The cannabis boom is well underway, and everyone is looking for their green ticket, if you catch my drift. Googling “cannabis jobs” pulls up an overwhelmingly positive, promising search for available and opportune positions. The commercialism of marijuana is meaning that new jobs are needed to fill roles in production, marketing, and every other level of industry. I myself am so grateful to write these articles and assist in social media promotion for my sister’s cannabis production company. Yet… the “business” around weed has long existed, and not all positions are created equal. These are the gigs that I think are the worst to have in cannabusiness.
Trimmer
My hometown is host to lots of large grow operations, illegal and formal, so every harvest season as a kid, I would go to the store with my dad and he would side-eye hippie looking youths, buying smokes and alcohol at the grocery store then turn and ask me jokingly if they were friends of mine. I myself have limited experience trimming, but I’ve heard from multiple friends what a rough full time gig it is. Adjectives I’ve heard used include: Mind-numbing, tedious, arthritic, boring, ass-aching. Not to mention that, at least in illegal settings, trimmers are frequently asked if they can be paid in cannabis. For women especially, harassment on farms and grows is a constant problem, and can feel unsafe. Trimming is largely considered “women’s work” and sets the scene for unfair treatment. Even with a solid crew to spend these 12 hour, cramped workdays with, and endless entertaining podcasts, this is one rough job.
Security
Without being hyperbolic, the lack of federal regulation causes deaths over cannabis money theft. Because (most) dispensaries need to deal in cash only, they are prime targets for robbery. If you just look up “dispensary robberies,” you’ll see too many stories about gunpoint thefts and emptying shops of their cash and product. Aside from the incredibly high risk, being a security guard is mostly boring, long hours standing, and of course, dealing with the extremely rude customer who could always be a potential threat.
Delivery
Waiting and waiting hours for cannabis delivery can be flustering, especially if you were expecting it to take 30 minutes, when in reality you probably should have just popped over to the weed store yourself. Waiting that long can only mean one thing- there are so many orders in front of you. How annoying to have to do the lousy part of going to get something you’ll enjoy without actually enjoying it. Just like food delivery, running around from each drop-off to expectant customers can be stressful. Not to mention the miles on your car! Cannabis delivery is too much time in the car, and definitely too much cash on my person at one time than would allow me to feel comfortable.
