Legal cannabis industry employs nearly half a million people

Legal cannabis industry employs nearly half a million people

This week Leafly released its sixth annual Cannabis Jobs Report. The report shows America’s cannabis industry sold nearly $25 billion in products and created more than 100,000 new jobs in 2021.

The report details that 428,059 full-time equivalent jobs are now supported by the legal cannabis industry in the U.S. Those 428,059 jobs include both direct cannabis jobs like cultivation and retail sales, as well as indirect jobs created by a legal cannabis market. Those indirect, or ancillary, jobs include a lengthy list of industries and positions from accounting and human resources professionals and services – to attorneys, communications, and government affairs personnel.

Data also includes compliance, security, maintenance, and construction personnel as well as cannabis technology platforms, suppliers, and industry associations.

In Missouri, over 7,000 individuals have applied for an agent id to work in a plant-touching facility or business for medical marijuana. Missouri’s cannabis industry also supports dozens of ancillary businesses and boasts over 200 active hemp registrations.

Leafly forecasts a mature market potential of 1.5 to 1.75 million workers in the cannabis industry.

The report shows that combined sales of cannabis products in 2021 came in just under $25 billion, growing over 25% over the prior year.