Cannabis Legalization Reduces Unemployment

22. 12. 2025

Legalization will bring billions of dollars, massive growing facilities, and... plenty of jobs for cannabis enthusiasts.

For decades, the "Green Rush" was a phenomenon exclusively seen in California's Emerald Triangle (the area producing the largest amount of cannabis in the USA). Thousands of people came to small forest towns and joined the local underground cannabis industry. In Canada, cannabis will be legalized this summer, and so the wave of enthusiasm is shifting north, where up to 150,000 cannabis-related jobs are expected to emerge.

According to Deloitte, the value of the Canadian cannabis industry is estimated at approximately 22.6 billion, and months before legalization (set for July 1st), will be marked by hiring workforce - from growers to trimmers and technical experts.

Why Legalize Cannabis?

Since medical cannabis was legalized in 2001, the Canadian cannabis industry has experienced stable success. After July's recreational cannabis legalization, the cannabis industry is expected to become a cornerstone of the Canadian economy.

Companies are preparing for this transition by settling in small towns and quickly transforming them. OneLeaf Cannabis Corporation plans to build a 4,000 square meter facility in Saskatchewan, specifically in the town of Sherwood, which has just over 1,000 inhabitants. It aims to employ about 10% of the local population and has significant growth potential.

There are also companies like Aurora, one of Canada's largest licensed producers, employing everyone from combine operators to university-educated scientists. Their facility named Aurora Sky will cover approximately 74,000 square meters and is planned to open in mid-2018. Located in Alberta's Leduc County, it will be the largest facility of its kind in the world upon completion.

Legal Cannabis Industry

This is good news for both society and those wanting to enter the cannabis industry. When Cam Battley took on the CCO role in 2016, the company had around 35 employees. Currently, they have about 500, with expectations to double this number in the next twelve months.

This is just the "tip of the iceberg," says the founder and director of Cannabis At Work. Since 2015, the company has connected employees with approximately 350 cannabis companies nationwide. Ancillary benefits will emerge for other industries we haven't even considered yet," says McMahon.

The construction industry is an example of how other sectors can benefit from the cannabis boom. In Ontario, they are trying to build new commercial complexes for the government-run Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. Something similar has been experienced in states where cannabis became legal. For instance, in Colorado, many firms focused solely on building growing complexes, continues McMahon.

McMahon also emphasizes that the cannabis industry represents a great employment opportunity for people who previously had legal issues with cannabis. Growers often seek people with prior cannabis experience, as they typically know the most about cannabis.

"Aurora has accomplished one thing: hiring people with the best experience and greatest enthusiasm for cannabis," says Battley, "which essentially means hiring people from medical cannabis dispensaries and the black market."

Education for Cannabis Industry Employees

However, the cannabis industry still lags in educational opportunities for newcomers. McMahon's company attempted to fill this market gap by offering short-term online courses focusing on providing comprehensive cannabis industry information, but more educators need to follow paths like Kwatlen Polytechnic University, which offers two-year cannabis-focused programs.

Battley believes provincial authorities should encourage collaboration with existing cannabis-experienced communities and learn from them.

"We have a unique mixed culture where suit-wearing people like myself connect with community members," Battley continues. "One of the best things about my work in this sector is learning from these people."

Source:
Herb. "Canada's Green Rush To Create 150,000 Legal Weed Jobs." Herb, 25 Jan. 2018, herb.co/news/industry/canada-cannabis-industry-jobs/