Majoring in marijuana: Colleges ramp up training for weed industry jobs as demand for pot grows
Marijuana companies are on the prowl for new employees, but experience growing weed in the basement likely won't fly on a resume.
The bar for entry-level positions is moving higher as marijuana companies grow so fast it is no longer practical to train workers new to the industry. Growers and dispensaries increasingly want employees with academic training. The result: More colleges are starting to offer, for lack of a better term, a degree in growing marijuana.
"You're going to need somebody who's got some knowledge (that can) then adapt that to the facility," said Paul Chialdikas, vice president of sales and marketing at Bedford Grow, which has a cultivation facility in Bedford Park, Ill. "Timing is going to be critical for us to grab an employee that has experience. ... We need them now."
Most employees that have entered
