A few years ago, I learned something important that was a game changer for me as a cannabis user. My education on the topic, products, accessibility, and legalities was very limited.  Of course, we are at the fingertips of Google. And this is where we can self-educate and become Cannapreneurs by the click of a button. But I found the whole thing overwhelming.

Yet, working in the Cannabis industry meant being a merging face. Especially in the midst of its industry competitors. These competitors already had clear cut rules to market. For example, tobacco and alcohol.

The early days gave me a lot of exposure to the branding laws and basic do’s and don’ts…

Amie Reiman on corporate cannabis in early days

I worked in the corporate world in the early days of cannabis legalization. And it’s still a work in progress.

But we still haven’t figured out the who’s’, the when’s, the where’, the why’s. This video is a great example of that.

There has been a huge boom in the Cannabis Recruitment and Staffing Agencies niche.  Across various industries, we see the need:

  • For education upgrades
  • And those professional gains are ever-present for those who want this “leg up”.

In the industry audience, we are seeing that on the medical front. Cannabinoids are zoning in on a long list of ailments. These ailments are benefiting the very young to the old … including your pets!  This is different than what you’ve likely experienced with recreational cannabis users. It’s all about how we talk with our colleagues about both medical and recreational.

So, what does this mean for the faces and talent behind these brands?   For me, it would mean:

  • “Weeding” out the uncouth
  • Put more emphasis on educated, polished professionals being properly equipped. (familiar with the 101’s in Cannabis)
  • Arming employees with the education that consumers really need.

We need to make sure that our health care professionals know more about it. This can happen if we adopt case studies within their clinics for these trials. More specifically, pediatric cannabis and the undefined education for that. But that’s a rant for another time.

For the recruiters, their familiarity and HR unfriendly questions really shake the Cannabis market…

When it comes to finding, vetting and delivering the best talent for Cannabis brands. In this fast-paced, ever-growing industry it’s imperative to:

  • Get new knowledge
  • And be open to barring stigmas along the way.

A former CEO told me that I was:

Very pro-cannabis and noticeably so in the Marketing World.

I was then told:

If there was another Sales Director at a competing agency that was not pro-cannabis, I would go with them.

*Clearly that didn’t stop this trailblazer! *

Isn’t that how some people define or stigmatize those who are upfront about their usage and education? Being Pro-Cannabis can also mean anti-drug – time to know our facts and how we can work with those who can teach us is key.

This post originally appeared on deanblundell.com.