šŸƒ AMA With Rudy Ellenbogen Founder of WOKE Talent Weds January 30th 11 AM PST

I think that part of it is my location, I am currently in a city that only allows indoor and my heavy experience is definitely with sungrown. I also think that it may be a lack of networking on my part, age may be a factor as well.

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all the time! there is a stigma of #potheads specially among many of the new #corporate giants that have entered the industry for the money. Also there is the typical discrimination against convicted people. People who are carrying the consequences of a broken system. Sometimes there is the typical discrimination against women and pay equalityā€¦

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you are on the right track by becoming more aware of the things you can do more of :slight_smile: I am sure the right job is out there for you. It is important that time be on your side, so looking for a job while having financial stability is key.

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By the way, Hello everyone! Thank you for holding this discussion Rudy! I am so thankful to meet conscious people in the industry!

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Exactly the struggle Iā€™m having with networking! Single mom juggle doesnā€™t leave much time for that.

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thank you Ruth! its my pleasure

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I bet! good thing online tools today allow us to ā€œnetworkā€ virtually and via phoneā€¦
research is also key, so reading between the lines about companies culture and mission on their about pages, checking the CEOā€™s profiles to see what they care about and HOW they talk is SUPER valuable and can make the process a lot more efficientā€¦

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Do have any insight into finding companies who are seeking experienced employees? I know that the ā€œfine wineā€ side will make a comeback! :slight_smile:

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Ah! Thanks!

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Recently, several states have taken a hard look at people previously convicted in felony cannabis cases. Many convictions have been overturned as a result. How do you feel about this? What do you feel are the broader implications of this practice of expunging cannabis records? Will there be ripple effects that spread beyond the individuals to the entire cannabis industry?

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most companies seek experience so you can def. leverage thatā€¦ But use that in an energetic way :wink:

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My biggest issue I have with my business is that my hemp seed oil containing products are for the Building Materials market, and I find the current versions of Cannabis companies/people do not relate to a mature industry requirement, business models or funding requirements. Check out www.hempshield.net

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Yes, the activists and lawyers helping clear those records are helping a lot! I do feel that we should own our past and be honest about it, nothing to be ashamed of. All gorwth and learning opportunities that life give usā€¦ Community will produce ripple effects. Once one ex-convicted person is hired and shown to be ā€œnormalā€ then more will be hired and the stigma will slowly go away

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thanks for bringing up hemp! what would you like to see instead?

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When we were initially staffing our cultivation facility we made it a major point in our hiring practices to focus on diversification of our workforce ā€“ part of that was hiring felons. We found two very skilled and capable individuals who both had felony drug convictions. We had such an impossibly hard time working to get those folksā€™ records expunged just so we could give them a job! It felt like the systematic deck was stacked against us. How often do you encounter this issue when you are trying to find jobs for otherwise qualified candidates? Do you have any strategies that can help overcome the obstacle of previous convictions (especially those convictions far in the past)?

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Do you see some indoor farms moving toward regenerative practices, such as building live soil?

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There has been events across the country to help expunge cannabis related conviction records for free, so that is a good place to start. I think the best strategy is to find the companies that openly support ex fellons. Also, being transparent about it at the appropriate time to build trust and lower the importance of that part of your history. Actually highlighting the growth from it.

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Yes! as the big players focus on mass market volume the main alternative for smaller companies is to differentiate in quality to not fall in the commodity race to the bottom. I see the organic movement growing both in indoor and greenhousesā€¦

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So true. There are a lot of great growers out there who SHOULD be in the cannabis industry whom have otherwise been kept out because of past convictions. Itā€™s a real shame.

I would love to post any of those events on the forum if you know of any upcoming

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this happened in October: National Expungement Week:

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