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About Green Flower

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Whether you’re interested in using cannabis as

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investing in the space, cooking with cannabis,
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 CONTENTS
Introduction5

Opportunities and Challenges in
Cannabis Cultivation 11
Regional Outlook for Jobs in Growing16

The Top 11 Entry Jobs in Cannabis
Growing20
Fundamental Knowledge You Need to
Succeed in Cannabis Cultivation 27
Prepare Yourself for Cannabis
Industry Success 28
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Introduction
The Past, Present and Future
of Cannabis Cultivation
Working as a cannabis cultivator is one of the most exciting and
rewarding careers in the entire cannabis space.

Demand for cannabis cultivators is through the roof right now.

Oregon alone has received more than 2,400 applications for
cultivation licenses, with each site often employing several growers.

Canada meanwhile quickly ran into supply shortages just a few

days after becoming the largest country to legalize adult-use
cannabis sales.

As cannabis reform continues to spread, more markets will open

up and someone will need to cultivate all that cannabis to meet the
ever-growing demand.

While we are witness to history in the making, humankind’s love for

this plant is nothing new. Cannabis has been cultivated for profit all
over the planet in some fashion for centuries.

And then came this dramatic change in 1937 when the United
States prohibited cannabis cultivation, demonizing the plant and
ultimately encouraging many other countries to do the same.

Between 1937 and 1996 cannabis cultivation still occurred in the

U.S., albeit illegally and in the shadows.

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In those days, underground cultivators grew cannabis in
basements, attics, rural fields, and other places where they could
avoid detection.

However, this started to change in 1996 when California became

the first state to legalize cannabis for medical use, including
cultivation.

The Wild West of Cannabis Growing

When California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996 it
ushered in a new era for not only cannabis patients, but also the
cannabis industry.

Notably, Proposition 215 did not specifically address how a

cannabis industry would operate in California from a cultivation
standpoint.

Instead, it granted the general legal right at the state level for
patients and their caregivers to possess, consume, and cultivate
cannabis.

The public policy created many regulatory issues, questions and

gray areas that large-scale cannabis cultivators and dispensary
owners operated in for the next 20 years.

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A number of other states soon followed California’s lead in
legalizing cannabis for medical use, many of which became
home to robust cannabis cultivation industries.

For everybody involved, it was risky business every step of the

way.

State and federal raids were common in the 1990s and 2000s,
and anyone who cultivated cannabis for profit, even while
abiding state law, always ran the risk of being shut down and
losing everything.

Because of the risk involved, cannabis cultivation operations

were much smaller back then compared to now, and jobs in the
cannabis cultivation sector were hard to come by.

Cannabis Gets Its Industrial

Revolution
Many cannabis advocates and industry members were very
hopeful when Barack Obama was elected in 2008. They
believed he would end federal cannabis prohibition.

That obviously did not happen, and during the first part of
Obama’s presidency raids continued at a ridiculous level.

However, November 2012 brought a tectonic shift to the

cannabis universe when both Colorado and Washington State
voted to legalize for adult use. This pivotal moment signaled
a new era for the cannabis industry, including the cannabis
cultivation sector.

For the first time in United States history, state governments

recognized the right to regulate cannabis like alcohol. And to
meet consumer demand, the plant had to be cultivated on a
massive scale.

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The Obama administration issued ‘The Cole Memo’ in 2013 which
resulted in a hands-off approach from the federal government in
states where cannabis was legal.

The move effectively allowed the newborn industry to flourish.

As long as cannabis cultivation companies were in compliance
with state law, they would no longer have to live in fear of federal
prosecution.

That change, combined with a massive flood of investment into

the cannabis industry, resulted in a revolution in the cannabis
cultivation sector.

The Cole Memo has since been rescinded, but only after the
cannabis industry matured and spread in a way that would be
nearly impossible for the federal government to reverse.

Long gone are the days when people would only cultivate small,
clandestine cannabis gardens for profit. Large, industrial-sized
grows continue to pop up all over legal states.

Legal cannabis cultivation sites now employ small armies of

people, from highly paid master growers all the way to entry-level
trimmers.

