Cannabis Jobs Are Helping Students Survive Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID-19 has all but destroyed the learning experience. A poll by College Reaction found 22 percent of college students no longer enrolling this fall. Many claim difficulty with remote learning. Others worry about the virus. This break, according to Education Data, has as many as four million new adults, all college-age, now needing work. Some of these students are looking at the marijuana market.

Record Enrollments at Oaksterdam University

Many students are enrolling at Oaksterdam University, doing it simultaneously with their currently on-hold traditional degrees. What is more, applications for cannabis jobs are on the rise too. More and more job applications in the cannabis industry are from students in the middle of completing their degrees. From marijuana delivery to budtenders, college students are increasingly applying.

Cannabis Deemed Essential

In this, the year of the pandemic, cannabis is flourishing. A rare thriving industry. In fact, it is among the only industries experiencing a sales boom during the economic lockdown. Its consistent success in even difficult times makes the industry attractive for college-age students. Deemed an essential service, its popularity is unlikely to slow any time soon. Cannabis represents stable income.

Food struggles while marijuana delivery thrives.

The “essential services” label of cannabis is the main reason it still employs folks. Most are losing jobs, income falling, whereas those working in the cannabis industry are still working, largely unaffected by the pandemic. Those in the bar and restaurant industries, the entertainment industries, so many other industries, are struggling and unemployed now. Even food industries die. Those working still are lucky.

Qualifications: Be Legal Aged

The law does not require you be 21-years or older to study cannabis at, say, Oaksterdam, but you do need to be if you are working with it. The law considers you a legal adult at 21-years, which is necessary to hold a job working with weed. Most from college taking gap semesters are working entry-level jobs, even temporary jobs, to tide them through COVID-19. Some apply directly, others through agencies.

Budtenders and other dispensary workers are the most famous entry-level positions. They get training too, comprehensive training, in fact. They dispense cannabis to patients who use it medicinally, so giving the right strains and products is integral to the job. More college kids are occupying these positions this year, a notable increase from last year. There are other jobs to consider too.

Work On Grow Farms

You could work on cannabis farms. Cultivating weed requires much effort. There is need for bud trimmers, folks to water plants, soil testers, and more. The hemp industry also offers an abundance of fall jobs, ideal for students taking a gap semester. Just a quarter off in the fall is ideal for the six-week harvesting period, when plenty of temporary jobs become readily available.

Previous Experience

Those students with prior sales experience, such as those familiar with selling cannabis tinctures, edibles, oils or other products to dispensaries, may find opportunities available too. These jobs are especially popular with students. The ease of entering the cannabis industry, and the flexibility of new online life, or time off school entirely, is making cannabis work particularly accessible.

Opportunities for Single Parents

Cannabis jobs are incredibly flexible. Famously so. They are ideal for college-going single parents needing somehow to balance parenting, school and work. Job flexibility is a major attraction for single parents, and because cannabis jobs typically pay well, they offer great opportunity for single-parent students. Ability to adapt easily is a trademark of the cannabis industry, due to ever-changing laws.

You Might Need a Work Permit

You do not need much to work in the cannabis industry. Entry barriers are famously low. You only need be of legal age. However, every state has its own entry rules and it usually depends on the position. Know the laws of your state. Some states, such as Colorado, require a Marijuana Worker’s Permit for anyone who touches weed. This may take as long as applying for a, say, food handler’s permit.

Challenges for Federal Student Aid

Students with federal aid or scholarships may worry about losing this aid if they work in the cannabis industry. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. Rhetoric about drugs and student aid is quite harrowing, but you are unlikely to lose student funding from legal cannabis work. If convicted of any drug offenses, then you might lose your federal student aid.

Availability of Cannabis Jobs

Many cannabis jobs exist out there. However, securing one may be trickier than initially thought as a college student. Availability depends heavily on which state you want to work in, as well as how new their marijuana market is. This is because states make their own regulations to govern their cannabis industries, and their rules may affect the ability of local companies to hire.

In an established market, such as Colorado or California, you can find an industry job quickly. However, in states with emerging or new markets, like Massachusetts or Illinois, it becomes much harder to predict the chances of a hire. There might be only a few companies doing all the growing, for example. So despite news of booming sales, it may really only be a handful of companies actually hiring.

Advice when Job-Seeking

It is vital that you know the cannabis laws in the state you want to work in. This applies to the city, as well. Is the state legal, as in recreational too? What are the laws governing the industry, the regulations? Understanding how your state operates its cannabis industry is integral to finding success working in it. There are other factors to consider too.

Think about working with an agency. A cannabis-recruiting firm has insider insights of the local hiring market. They know the major role players, the biggest hirers. They know which jobs are in demand, which are not, and most importantly, just which are companies hiring. However, make sure you vet the agency thoroughly beforehand. You want them licensed and compliant with both state and city laws.

Weed Delivery Los Angeles

Marijuana delivery is undoubtedly among the most popular cannabis jobs out there. In Los Angeles, cannabis is popular, sales are booming, drivers are busy. For consumers, just searching “weed delivery near me” shows numerous options for weed. All of them need help. Jobs are plentiful. Start studying marijuana now and gain a competitive advantage of other applicants.