Culture

Cannabis Legalization Embodies My Generations Struggle

"So why do you want to work for us in Cannabis?"

It's such a tough question.

There is a broad spectrum of answers. I'm not here to cover everyone's perspective. Myself like quite a few of my generation are looking to be passionate about what they are working for. Not everyone has a passion outright that they need to pursue, sometimes they don't have the precise knowledge that yes- "I want to be an engineer and build buildings" or be "an educator to prepare the next generation". I know what I am passionate about- helping people and solving problems. I am an artist at heart, I see myself as a creative individual, my creative sensibility helps me stay flexible to approach any problems that can arise in my projects or for my team or employer.

"You don't want to spend your whole life working for someone else".

A fear instilled in me early in life. Myself like many of my peers growing up in Miami were the first generation US-born in the family, burdened to live the dreams our parents had to fight for, were happy to deliver the best we could because we were proud of our struggles. But the idea of anyone could be a business owner was teetering fiction with an economy that tanked with the real estate bubble burst. It is true to an extent global scenarios like automation are truly going to shift a large section of careers, it is also important to keep in mind- automation isn't here just yet.

With all of the tools that we have online anyone can start a business to create and move product. It's so accessible. It's no longer a matter of what you're selling, you hear it on every episode of Shark Tank "I have seen this before". Now it drills down to who is the brand- many brands have come out with incredible ideals, aesthetics, and motivations that it has created a new style of shopping and lifestyle with conscious shopping (think choosing sustainable fashion vs fast fashion or excluding environmentally destructive ingredients like palm oil in your diet). Young adults are becoming passionate again about what they are buying, a shift in pattern from the blind mass consumerism of our parents [ See: Marie Kondo & Minimalism Living paired with #Lagom and Millennials gifting Experiences Vs Material Goods].

The MBox is a subscription box like service delivering a catered cannabis consumption experienced based on a theme.

Passion for the Plant

Conscious consumerism is a prevalent portion of the cannabis market. With the large political shifts currently happening in the United States with the Trump Administration and the Federal Government, large questions are being raised about the federal scheduling of the product. Local movements such as "Not My Industry" started by California Minority Alliance with Bonita Money [See: Trump Ally, Racist, Roger Stone booted from Cannabis Conference ] are a sign of the time that we won't settle for bottom of the barrel. Global movements in legalization efforts of both cannabis and hemp in South America and Europe have shown major progress in medical efforts and sustainable practices. With the benefits of globalism and shared experiences of social media, there is a saturation of knowledge about how incredible cannabis is. Seeing children with cancer in remission and family pets overcoming seizures with the help of some RSO or CBD drops you can't help but want to be there doing what you can. It's like watching Sarah McLachlan with the ASPCA, they received $30 million in donations after running their appealing ad for just two years on television. It is the power of interconnected media.

Love, compassion, and enthusiasm for an incredible plant drives many individuals in cannabis. Not all of them are looking to be apart of a big business. They want to be on the front lines of the change they want. They are happy being a bookkeeper for a local dispensary that benefits their community, they want to be chemist creating the best extractions and farmers producing the finest strains. Finding your niche in the community is what makes cannabis so special.


Looming Fears of Uncertainty

As appealing as cannabis is for the numerous amount of reasons, it is also one of the most intimidating industries right now. Federal backlash, banking and your livelihood are all at stake joining the industry even in a recreationally legal state. Discussion points are always- which laws are in effect, what just got passed, what's going to be going into effect? With the California shift to 2018, the recreational market was a huge question for many until the State of Cannabis announced that they would be having their first public discussions with featured speaker- Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax discussing a lot of the new finer details of the BCC alongside executive director of the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation, Cat Packer.

Attendees were business owners coming in all over the state (the very first public question at the first keynote drove all the way from San Diego to Long Beach), wanting to hear it straight from the policy writers and enforcers. The State of Cannabis offered an incredible experience of meeting with the industry from more of a production and management position. The State of Cannabis is hosted by C.A.R.E., a team lead by Susan Soares. We have learned about Soares's work in events like the Green Oasis Coachella event and even the Roseanne's Joint launch in our recent review about Bud and Bloom Club.

Helping Hands

"C.A.R.E. embraces new approaches to cannabis advancements through producing elegant cannabis culture events, outreach and rallies. " - Susan Soares, Executive Director of C.A.R.E., a 501 (C)(3) non profit.

Now, C.A.R.E. will be hosting their own cannabis industry career fair the very last day of the year, helping the cannabis curious be apart of the monumental 2018 shift. You can RSVP for a free ticket on Eventbrite.

The first group keynote during The State of Cannabis.

Cannabis will now be legal in California- so why not work in the industry? It is an industry to be proud of. You can find on social media that proud peer working that new brewery in Tustin (the fifth one that has popped up this season), a substance where it kills 88,000 people a year from drinking alone! Not even counting the accidents or acts of violence caused by the substance! The paradigm about what is a safe medical and recreational product is being flipped on it's head. Injest too much cannabis as a long night with the boys? A tummy ache for some late night munchies and a long nap. Why not cannabis? Why not get into the industry saving lives and making many so much better?

This can be overwhelming for the average individual, the non-business owner. A federally controlled substance is scary. The assurance I received when attending the State of Cannabis in Long Beach was incredible. C.A.R.E. is mindful of their mission regardless of the venue- to be open and approachable with cannabis. The State of Cannabis in September 2017 was the very first California approved on-site consumption event. This job fair and networking event will be one to remember on the final day of the pre-recreational market in California on Dec 31.


The Cannabis industry is poised to join the ranks of the titans of beauty, food, & entertainment. Cannabis like all other industries needs a strong support network for the individuals of the field. Join free networks to mix and mingle, we at WeedPornDaily and Stay Regular our design agency have been working towards building presence on regular avenues such as technology, you can also join us on our Discord server to join the discussion amongst our network followers. Hostility has no place in cannabis. Right now as our generation prepares for major fights and pushes for federal acknowledgement and legalization- helping each other create, fill and share jobs with others is the least we can do to help enforce this industry with strong willed passionate individuals.

Tune in for my next article on preparing for applying to your future job in the cannabis industry. I'll be covering a few variable fields from science to the creative fields. We will cover a few basics now relative to the digital era of online presence as well as navigating events and opportunities.


  • I'm not getting paid to talk about The State of Cannabis, C.A.R.E. or their job fair. It's just coming up and I gotta get ready too. Hire me.

Related: California