For the first time in modern United States history a person can
now pursue a solid career in cannabis cultivation, with the future
of the sector looking brighter every passing year.

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What Does the Future of Cannabis
Cultivation Hold?
The hardest part of trying to predict what the future of the
cannabis cultivation sector will look like is trying to wrap one’s
head around the scale of what it will involve.

Indoor and sungrown cannabis gardens are going to get bigger

and bigger as the cannabis industry continues to mature.

In older legal states the number of producer licenses issued will

be many, and thus the statewide cannabis sector will be spread
out among a lot of different entities.

That will not be the case in newer legal states which will only be
issuing a handful of licenses.

The lower amount of entities involved will result in massive

gardens large enough to grow cannabis for half or a fourth of a
state.

However, that’s not to say there won’t be room in the

cultivation sector for smaller growers in the future cannabis
industry.

Just as craft brewers are gaining an increasing share of the

beer industry, so too will craft cannabis growers be able to
carve out their spots in the cannabis industry moving forward.

Craft cannabis is seen as being superior to mass produced

cannabis, and rightfully so. As such, it generates a higher-
priced demand from consumers.

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Any way you look at it, cannabis
cultivation presents a lot of opportunity
for people who want to get involved.
The cannabis industry is going to continue to expand as more
states and countries pass reform measures that allow for a
cultivation sector to flourish.

No other area of agriculture is as exciting as cannabis is right now,

and things are still in their infancy by many measures.

The TIme to get in on the action is now.

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Opportunities & Challenges
in Cannabis Cultivation
The cannabis cultivation sector is more complex than many
aspiring cannabis professionals realize.

These large-scale operations naturally come with a lot of moving

pieces. And it’s all happening around a product that is extremely
sensitive and tightly regulated.

Essentially, it takes a village to properly cultivate cannabis in

a profitable way, and specialization is becoming more common
which is creating a lot of different paths for aspiring cultivators.

As the industry moves forward, there are plenty of important

challenges – and challenges translate to opportunity.

Key Challenges / Opportunities:

#1) Perception & Stigma Still a Factor
The cannabis plant, and the movement that supports it, has come
a long way in recent years.

However, there’s still a lot of stigma from so many decades of

prohibition and reefer madness.

Many would-be employees are hesitant to leave their current

careers and chase their dreams in the emerging cannabis
industry. The required leap of faith is a leap too great, and it
keeps them from applying even though they would be dynamite
employees at a cannabis cultivation facility.

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Fortunately, people are discovering that the leap into cannabis
is not as dubious as it once was, and that it is well worth it.

Stigma will continue to be a factor with cannabis in the near

future, and over the long-term outlook it will continue to fade
as more people realize the benefits of this plant.

The more solid professionals this industry can attract, the

quicker any lingering stigma will dissipate.

#2) Most Job Applicants Are Not Cannabis Certified

Believe it or not, filling cannabis cultivation positions is not an

easy task for cannabis producers.

General agriculture backgrounds help candidates, but cannabis

cultivation has a lot of nuances involved that require prior
experience, know-how, or training.

This can make it a challenge for people who want to transition

into the industry. It also affects experienced cultivators who
learned their craft in the unregulated market and need to
be able to convey their skills to prospective employers in a
legitimate way.

Fortunately for aspiring cultivators and fledgling grow

operations, there are powerful training options such as through
Green Flower Academy, which includes certificate courses on
growing.

#3) Compliance and Regulation Are a Constant

Hurdle
The cannabis industry is one of the most heavily regulated
industries on the planet, and that’s especially true for cannabis
cultivators.

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To make matters more intense, regulations from state to state,
or county to county, or even neighborhood to neighborhood can
be confusing and conflicting.

Navigating it all is not easy, especially for companies that want

to operate in multiple jurisdictions.

Yet this can be a blessing in disguise for people who want to get
involved in growing and also have a strong attention to detail
and like to keep processes as efficient as possible.

This is how a lot of great cannabis consultants make their

living, in fact.

#4) Energy Consumption Could Quickly Become

Unsustainable
It’s no secret that the cannabis industry uses a lot of energy.
Indoor cultivation facilities use a tremendous amount of
electricity, particularly with all that lighting.

