Feb 16th–Feb 22nd, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times State Licensed Dispensaries & Doctor Cer tifications 33 Now Hiring Phoenix’s booming pot industry is hiring, from budtenders to cultivators and food service veterans. BY MIKE MADRIAGA A rizona’s booming cannabis industry is hiring. That was the message from Mint Cannabis as it hosted a job fair last month, ahead of opening its fifth dispensary in the Valley. With pot already reaching a billion dollar market here — rivaling only California’s cannabis market — open jobs exist all along the cannabis workflow. For folks considering joining the local cannabis industry, job sites like ZipRecruiter and InDeed have entry-level positions listed. For example, under the cannabis-industry jobs search, they can apply for jobs as a delivery driver for $18 to $21 an hour or as cannabis brand ambassa- dors, which starts at $15 an hour. Or job- seekers can check listings for the dispensaries. A quick check at Mint showed nearly 20 open positions. The cannabis industry offers a wide range of job possibilities, including budtender, marketing, cultivation, and human resources.There are public-facing options and back office spots, too. Cultivators — the folks who plant, nourish and trim marijuana plants — can bring in over $50,000 a year, according to Salary.com. Salary ranges vary depending on several factors, including location, certi- fications, education, additional skills, and years in the cannabis industry. Cannabis packagers put together and package flowers, edibles, and concentrate products. The packager weighs, measures, and packages the cannabis products. Flower is placed in display jars and hangers, pre-rolls are stuffed in joint tubes and boxes, and edibles are placed in reseal- able pouches. In the warehouse, the canna packager ensures products are packed and accounted for, conforming with the company’s policies and Arizona state regulations. Once the products are boxed and shipped to dispensaries across the Valley, employees display the packages in show- rooms for customers to see. As the customers and patients walk toward a dispensary, they’ll likely pass security guards. Then, they check in with the dispensary’s hosts, usually in a foyer. The hosts ensure that customers have valid identification cards and cannabis patient cards. Once inside the showroom, budtenders or cannabis advisors — referred to as patient service representatives on job boards — will greet and assist the patrons. Ariyan Gutierrez has been a budtender at Mint since 2020. “Budtending involves the sales aspect of the job,” she said in a recent New Times interview. “We help the patients figure out what they need.” Arizona has only had legal recreational weed since 2021. With stigma lessening, people are organically switching to the plant and its derivatives to help with their ailments, for relaxation, and for other beneficial purposes. As a result, many customers are walking into a dispensary for the first time. “As a first-time patient, | CANNABIS | >> p 34 Marissa Gonzales, human resources director for Mint Cannabis. Mike Madriaga
