Legal cannabis takes root in Ohio, shows potential to grow jobs

Ohio’s cannabis industry is paying dividends following an Aug. 6 decision that allowed dual-use dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana. According to the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, the state surpassed $50 million in sales over its first month as a legal marketplace.

Even with a cap on stores selling recreational marijuana in bigger markets such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati – 123 medical dispensaries are currently operating under dual licenses statewide – the deluge of customers has created a demand for more workers to grow, tend and sell the plant, noted cannabis experts and entrepreneurs interviewed by Ideastream Public Media.

The Indeed employment website is rife with Ohio-based entry-level cultivator, trimmer and customer service positions. Cannabis businesses are also in need of skilled maintenance professionals to support grow facilities, not to mention experienced marketers to brand their operations. Given the industry’s novelty, companies are actively recruiting individuals from outside the sector to fill workforce gaps.

B.C. Wehman spent two decades as a buyer and marketing director in traditional retail. Wehman, feeling unfulfilled in his career after turning 40, moved into marketing and sales with Eastlake cannabis processor Lighthouse Sciences. He’s also an instructor with the Cleveland School of Cannabis  – an accredited career institution for marijuana employees – and co-hosts the Because Cannabis podcast.

Wehman stresses that the science of cannabis is just as essential to the field as marketing and maintenance.

“One of the parts that we don’t think about when it comes to cannabis is the very science-minded folks,” Wehman said. “If you are a person who appreciates biology down to a molecular level, Ohio has some of the strictest testing standards in the country. So the testing labs are very viable here.”

In the coming years, cannabis will need more irrigation specialists and security personnel, along with skilled attorneys able to translate the latest Ohio Revised Code regulations, Wehman said.

“A lot of the time people talk ‘weed jobs’ and think of people just growing weed,” said Wehman. “All the jobs people have to do in normal companies – accounts receivable and payable, human resources – those all exist (in cannabis), too.”

A market poised for growth

Nationally, the therapeutic application of marijuana is allowed in 40 states, while recreational use has been approved in 24 states and the District of Columbia. The legal cannabis space supports more than 440,000 full-time equivalent jobs, per an April 2024 report from Colorado-based marijuana staffing company Vangst and the analytics firm Whitney Economics.

Whereas established markets such as Colorado and Washington experienced a decline in jobs, newer entrants enjoyed an employment surge – Michigan alone added more than 11,000 jobs, a 39% jump from the previous year, according to the report.

Given the nascent nature of Ohio’s cannabis market, it’s equally premature to forecast future job numbers here. However, as entry-level positions comprise half of all cannabis-related work, it’s not a stretch to believe that the Buckeye State will follow suit, said Wehman.

Ohio’s cannabis market is poised to bring in delivery drivers, plant trimmers, product packagers, and customer service representatives, noted Lenny Berry, founder of the Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit, an annual event at I-X Center that links vendors and industry professionals to the public.

Budtenders are another in-demand role for local dispensaries, said Berry, also owner and chief visionary officer of hemp producer Organic Plus Brands in North Ridgeville. Budtenders, equipped with expertise in different products, strains, and their effects, can assist the canna-curious with questions and recommendations.

Based on Indeed data, dispensary consultant positions in Ohio typically pay $17 per hour, while general managers can earn up to $26 per hour. Though the sector is a “revolving door” at the entry level, an expected inflow of combustible products will create opportunities for new brand ambassadors to build relationships with consumers, said Berry.

“Ambassadors are the people on the front line of education for cultivators and processors,” Berry said. “So you’re going to need more of those, because you have more dispensaries opening up, and you have more people to educate.”

Onward and upward

New entrants into the cannabis industry have opportunities for advancement – trimmers can become cultivation associates, while budtenders may one day manage a dispensary. Non-cannabis retail managers transferring their skills to marijuana simply must understand the products they’re buying and selling, said Berry.

“There’s a lot of people that transition from big box stores,” said Berry. “They come into the cannabis side running retail operations and never had a history of working in cannabis.”

Klutch Cannabis, an Akron-founded cultivator with a dispensary in Lorain, offers the usual plant processing positions along with the manufacturing of gummies and other food products.

“It’s safe to say no job has declined, but like any company that’s experiencing exponential growth, the roles get more specialized,” said Klutch chief compliance and communications director Pete Nischt. “You need people specialized in the trades, or who are more cultivation- or processing-specific. Or in any administrative or ancillary position, we start to look for people with greater qualifications.”

Klutch had 250 employees statewide prior to legalization, a figure that Nischt expects to double or even triple in the next 18 months. Ultimately, the marketplace is searching for adaptable individuals passionate about contributing to the industry’s rapid growth, Nischt said.

“People ask this question a lot – ‘How do I get involved, how do I get a job?” said Nischt. “We are in a place where we’re never not hiring. That can be said about a number of companies in Ohio. The best thing you can do if you’re interested in working in the industry is reach out. Cast a wide net, put yourself out there, and there’s a place for people who want to be involved.”