Many experts have urged cannabis cultivators to be mindful of a

possible future in which energy caps are placed on the cannabis
industry.

This means that incorporating energy-saving measures now will

give cannabis cultivators an edge in the future.

Obviously, sungrown cultivators have a massive edge from

this standpoint, but even outdoor cannabis gardens can use
electricity depending on the situation, and operators will need
to keep this on their radars.

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#5) Organic Cultivation Methods in Demand

The demand for organically grown cannabis is increasing with

every passing day as cannabis consumers become more mindful
of what they are purchasing and consuming.

It takes a significantly more sophisticated skill set to cultivate

cannabis via organic methods versus just feeding cannabis
plants heavy metal fertilizers and spraying them with chemicals.

Cannabis cultivators who build their skill sets around organic

cultivation methods are going to be the ones to have the best
chances at a lasting career in the cannabis space.

Cultivating cannabis organically involves overcoming a lot of

hurdles, although once a garden is dialed in organic cultivation
can actually be easier than non-organic methods in many ways.

#6) Falling Prices Will Continue

Cannabis is like other agricultural crops in many ways, but it

also differs in at least one aspect.

Most agricultural products have been legal for many years or

were never outlawed in the first place.

Cannabis prices have been historically inflated because of the

criminal element involved with its distribution and sale.

As cannabis becomes cultivated on a larger and larger scale,

cannabis prices have dropped significantly, which is a trend that
is likely to continue for some time.

This creates a lot of opportunity for cannabis cultivators who

are in this for the right reasons as opposed to those who think
they can try to pull gold out of thin air.

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Companies that operate the right way and produce quality
cannabis at a reasonable price are going to continue to operate
while others fall off.

Owners of those good companies and the employees that

work for them will be well suited for the long haul if they can
compete in today’s climate.

#7) High Turnover Rate

The cannabis industry has a high turnover rate, and that goes
for the cultivation sector for sure.

The reasons for this turnover are complicated. Part of it has to

do with the industry being so young and companies are just
getting established.

Another challenge here is many people get into cultivation

thinking it will be easy and lucrative and are quickly
disappointed.

This creates a lot of job openings at any given time and

opportunities around job security for people who want to
come in and do a good work and don’t mind the oftentimes
monotonous nature of certain entry-level positions.

Working in the emerging cannabis industry is not for the faint

of heart and can also be a rollercoaster ride that some people
don’t like.

The high turnover rate coupled with the rapid industry

expansion makes it easy for qualified people to land the perfect
job in a relatively short span of time.

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Regional Outlook
for Jobs in Growing
If you live in a state or country with cannabis laws, performing a
few searches on Google will likely give you an idea what kind of
opportunities are near you right now.

Every legal cannabis market is different, and new, exciting

markets are opening up at an ever-growing rate.

Some of the newer, more strict medical cannabis states are going
to have fewer opportunities. Meanwhile older cannabis states
like Oregon and California permit lots of grow licenses, which
translates to a lot of job opportunities in cannabis cultivation.

To give you a better idea, here are a few examples of different

types of legal cannabis markets:

The Lowest Barrier to Entry

Historically, the state of Oregon has been the cheapest place to
obtain an adult-use cannabis industry license.

Oregon has the lowest licensing fees out of the adult-use industry
states, and unlike many other states, there is no cap on licenses.

However, the low barrier to entry has proven to be a double-

edged sword, with so many licenses being issued that Oregon’s
industry is extremely competitive.

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And that’s really good for people looking to land a job in legal
cannabis. Cultivation facilities are located across the state, minus
a few local bans, and these operations are hiring all the time,
especially during the sungrown harvest season.

The Biggest Marketplace

The holy grail of cannabis markets is undeniably the state of
California, which legalized cannabis for adult use in 2016.

California is the most populous state in the U.S., and consumer

demand for cannabis is very strong because of the state’s long
history as a national leader in all things cannabis.

The state of California is where medical cannabis reform began

and getting hired by a reputable company within the state is as
solid as a job as a person can find in the cannabis world.

