I have no experience growing, how can I fast track my way to a position in the marijuana industry? Should I obtain a degree in horticulture, agriculture, or botany, if so which one? Or are cannabis schools reputable? Or am I better off finding a mentor?
If you were starting all over and didn’t have any connections or experience, what would your first steps be?
If you have zero experience, it can be tough to find a grower job depending on what state you’re in. I’d recommend getting hired as a trimmer somewhere, work hard and make it clear you’d like to be a grower when a spot opens up. Good luck.
I think experience is more important than a degree. I’d recommend taking any entry level job you can find in the industry. Then kick ass with a positive attitude and meet as many people as you can.
Great answers so far. If I may add my two cents…Read Robert Connell Clark’s “Marijuana Botany” as many times as you can. Get into the industry and establish TRUST. Show you’re willing to learn all aspects of the supply chain. Let Curing be and remain your focal point. I’d say you’ve got 10 years minimum, or less, because of the internet…no fair.
I would also like to recommend that you check out our HempStaff Dispensary Agent Training Classes as we do help prepare individuals to work in the cannabis industry and also offer education on all aspects of the program including the cultivation side. There are many medical cannabis cultivation facilities that do offer entry level positions as site workers so do not give up hope in regards to wanting to land a position on the cultivation side of the industry!
Sign up for THC University and do the Jorge Cervantes Horticulture Specialist Course it’s on the Medical Marijuana Bible and covers everything a master grower would find essential knowledge. Ed Rosenthal has some great books that come with medicinal history, world geographic attributes and growing techniques.
…OR you could consider signing up for Growers Network University and get your training from the pros.
As a bonus, for a limited time, GN forum members get exclusive free access to GNU. Check it out:
Was very informational! Great Job and Content in the GNU! Give it up for the Growers Network Team and all the awesome members who contribute.
Forget about starting as a “grower” without solid experience. Most of the growers I’ve worked with in the rec market had at least a decade of experience in medical or the black market…and they usually got the job because an existing employee vouched for them.
Apply for every entry-level cannabis job you can find, and unless the company looks like a total disaster, take whatever you’re offered to get a foot in the door. Bust your ass, treat your coworkers well, ask questions, and find new ways to be useful. Start your own garden - cannabis or veggies - and get some first-hand experience, even if it’s just a few potted basil plants on the windowsill.
I ran a small indoor grow for years, got a lot of coaching from an old-school grower, then spent 5+ years in the medical market before getting my first rec job off Criagslist. I worked full time doing manual labor for low wages before getting laid off along with almost everyone else at the end of the season. I kept applying for farm and even dispensary jobs with no luck.
Then a few months later I got a call from someone who I’d known at the first place, offering me a job as a transplanter at a new farm he was starting up. I jumped on it, gave 101%, and now I’m managing the cloning & veg operations there.
Good luck! If you have the passion, brains, and determination, you have a good chance, and since it’s a new industry going through tons of changes, you may be able to advance faster than in others
…and I know I’m gonna get bashed for this, but many of those old school Cervantes and Rosenthal books contain questionable information and sloppy editing; take them with a grain of salt, and try to read some real, scholarly books on horticulture and agriculture.
Last Rosenthal book I read had a photo of a spider mite infestation labeled as thrips
