s and I hope I get the opportunity to work for them,” Yetman explained to CBC News.