Hi Guys Youngbudder420 here and I just want to first off thank you for even taking the time to click on this thread. Allow me to explain myself and I hope by the end of this you have some helpful words to set me on my way. I am a 19 year old MMJ patient in Colorado and quite recently I have decided to pursue my dream of working in the Marijuana industry. I had this great hook up in CO for a job and I would have been able to start my dream asap if not for some real stupid legislation put up stopping anyone under 21 working in the Marijuana industry (I say stupid because if I can get my MMJ card why cant I work legally in a dispensary...) So once I heard this it spiraled me into a bit of a depression I thought I was going to have to accept working some job that I have no love for instead of spending out my days doing something that I would treat like a career but it would feel like a fantasy ! In an attempt to find something I saw that there were no such restrictions in CA (or at least from what I can find there is nothing, please do tell me if I'm wrong). This is where I need some direction, being a part of CO MMJ system for two years now has given me some insight into what I needed to do to make it in this industry in CO but I have no idea how the industry works in CA. Obviously I know the basics, good understanding of the dispensaries menu, good understanding of weed in general (that includes all weed related paraphernalia) and of course the most important part CUSTOMER SERVICE. God I cannot tell you how angry I get when I'm dropping 300 plus for a top shelf ounce and you won't even humor a conversation with me (you know who you are .... ) . So with that aside let me conclude. I need information on if I could even work (being 19 but I have a valid reason for my MMJ card as if it matters ha-ha ) I need information on if it's very similar to CO where you most likely need to be a patient for a while before they even think of hiring you. Do you think having another budtender vouch for me would help me get an interview or due to him being from CO and not being really known it will account for nothing? To also add to that I am just going to lay out some of my skill set and please tell me where I need to improve or what things I need to change or learn. My entire work career so far has been all customer service and working with teams. My first job I had was being a paintball marshal (also a absolute love of mine ;D ) In this job I was on a zero our contract so it was key that I was absolutely number one and that I could balance that out with working as a team. The way I did this was to become a leader excel in my knowledge on paintball and it made even more senior members and all the new member come to me for advice, also to excel myself forward I was always at work an hour before we had to this was a way for me to set up small things around the site before my manager got in. My manager saw this and promoted me to senior marshal right on my 18<sup>th</sup> birthday (you had to be 18 to become a senior marshal). In that job I learned very quickly that hard work pays off and that you just need to become an integral part of a team to move forward. My next job was being a host at TGI Fridays it was my first job after moving back home to the US from the UK. This job works hand in hand with improving my customer service the face to face welcome was something that is invaluable; that I can look a customer in his/her eyes and say welcome is big and within two months they moved me from host and put me on serving training. This not only pushed me to be the best I could at customer service but it also instilled a strong sense of hustle which I think any employer wants. Serving ended up not working with my school schedule I was having to stay until 2am on school nights and my school work was starting to suffer with it so with much regret (I was making bank and didn't want to go) I left and got a easier job that relied less on me to always be there and this job was 30 minutes closer to home so travel time became easy. That easier job was working at Dominos as a insider and I say easy with a grain of salt. That job was both the craziest and the calmest job I have ever had. In the time I was there I had to deal with angry customers in a calm courteous manner. That job gave me the skills to be confident when talking to customers on the phone and to make sure that I was doing it in all the right ways (smiling over the phone talking with a chirp in my step) This also helped refine my skills on selling products as well something that has been built from my first job pushing upgraded guns for the day at Delta Force to selling a desert and an alcoholic beverage at Fridays. Again I would like to thank anyone who read all of this god bless you and I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your day to help some dumbass kid who wants to make his hobby his career. As I said before please let me know if there is something that I am missing or something you think I should improve on. Thank you so so so much and god bless you all ! Youngbudder420 I got 5 on that 20 sack.
Why was California brought up in the post? Do you plan on moving here? I honestly believe that the age requirement for working at a medical marijuana dispensary is eighteen plus in California. edit: Asked my father as I was making the post about the laws behind this, he confirmed it. He's a lawyer.
Sorry i didnt make that clear. Yes once i saw that i was unable to work in CO I am prepared to move to CA to make sure my dream can come true. To add to that I already have the money saved up to get myself out there. Youngbudders420 I got 5 on that 20 sack
Dude this makes me so happy My next question is I know that the law is slightly different city to city. Do you think I should move to LA if I was going to make this happen ? Also thank you so much for answering dude <3 Youngbudders420 I got 5 on that 20 sack
I think that'd be a safe bet, but there are many other things to consider if you're just going to up and move. A place like San Bernadino would be cheaper to reside in, but you'd probably hate living there to be honest. Los Angeles can be costly, but it's probably your best option. Hit me up if your plan comes in to fruition
So the whole plan and why im trying to get as much info as I can right now is that my dad wants me to go to school as I have already taken a year off to try and make this dream real and he is ready to support me 100% if I present real solid info that I can do this and I can make a career out of it. Which isnt too hard to imagine considering the substantial growth to the industry already . Now in colorado budtenders can make around 30k-40k is that true for CA as well ? If not do you know around what they can make ? And hell ya dude I will definitly hook you up with a solid thank you in the form of bud
Another thing to consider is that many shops wont just have you as a budtender. I can work at my local shop and be a vendor. Doing this, you make a lot more money. I'm 21, in socal, and just starting to get into this wonderful business as well.
I don't know specifics of what you're trying to do, where you're trying to go, etc. Salaries depend on experience, where you work, stuff like that. That being said, I'd say around $25k-$35k/year. Of course it's possible to find a higher-paying location and things like that, where you can get $40,000 a year. Plus, the longer you work there, the more you'll get paid. Isn't a budtender just like a bartender, where they hand out the marijuana?
check weedhire.com or look up harborside oakland on facebook.they are always posting job openings maybe msg them and tell them your story.
How would I go about also becoming a vendor ? And also how did you go about getting your job ? Really appreciate the help dude
Here's what i tell my own children. If you want to be unique, you have to be different. This is the 5th thread ive responded to in the last few months where someone wants to be a part of a system and live their dream. So i ask, what do you have to offer that 5 million other 19 year olds dont? Grow experience? Your own strain? Are you someone famous' cousin or sibling? Who can vouch for you that will have an impact? Do you have a light company behind you? Who are your connections? What seedbanks can vouch for you? Im not asking you, im telling you that to get on the radar, you have to be on the radar and these are some ways to do it. For those wanting to "break into" the industry, this is one way to start. But that route requires skill, experience, PATIENCE, luck and uniqueness, as well as proof. And at 19 that isnt easy. An easier method is to join a collective, but to get hired, you need something that sets you apart. The easiest method, (i say easy) but i kid, is having a huge amount of funds already put aside to start your own collective, or having a nice plan, a few growers, a few investors, and the legal know how to setup shop as a manager. You must be good with money and with people to connect those dots. This is nearly impossible in california, due to harsh restrictions. Dispensaries are thinning out, a lot, counties apart. Do not live in the california delusion. The laws are repressing here. Dianne feinstein said even if we vote to pass legality she'll undo it one piece of legislation at a time and she has joined the head of an anti marijuana comittee to ensure that happens. Many counties here have banned growing, Fresno county is a huge example, as tyranny overides freedom in this state. Your father is a smart man. A man who was both wise and smart would begin to recognize his limitations. He would hone all of the above, grow cannabis, attend college, study hard, get a job while keeping his hobby alive. Work for 5-10 years, let the industry adjust, hone his craft, working on an amazing strain. He would keep it hush but leak photos in his grow journals on grasscity and beyond. He'd take the job offed in his field of study after college (botany? Plant genetics?) and save for years. By age 30 he'd come to a crossoads, hell 25 or 26 if he had a fire under his ass and if he understood the word frugal, having eaten top ramen noodles and rice and beans for 6 years as he handled his biz, putting money away from every sidejob imaginable to...invest...in...self.... And he'd be honest with himself and show this very post to his father, letting reality overide delusion to get input and an honest opinion. Be kind to your future self. And no doubt his dad would agree, because by the time his son is 30 he knows he's gonna see the finish line 10-15 years off, an early retirement, plenty of funds to fatten the cow when 40 rolls around and now youre the boss. Its not a dream anymore, its you sitting on the internet, 40 years old reading a post from your cannabis cafe where youre rollin in 40k profit a week, investing in other ventures, while reading the dreams io a kid in colorado, 19 years old, askin the old dog to throw a bone. And now you can, because you know what the cost is, or maybe you'll tell that kid, from behind that desk, that college is a backup plan if it all falls through, and there's a job waiting...the moment that degree comes in. Yeah...that sounds about right! ~ poke
Just go into you local shops and ask. You have to find a secure location where you can grow your own.
This is sobering to an extent and I would one hundred percent agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that when I turn 21 I have a job in Colorado. I understand what you are saying and yes I will show my dad all of this but understand this. I DONT WANT TO LIVE IN DEBT. I have no intention of going to college so I can then worry about student loans and what not. To answer your question on what sets me apart is that I have small industry glass makers and a budtending manager behind me from the relationships I have created through me marketing myself. I am not delusional this is not something that im going to walk into with no worries and everything is just going to be a green haze. I will need to work as hard as I would work any job and I will need to put thousands of hours into research and what not. Owning my own collective may be an idea but its an idea that I would only toy with once I have had years of experience from being a manager in a collective not just a budtender. I don't think waiting is the way forward when you are talking about an industry when everyone wants to get into it. Its something that you need to jump on the opportunity when its there. If I can get into this industry now while its in its growing pains all the better. I will have experience early on and I will have the knowhow to become an integral part of the industry. So although everything you said is true im not going into this alone I have created relationships with people and I have already started creating a relationship with a grower in Northern Cali through one of my friends. I understand what you are saying but I think you are underestimating what kind of want I have. I can market myself and I can make this dream happen. The difference between me and many other 19 year olds is im not just talk I will sacrifice everything to make this real. Also to add on this I am not fighting the world. This is an industry where a lot of people dont see a career but with the growth of it the only people who are going to make something is someone who is already in the industry or someone with the vision .
To get your card in cali, you need to be a resident. To be a resident you need to live here two years. Youll be 21 by then...no? http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/mmp/pages/mmppatientsrespon.aspx If you want to skip that part, there IS another way. Wait for it....wait for it....ding ding ding, college!!!! http://registrar.berkeley.edu/establish.html?no_server_init There are a few requirements, heres the hard one Financial Independence: If you will not reach age 24 by December 31 of the year in which classification as a resident is requested, and are not dependent upon a California resident parent (biological or legally adoptive only) for tuition purposes, you will be required to satisfy the University's self-sufficiency requirement. It should be noted that this requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates who do not have a parent domiciled in California to qualify for classification as a resident at a University of California campus. If I am an out-of-state/nonresident student, what should I do once I arrive in California? Bear in mind that even though you will probably not submit a petition to change your residency status until the end of your first academic year at Berkeley, you must start the residency process as soon as you arrive. The following are guidelines as to what you must do in order to establish California residency for tuition purposes. Document your presence in the state as soon as you arrive. Save your airline ticket or bank/credit card statements showing that you were physically present in California one year prior to the beginning of the term for which you are seeking resident classification. Obtain a California Driver's License within 10 days of arriving in California. If you have never had a driver's license in any state, then you must obtain a California Identification Card. Surrender all out-of-state driver's license and identification cards. Register your vehicle(s) in California within 20 days of arriving in the state. Register to vote in California, and vote in California elections. Pay California income taxes as a resident on all taxable income earned after your arrival in California and file California resident or part-year resident tax returns. File nonresident or part-year resident out-of-state tax returns if you have out-of-state taxable income prior to arriving in California. Designate and use a California address as your permanent address on all records (e.g., school, employment, tax forms, military, etc.). Open a California bank account and close out-of-state accounts. If your financial account is with an interstate or internet bank, change your permanent address to California. Establish a California residence in which you keep your permanent belongings. Obtain a professional license to practice in California, if applicable. ^that said, You dont have to go into debt in college. Again, this depends on your level of intelligence. There are many grants you can attain with HARD work, community service, etc. i used some of these grants to buy my own house at 25 after not working for years (full time student, growing cannabis on the side, making those connections we spoke about earlier) You need to be pretty fluent in spanish. Its a major requirement here for most jobs unless youre packing freight at walmart. But debt is a part of american life and if you think otherwise check delusion. At your age nobody thinks waiting is the way forward. Its why so many people join the military due to lack of direction and not wanting to wait for common sense to catch up to the hormonal imbalance, saying dont wait, jump, jump! Those relationships you created should easily provide a job where you are, if you are as marketable as you claim. What better way to begin than as a glassblowers apprentice, selling to shops on the side? Been there, done that. You are correct, the industry is in its infancy. Banks wont take the money from marijuana businesses which means owners stuffing money in mattresses, putting them in walls. Trust is scarce. Robberies are common here and one of the ventures i was part of ended in a few shootouts. Its the wild west industry currently. You say you can market yourself? With what? What can those glass makers who own a business or established bud growers say about you? Your resume is empty besides a reference. You are now a year behind your competition (people your age). Sobering is an excellent way to put it Time for a bowl! ~ poke
I am fortunate that I have a step parent who is a California resident and is planning on moving to San Diego in a few months so that is my way to get residency and the entirety of my dads side of family only speak Spanish so I am set on that front . I have been doing some glass blowing on the side but where I have been with my life I am not willing to compromise on what I want to do with my life. I have no wants to work some job that I have no intention of carrying on I want to start my career now. You make statements like I have an empty resume but with a fresh growing pained industry I have something. I have been a MMJ patient for two years and beyond that I have been smoking for quite a while now. I gone to Amsterdam and have lived in England. Im not saying these things are 100% going to be enough but I can talk about a variety of strains talk about their flavor pallet and what makes them unique. Im not saying by anyway that I have it down perfectly in fact there have been many times I have been horrible wrong but the point is that already im trying to push myself. To answer why I cant get a job here in the industry I want is in the original post. Im trying to take everything you say in a constructive way but it's getting borderline offensive. You are assuming again that im just trying to blindly jump into this in fact I have been thinking about this for half a year already and im waiting to at least August to make the final decision. You are grouping me with a type of teenager who runs off of emotion and although im not a veteran business man I am also not just your everyday teenager. I have already lived on my own and whilst doing that I made sure to finish school with a GPA of 3.7. I can work hard and I won't let anything stop me from achieving what I need to achieve. I understand the risks but the way I look at it is that its not a true dream unless you are willing to put everything you got into it and hell all goes to hell I can go and start coding for my dad More like time to warm up the volcano vape EDIT quick add on. With the federal government backing MMJ now and the obama administration talking about lowering the class of where marijuana going to be less than a schedule one substance do you think this will have an effect on legitimizing the industry.