Medicinal cannabis jobs with a $100K salary

Jobs in medicinal marijuana are now among the most sought-after roles in Australia. Here’s how to land a huge salary.

Jobs that didn’t exist six years ago are now among the most sought-after roles in Australia, amid surging interest in medicinal marijuana.

Hirers within the legalised cannabis sector say they are inundated with applications from those wanting to work with the drug.

“There is a novelty factor that attracts people to work in the industry,’’ says Nathaniel Jones, head of cultivation at grower and manufacturer Medcan Australia.

“Cannabis was illegal and now (for medicinal purposes) it’s not. People like the idea that they can work in it and they can have a normal life and they’re not a criminal.’’

With domestic market sales of medicinal cannabis topping $230m last year, and sales tipped to double this year, Jones says there are plenty of opportunities for jobseekers.

Rebecca Caerels believes her experience dealing with oils and waxing while previously employed in the beauty industry has been beneficial when it comes to extracting oil from harvested cannabis.

“We are, quite simply, in one of the biggest employment booms in Australia right now,’’ Jones says.

“The growth ... is astronomical, which is brilliant on two levels – for the consumer and the further development of medicinal cannabis, and for employment opportunities.

“Medical cannabis could easily be one of Australia’s biggest agricultural crops within the next few years. It has serious potential to be a huge industry in Australia.’’

Despite the high interest, Jones fears many prospective workers are unaware of the opportunities available, given the production and manufacture of cannabis for scientific and medical purposes was only legalised in Australia six years ago.

He says as well as cultivation, workers are needed for post-harvest operations and quality assurance.

While some roles require postgraduate qualifications, others require little previous training but have solid promotion opportunities.

HELPING OTHERS

Rebecca Caerels, 28, believes her previous experience dealing with oils and waxing in the beauty industry has been beneficial when extracting oil from harvested cannabis.

“They (beauty waxes and cannabidiol oil) are pretty similar products as far as consistency goes,’’ says Caerels, a post-harvest supervisor whose role involves drying, curing and packaging the cannabis.

Caerels, who moved to Australia last year, says it is rewarding to work in an area that helps others.

“In Canada, my grandmother was prescribed cannabis for her cancer. She was unable to grow it so my mum was growing it for her. So I’ve always known it as a medicine,’’ she says.

GROWING DEMAND

Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia chairman Peter Crock says growing cannabis indoors, in a temperature-controlled environment, means continual need for workers, unlike other agricultural crops where demand fluctuates according to the season.

“We might not be matching the wages of the vineyards in their peak (grape picking) season but we are employing all year round,’’ says Crock, chief executive of the Cann Group, which was recently approved for commercial cultivation at its $130m cannabis facility in Mildura.

Cann Group's CEO Peter Crock at the company's marijuana growing facility in Melbourne. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Almost 200,000 Australians are prescribed cannabis for a range of conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. Crock expects that number to increase significantly, with growing interest in medicinal cannabis in the nutraceutical and wellbeing space and a move by Australia’s 600,000-odd “self-medicating” marijuana users towards prescription cannabis products.

“The need for workers will continue to grow (and being able to access enough workers) is going to be a pressure point, there’s no doubt about that,’’ Crock says.