I have never regretted my time working in the food service industry. The experience taught me kindness, strengthened the filter on my otherwise sassy mouth, and honed my work ethic. However, this was not an industry I wanted to be in for the rest of my life. I wanted a career that did not involve the possibility of cleaning up human feces off a bathroom wall or trying to keep calm when a soccer mom in a bob cut is screaming for my manager.
Do you know what never demands to speak to your manager? Marijuana plants.
Cannabis is a rapidly growing industry. According to Business Wire, as of early 2021, "legal cannabis now supports a record-high 321,000 full-time American jobs across the 37 states with legal medical or adult use markets, and that the cannabis industry added 77,300 jobs in just the last year, representing a record 32 percent increase in year-over-year growth and creating jobs at a faster rate than any other American industry."
With usually competitive pay and a fast-paced market that leaves many people feeling like they are making a change in the world, why wouldn't people transition into the cannabis industry? Some of the more common reasons for transitioning are income increases, benefits, and a less stressful working environment. And you know...little to no contact with screaming banshees. These kinds of benefits appeal to many workers, and understandably so.
I have worked in cafes where I enjoyed what I did and loved the customers. I have also worked in restaurants that felt like they were trying to recreate Hell itself. The cannabis industry offered me a way to use the skills I acquired in the food service industry and use them to make a living while helping people. And with the cannabis industry still expanding, more and more jobs will open up to those looking for a new career.