Jobs under attack

Hey, Ngaio. Love the column. My son is interested in a job in the weed industry. What jobs are out there for those looking for employment? Can you please roll up a big fat list of jobs and their respective qualifications? I love him a lot and want him to be successful in his search so I thought your column would be a great place to start.

—Proud Dad

You are a good dad. Way to support your kid! My parents looked at me hella funny when I started my cannabis career, and now they think it’s pretty cool. I was just down at the High Times Cannabis Cup in San Francisco last week, talking to some friends about how amazing it is to have a career in the cannabis industry. Ten years ago, no one really knew what was going to happen to the cannabis industry, and now, there are so many employment opportunities, from being a budtender to having a brick-and-mortar dispensary or a delivery service or working in a testing facility, a grow room, or whatever. This is a good time to get involved in the fastest-growing industry in America.

His best bet would be to call around and see what employers are looking for. He also might want to look into taking some classes. Oaksterdam University and the 707 Cannabis College have programs that will teach him the things he needs to be a good employee (or to start his own business, if he is a go-getter type of person). I’m guessing it won’t be long until colleges offer a major in cannabis production. Who’d have thought we would see the day when a young person could major in weed? Congratulations, and good luck!

What’s up with all the raids going on?

—Johnny Appleweed

It’s weird, right? The cops and sheriffs up in the Emerald Triangle (Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties) have been raiding large grows for the past week. The authorities are looking to eradicate about 100,000 plants. They claim to be worried about “water theft” and “environmental degradation,” but the people on the farms being raided think these raids are happening because most of the farms are members of the political action group California Cannabis Voice-Humboldt. Hezekiah Allen, the head of the Emerald Growers Association, decried the raids in a strongly worded press release: “This type of activity is ever more concerning because state agencies are hard at work developing new programs. This ‘business as usual’ law enforcement activity squashes this nascent dialog. It makes the hard work of the state agencies ever more difficult. It torments and traumatizes hard-working families. California needs a well-regulated cannabis industry. This type of activity keeps us from that policy by marginalizing critical perspectives. And unfortunately, this type of activity is still an everyday reality for families and communities throughout the state.” He is correct. These raids are a black mark on the reputation of the law enforcement community.