MJBiz - September 2023 - 32

Labor
Relations
Navigating a New Landscape
The number of cannabis jobs is down from last year,
but reasons for optimism remain
By Omar Sacirbey
L
ucrative compensation and
plentiful job creation have
been among the brightest
achievements of the regulated cannabis
industry. In addition to attracting
talent, these accomplishments
remain a selling point for marijuana
legalization.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs have
been created across the cannabis
supply chain, providing opportunities
to people of all ages, skill levels and
familiarity with the plant.
That bright employment landscape
has dimmed in the past year, however,
as the number of overall cannabis
industry jobs fell for the fi rst time in
the regulated market's young history,
according to Denver-based cannabis
recruiting fi rm Vangst. Meanwhile, salaries
have plateaued in some areas and
become tougher to negotiate in others.
Cannabis executives navigating
compensation and workforce
challenges in the current economic
environment will need to examine
32 September 2023 | MJBizMagazine
what factors are out of their control-a
possible global recession, plunging
wholesale marijuana prices, ineffi cient
supply chains-as well as strategies to
navigate pitfalls in the future.
Cannabis executives are facing other
human resources-related regulations
and trends, but they need not be thorns
in your business.
When Rochester, New York-based
mainstream payroll services provider
Paychex became the latest payroll
company to dump cannabis businesses
earlier this year, hundreds of
plant-touching employers were left
scrambling to fi nd alternatives. The
experience turned many marijuana
businesses on to marijuana-specifi c
payroll companies-and created new
business opportunities in the cannabis
space.
The same can be said for paytransparency
laws and labor unions
that, on the surface, might be perceived
as drags on business but in reality can
buoy a company's talent pool.
In fact, in many instances, cannabis
businesses are pioneering new ways
to approach these areas. For example,
Nichole Upshaw, chief retail and people
offi cer at Florida-based Jushi Holdings,
implemented pay transparency before
it was required because she felt that it
saved time and eliminated uncertainty
and potential confl icts between
colleagues.
Lauren Carpenter, CEO at California
retail chain Embarc, embraced working
with a labor union with the notion that
a happy workforce will translate to
better business.
These creative approaches to
compensation and employment
strategies are helping cannabis
business executives weather the harsh
economic environment while building
a better human resources structure for
the future.
In the following pages, MJBizMagazine
explores these challenges with the
help of human resources pros who've
successfully grappled with them.

MJBiz - September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBiz - September 2023

MJBiz - September 2023 - CT1
MJBiz - September 2023 - CT2
MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover1
MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover2
MJBiz - September 2023 - 3
MJBiz - September 2023 - 4
MJBiz - September 2023 - 5
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MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover3
MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover4
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