Why Women Should Purse a Career in the Cannabis Industries

Women Careers in Cannabis

Cannabis industries’ careers and opportunities are not limited to THC rich plants or products. The hemp industry and cannabinoid market are a major part of the cannabis industry. Each of these three markets have created new opportunities for ancillary businesses, as well as, new ancillary businesses. Whether you are an artist or accountant, a salesperson or a scientist there are opportunities in the cannabis industries. The research and the numbers show the growth and stability of the cannabis, hemp, and cannabinoid markets.

In 2021 the cannabis industry created an average of 280 new jobs per day. Leafly’s 2022 Jobs Report found that as of January 2022, 428,059 full time jobs were supported by the cannabis industry. The total number of people working in the industry is predicted to grow to 1.5 million to 1.75 million as the legal market matures. Employment agencies, such as Vangst, have emerged to fill cannabis positions in all legal states. Traditional employment agencies like Indeed have added cannabis “help wanted” listings.

Cannabis careers and opportunities are plentiful and varied. Cannabidiol, cannabis and hemp markets are rapidly expanding, and revenues are in the millions and billions of dollars. 

CBD is currently the most common cannabidiol product on the market. There are more than 100 cannabidiols, including THC and CBD. The market is seeing the introduction of CBN and CBG products and the emergence of Delta-8, opening up new career and business opportunities. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Cannabidiol Oil (CBD Oil) market size is estimated to be worth USD 720.5 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 3213.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 28.3% during the review period. Absolute Reports

CBD-infused Products Market Worth $216.8 Billion by 2028. Global Newswire

The global CBD skin care market size was valued at $633.6 million in 2018 and is anticipated to reach $3,484.00 million by 2026. 

The CBD skin care market exhibits an incremental revenue opportunity of $2,747.4 million from 2019 to 2026. Alliedmarketresearch.com

Hardy and renewable, industrial hemp produces a variety of products, including health foods, organic body care, clothing, construction materials, biofuels, animal feed, plastic composites and more. It is estimated that over 25,000 products can be made from hemp. Hemp offers unlimited career avenues.

In 2021, the value of hemp production in the open and under protection for the United States totaled $824 million. Industrial Hemp Market to reach $310 million by 2027 National Hemp Report USDA

Cannabis is now the fifth most valuable crop in the U.S. It has evolved into gourmet edibles and beverages, topicals, concentrates, and new methods of consuming. Only 13 states have not legalized medical or recreational cannabis. 

The legal cannabis market is projected to pull in $43 billion by 2025. New Frontier Data.

The U.S. cannabis industry is now projected to be worth $100 billion USD by 2030. Business Insider  

But, beyond the numbers – Why should women pursue cannabis careers?

  • The cannabis, cannabinoid, hemp industry is in its infancy. This provides the opportunity to grow and advance your career. 
  • Rapid expansion and innovation continually create new career options.
  • CBD, hemp, and cannabis careers offer personal satisfaction. All are known for their healing properties, as well as, the potential to heal the planet.
  • There is genuine support from other women and women’s groups in the industry. 
  • The cannabis industries need smart women in executive roles. 

Notably, in 2021, the percentage of women who hold executive positions, 22.1%, fell below the average recorded across the larger U.S. business landscape, 29.8%, according to the 2021 report, “Women & Minorities in the Cannabis Industry.”

AddisonAuthor: Addison Morris, Founder & CEO Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce

The Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce mission is to move entrepreneurs’ beyond empowerment into powerful result driven career strategies, CEO positions and business ownership; to provide education, resources and opportunities, to build long term business relationships and support through networking.

Read more
Ohio State Medical Marijuana

Ohio State Medical Board

Ohio State Medical Board added three conditions to the list of diseases that qualify for medical marijuana; Huntington’s disease, terminal illnesses, and spasticity. 

The Ohio State Medical Board rejected autism spectrum disorder, restless leg syndrome, panic disorder with agoraphobia and spasms. 

Qualifying diseases for Ohio medical marijuana card: 

  • AIDS.
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Cachexia.
  • Cancer.
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
  • Crohn’s disease.
  • Epilepsy or another seizure disorder.
  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Glaucoma.
  • Hepatitis C.
  • Huntington’s disease.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Multiple sclerosis.
  • Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable.
  • Parkinson’s disease.
  • Positive status for HIV.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Sickle cell anemia.
  • Spasticity.
  • Spinal cord disease or injury.
  • Terminal illness.
  • Tourette’s syndrome.
  • Traumatic brain injury.
  • Ulcerative colitis.

There were 103,642 registered medical marijuana patients in 2020. By April 2021 there 168,571 medical marijuana patients. Seven hundred twenty one had been diagnosed with terminal illness.

Of the 57 licenses available, As of June 2021 there are 52 open dispensaries in Ohio. See Complete List In April of 2021 the Ohio Board of Pharmacy approved making an additional 73 new dispensary licenses available. The decision was based on the number of patients seeking medical cards and the current geographic distribution of dispensary locations.

Read more
Landon's

Sierra Riddle

Landon'sIn September of 2012, Sierra Riddle could not have imagined the direction her life was about to take and that she would be fighting for her son’s life under the scrutiny of national media.

Sierra was a young single mother of a beautiful two year old boy, Landon. Landon had developed a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. The emergency room doctor diagnosed it as a virus and sent him home. Two days later Landon’s armpits were also swollen. “They thought it was either a virus or infection in the lymph nodes, so they gave him some antibiotics.” By day five his groin, abdomen and throat were swollen and he was having trouble breathing. “His whole chest was full of leukemia tumors, which is why he couldn’t breathe,” his mother says.  Landon was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at just 2-years-old.  “They started him on chemo, but told us that he probably wasn’t going to make it. Landon’s cancer had quickly progressed, leading doctors to give him an 8% chance of survival.” Landon was originally given only a 10 percent chance of living through the first two days of treatment.

Doctors put Landon on a four-year treatment plan. The first two months of chemo went fairly well, but then Landon became extremely ill.  He had been prescribed medications like OxyContin and morphine — medications with significant side effects. Landon suffered from stomach failure, and “the OxyContin made him so miserable, when he had hair, he would literally try to pull his hair out.” Sierra watched her toddler becoming dependent on narcotic pain killers. “Around the clock, he was usually on liquid morphine, Ativan, Promethazine,” Sierra told CNN. “And it just really didn’t seem to be helping.” 

Sierra was determined to do more than safe her son’s life, she wanted a quality life for Landon. Her journey led her to the Realm of Caring. Landon began with what’s called CBD oil from marijuana containing a very low level THC, the psychoactive ingredient. Wendy Riddle, Landon’s grandmother, says the effects “were almost immediate”.

This is not the end of Sierra’s story, it is the beginning. It is the beginning of a battle that propelled Sierra Riddle into the national spotlight. 

She quickly connected with groups of patients and began speaking at local events. Sierra and Landon’s story became part of Dr. Gupta Sanjay’s documentary on Medical Marijuana. Except 

Fueled by her passion to provide access to safe, natural cannabis and education to people diagnosed with cancer Sierra became an activist for patients’ rights and sought after national speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of CannaMommy. 

CannaMommy Clinic is a free online resource that establishes a bridge between the patient and provider, eliminating the fear of CPS or law enforcement.

Sierra and Landon had moved to Colorado where Landon, who would become the youngest medical marijuana patient in the state, could have access to his medicine. 

Landon’s oncology team began reporting Sierra to Child Protective Services for refusing to give Landon chemotherapy despite the documented improvement in his health. She was being accused of medical abuse and neglect. The oncology team was advocating to put Landon in medical foster care in order to resume his chemo treatments. Face to face with the director of CPS, her son’s team of doctors, top administrators from the Children’s Hospital Colorado oncology department and lawyers Sierra began a second battle for her son’s health and well being.

“Listen: Here’s all this chemo you told CPS he cannot live without, and if I didn’t give it to him, he would relapse and die.” Sierra dumped a bag of prescription drugs onto the table. 

It had been over a year since Landon had taken the meditation. The doctors’ could not argue his improvement. 

“I just want to say, no matter what I am not going to give him chemo, but I’m not going to risk losing him either.  I’m not going to push it that far.”

Sierra was prepared for this battle. Realm of Caring provided the opportunity to educate herself on cannabis and cannabidiol therapies. She relentently sought out every piece of research on cannabis and cannabidiol therapies. Sierra has become known as an expert in Pediatric Cannabis/CBD Therapy and speaks at medical conferences throughout the country.

A passion for providing her son with health coupled with her passion for the plant inspired Landons Health Hut. 

“Landon’s Health Hut provides natural and organic CBD health products created right in my own kitchen. As I researched natural and alternative health, it was crazy to me that people thought they had to rely on such harsh pharmaceutical medicines to feel better. They couldn’t recognize the ingredients and they had side effects that were so severe. In the beginning stages, I found old-time remedies that I knew I could enhance with my newfound knowledge of healing.

I used ingredients from my own kitchen and made them into powerful healing agents. And you know what? There was nothing scary about my formulations, because the ingredients were REAL and authentic.”

2019 the first harvest of a boutique strain, Landon’s Legacy from Green Seed Farm. It yielded half a pound as was popular with the patrons of Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness.

“Landon’s Legacy is a high-THC medicinal cannabis strain, and it is something that we are very proud of and have worked on for quite a few years and it will be marketed as a strain that is fantastic for children with a multitude of health issues and terminal illnesses and will always be grown organically,” Sierra Riddle said. “I’m only allowing contracts with dispensaries that are going to do it the right way as well as give back to their local communities there because that’s what it’s all about. Part of my partnership agreement is that they — whoever wants to carry my genetics and have access to all of these amazing things — will donate 10 to 20 percent of those sales for those specific genetics back into my nonprofit, which will then continuously be able to help people in their communities. As well, we are an international nonprofit and so we help families all over the world with plant-based medicine as well as plant-based education.”

“Landon’s Revenge is the second strain, and it’s just about ready to go as sending it across state lines and being ready for a full-blown production grow,” she said. “And that is going to be a high-CBD strain with a healthy amount of CBG, CBN and THC. And that will be also marketed mainly as a safe medication for children with illnesses and everything else but obviously works fantastically for adults as well. It’s just here at Landon’s Health Hut, we like to focus on children with terminal illnesses and life-threatening diseases.”

Sierra Riddle was an ordinary young woman who through her battles evolved into an extraordinary woman shaking things up and making change happen.

Landon's“Landon now is going to celebrate seven years cancer-free this year, which also will mark five years past any medical treatment, which is what the medical community considers cured,” Sierra said. “For Landon, we’ll be cured medically this year, and he is the first and only child to have successfully survived childhood leukemia without the treatment.”

 

Read more