Jobs in the Medical Cannabis Industry: Career Opportunities in Ukraine and Europe
The medical cannabis industry in Ukraine and Europe is growing fast, creating new job opportunities for people at all levels. In 2024, Ukraine made medical cannabis legal, which opened the door for a new economic system to develop. For students, young professionals, and experienced workers, this is a great chance to join the industry early and grow with it.
New Opportunities for Professionals and Small Businesses in Ukraine
Here are some areas where people and small businesses can get involved:
- Farming Technology: Growing cannabis in greenhouses needs farmers who know about hydroponics and organic farming.
- Pharmacy: Chemists and pharmacists will create medicines, following strict GMP standards.
- Medical Field: Doctors like neurologists, cancer specialists, and psychiatrists will learn about cannabis therapy.
- Regulations: Lawyers who understand pharmaceutical laws will help with licensing.
- Tech Solutions: IT systems to track cannabis from seed to patient (called track & trace systems).
- Education: New courses will be created for medical and farming professionals.
- Small Business Ideas: setting up production facilities in different regions, labs to test the quality of cannabis, online platforms for education.
In this article, Dr. Andy Mannsfeld, founder of EUCannaJobs — the first specialized cannabis employment platform in Europe — shares insights into the labor market within the European cannabis industry and highlights the opportunities emerging for Ukrainian professionals.
What Kind of Jobs Are There in the Cannabis Industry?
The industry has all kinds of jobs: from entry-level to highly skilled, from low-tech to high-tech, and from jobs where you work directly with the plant to jobs where you don’t touch it at all.
Two Main Categories: Working with the Plant and Not Working with the Plant
Jobs where you work with the plant involve physically handling cannabis. These are what most people think of when they hear about cannabis jobs. But there are also many jobs that don’t involve working with the plant directly. Note: everyone starts with no experience, and many companies are willing to train motivated workers on the job.
Jobs Working whith the Plant
Growing (Cultivation):
Modern growing facilities are high-tech (like greenhouses or warehouses) with careful control of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients.
- Cultivation Director: Manages the whole operation, ensures laws are followed, handles the budget, and leads the team.
- Master Grower: Takes care of the plants, manages pests, and controls growth conditions. Needs experience and farming education.
- Trimmer: Entry-level job. Trims, dries, and cares for plants, cleans, and helps the master grower.
Processing/Production:
Cannabis needs to be dried, trimmed, packaged, or turned into oils, extracts, or edibles.
- Extraction Specialist: Turns cannabis flowers into oils. Needs lab experience.
- Quality Control: Checks quality at every step. Needs special education and experience.
- Packager: Entry-level job. In small companies, this might be part of the trimmer’s duties.
Dispensaries (Retail):
- Dispensary Manager: Runs the shop, manages staff, follows laws, and handles money.
- Budtender (Consultant): Sells products and advises customers. Entry-level, but some experience is preferred.
- Cashier: Entry-level job. Needs basic cashier skills.
Jobs not Working whith the Plant
These jobs can be at production sites, in offices, or in companies that support the industry.
- Office Staff: Secretaries, assistants, and clerks.
- Security: Cannabis is valuable, so security is a must. Jobs range from basic to highly skilled.
- Cleaners: Entry-level, but needs supervision from experienced managers.
- Maintenance: Fixes and supports equipment. Jobs range from basic to expert level.
- HR Specialists: Needs experience, but not necessarily in the cannabis industry.
- Web/Graphic Designers: Needs experience, but not necessarily in cannabis.
- IT Specialists: Cannabis is a tech-heavy industry, so IT workers of all levels are needed.
- Logistics: Handles transport from seeds to final products. Experience or on-the-job training is okay.
- Accounting: Manages taxes, payroll, and finances. Needs education, but experience can be from other fields.
- Lawyers: Legal support is crucial because of complicated laws. Education is needed, but industry experience isn’t required.
- Managers and Leaders: Big companies need experienced managers, often from related fields.
As you can see, the cannabis industry has jobs for all levels of education, experience, and skills. Since the market is growing fast, there aren’t enough people with cannabis-specific experience yet. So, look at your skills, education, and interests, and think about how you can use them in this exciting industry.
If you’re serious about a career in the European cannabis industry, stay updated on laws and trends. Take the first step — create a free account on www.eucannajobs.com , Europe’s first job platform for this industry. If you need to find a specialist in this field, EUCannaJobs connects employers with the best talent in Europe’s cannabis sector.
Learn more about the current state of legalization in our article on the legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine.