Want To Work In Cannabis? These 8 Women Can Tell You How

It’s everywhere these days — in your favorite gummies, craft cocktails, and even fast-food hamburgers. Across the United States, the cannabis industry is booming. And if you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like to work in this field — or wondered how you can leverage your existing professional knowledge into a cannabis-related career — then look no further.

Working in cannabis is lucrative, especially given how many people in this country use marijuana recreationally. Today, there are 55 million recreational marijuana users in the U.S. — and most of them are millennials. Considering stigma is decreasing and appreciation is growing for the plant’s diverse uses, it’s a great time to get involved.

Even though it’s new, the cannabis industry is already heavily male-dominated. According to data from Vangst, just 38.5% of the total surveyed employees identify as women. Even more worrisome: 74% of the companies surveyed had ten or fewer female-identifying employees, and 12.6% of companies had zero women in a director or executive-level position. Because the market will only continue to expand (it’s expected to be worth $146.4 billion by the end of 2025), it’s important to make racial and gender diversity a priority now.

In order to shed some light on some of the potential avenues for women to explore in the cannabis industry, we spoke with eight women from across the country who are currently making waves in this industry. They work in diverse roles — from marketing gurus to CEOs to budtenders — and successfully channeled their unique professional experiences (and appreciation for the cannabis plant) into successful careers in the cannabis space.

Read on to learn more about how these women got started, how it feels to be a woman or woman of color in this industry, and get advice for how to get your foot in the door.