California’s cannabis industry infrastructure is still evolving and

the medical cannabis industry that is already in place combined
with the emerging adult-use industry equals lots of job openings
for aspiring cannabis industry employees.

The Newer the Cannabis Market, the Higher the

Hurdle
States in the South, Midwest, and East are launching licensed and
regulated cannabis industries. Even Louisiana recently harvested
its first legal cannabis crop.

However, a lot of these new states allow a very small number of

cannabis grows. For example, in Louisiana only two licenses were
approved for the entire state, and both are universities (Louisiana
State University and Southern University). Minnesota is another
state that capped cannabis cultivation licenses to two.

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The cultivation sector is obviously one of the crown jewels of the
cannabis industry. From small, craft cannabis farmers to massive
grow operations – new opportunities here continue to emerge.
From trimmers to plant breeding specialists to lighting technicians,
greenhouse supervisors, contractors and more, this can be a very
fun area to play if you love to be around cannabis plants.

In states like those, finding cannabis cultivation jobs can be tough

since there are only so many to go around.

Connecticut has a rule were there has to be at least 3 cultivators

but no more than 10. Compare that to Oregon, which has over
1,100 operating, more than that pending, and over 19,000 medical
growers.

With such fierce competition, naturally any training or certification

you can do ahead of time will give you a greater edge in nailing
down that cannabis dream job.

Opportunities in Canada and South America

Canada is one of the top countries with opportunities to legally
cultivate cannabis for profit.

The country recently became the second nation to legalize

cannabis for adult use, with Uruguay being the first.

And unlike Uruguay, Canada’s cannabis industry is very robust,

especially when you consider Canada’s cannabis exports to other
countries.

Job opportunities in Canada are abundant and with Canada being

the current global leader in cannabis, the future is bright in the
Great White North.

Meanwhile when people think of cannabis in South America, they

tend to think of Uruguay because of legalization.

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Cannabis grows very well in Colombia, and it will likely become the
cannabis breadbasket of the globe at some point.

Entry-level industry positions do not pay well, but as Colombia’s

legal industry and exports continue to grow, there will likely be
lucrative higher level positions available.

Emerging Opportunities in Europe

Germany is home to an emerging cannabis industry, and with
a population that is more than twice as large as California,
Germany’s future is very bright.

As it stands right now, Germany does not have any legal domestic
cannabis production occurring. All cannabis is currently imported
from other countries.

As such, there are not currently any legal cannabis cultivation

positions available.

But in the near future things will change in Germany, and with an
established consumer base already in place, cannabis cultivation
job opportunities there are going to be plentiful.

Other countries in Europe are exploring cannabis reform, and the

United Kingdom started allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis as
of November 1.

As more people discover the benefits of cannabis, international

opportunities will continue to grow.

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 The Top 11 Entry Jobs for
Cannabis Cultivation

Any large cannabis grow is going to have all sorts of

moving pieces, employing professionals from many
different backgrounds. From security to logistics to
sales, and from drivers to executives.

But for those who want to work closest to the plant,

here are the top 11 entry-level positions in cannabis
cultivation today:

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 Clone Technician
Large-scale cannabis cultivation facilities often use
clones rather than, or in addition to, cultivating cannabis
plants from seeds.

Clone technicians take clippings from healthy larger

plants and turn them into rooted starts.

Proper cloning is a vital part of the cannabis plant’s life

cycle, so this is an extremely important and rewarding
job.

Transplanting Technician
When a cannabis plant is growing it needs different sizes
of grow medium for optimal growth. At larger cannabis
cultivation facilities one or more positions are dedicated
to transplanting cannabis plants.

Transplanting technicians specialize in the process of

making sure that transplants are successful and that
plants thrive after transplant instead of seeing stalled
growth or worse.

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Assistant to the Chief Cultivator
The Chief Cultivator, sometimes referred to as the
Master Grower, is the main knowledge base and guide
for the cultivation operation. The Assistant to the Chief
Cultivator is the main understudy and helper.

Becoming an Assistant to the Chief Cultivator is a prime

position for rising employees to be in if they want to
build the resume to land a Master Grower position down
the road.

Harvesting Assistant
Harvesting cannabis, especially a large canopy of it, is
not an easy task. It takes a lot of help, which is where
harvest assistants come in.

Harvest assistants help with all types of tasks from

flushing plants that are approaching harvest, to
transporting recently cut plants to other parts of farms
or facilities and beyond.

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 Processing Crew
The processing crew is responsible for preparing
cannabis products like flower, concentrates and joints for
retailer distribution and sale.

This could also include responsibilities like trimming,

weighing, labeling, and assisting other departments.

Pest and Disease Technician

Cannabis plants are not only desirable to humans,
they’re also desirable to bugs. To make matters worse,
cannabis plants can also be susceptible to disease.

Pest and disease technicians make sure that plants are

healthy and administer proactive strategies and methods
to keep bugs and disease away.

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 Packaging Clerk
Cannabis products require specific types of packaging.
Packaging clerks help keep everything labeled properly
on a scalable level.

It may not be the most glamorous job at a cultivation

facility, but it’s a vital one and the job market outlook for
the niche is strong.

Curing Assistant/Technician
Proper cannabis curing is extremely important for
cannabis flower to reach its full potential. It takes a lot
of love and care and attention to detail.

Curing assistants/technicians oversee the curing

process to make sure that cannabis smells, tastes, and
consumes in as a desirable a fashion as possible.

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Nursery Assistant/Technician
Agricultural nurseries are not a new concept. Nurseries
propagate and grow cannabis plants to sell them to the
public or other companies.

Working at a nursery can be fun because the tasks

involved vary, but within a day-to-day schedule that is
somewhat predictable.

Farm Hand
The future of cannabis cultivation is not as likely to occur
in an indoor facility as it is in large fields like any other
agricultural crop.

Just as corn farms and strawberry farms need the help

of farm hands to handle all types of tasks, so too do
sungrown cannabis farms.

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 Trimmer
Cannabis trimmers help harvest ripe cannabis and trim
away any excess leaf during the harvest, drying, and
curing process.

Harvest assistants sometimes double as trimmers, but

for the most part trimmers are specialized workers that
receive the larger plants from the harvest assistants and
work on just the leaves of the harvested plant.

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Fundamental Knowledge
you Need to Succeed
in Cannabis
If you want to be successful in cannabis cultivation, you’ll need to
develop knowledge around important fundamentals.

The fundamental areas of learning include:

– – C annabis B otany – – T he V egetative C ycle

– – C annabis G enetics – – T he F lowering C ycle
– – G ermination – – H arvesting
– – C loning – – C uring and S torage
– – S oil – – T rimming
– – W atering – – P est & D isease
– – L ight T hreats
It’s a lot to cover and with so many nuances that all cannabis
cultivators must learn. For anybody looking to train or certify in
these areas, Green Flower has you covered…

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Prepare Yourself for
Cannabis Industry Success
It’s finally here, a trusted Cannabis Certificate Program designed for the
cannabis industry by the cannabis industry.

Some of the industry’s biggest players are getting behind Green Flower’s
new Certificate Program, and for good reason – it’s a missing element the
industry has been waiting for.

Whether you’re a business leader looking for an efficient way to train your
team or an individual looking to build a strong foundation in cannabis and
impress potential employers or clients – Green Flower Certificates will equip
you with the necessary knowledge to serve and add value in this fast-
growing industry.

We’re allowing a limited number of people to go through this brand-new

Green Flower Certificate on Cultivation Fundamentals.

If YOU want to be one of them, add your name to the list and you’ll be
notified first when we go live.

Getting Green Flower Certified will give you tremendous knowledge and
confidence about cannabis today, plus real guidance on how to succeed and
contribute to this blossoming new industry.

Our goal is to engender trust and respect in the cannabis industry by

ensuring you have the proper knowledge and skills.

It’s going to be a fun ride, filled with opportunity to succeed and contribute
to this incredible new cannabis paradigm.

The Green Flower Certificate Program elevates and authenticates your

knowledge of cannabis, raising the standard of trust and credibility within
the cannabis industry.

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