Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jul 2015
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Column: The 420
Copyright: 2015 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

JOBS UNDER ATTACK

Hey, Ngaio. Love the column. My son is interested in a job in the 
weed industry. What jobs are out there for those looking for 
employment? Can you please roll up a big fat list of jobs and their 
respective qualifications? I love him a lot and want him to be 
successful in his search so I thought your column would be a great 
place to start.

- -Proud Dad

You are a good dad. Way to support your kid! My parents looked at me 
hella funny when I started my cannabis career, and now they think 
it's pretty cool. I was just down at the High Times Cannabis Cup in 
San Francisco last week, talking to some friends about how amazing it 
is to have a career in the cannabis industry. Ten years ago, no one 
really knew what was going to happen to the cannabis industry, and 
now, there are so many employment opportunities, from being a 
budtender to having a brick-and-mortar dispensary or a delivery 
service or working in a testing facility, a grow room, or whatever. 
This is a good time to get involved in the fastest-growing industry in America.

His best bet would be to call around and see what employers are 
looking for. He also might want to look into taking some classes. 
Oaksterdam University and the 707 Cannabis College have programs that 
will teach him the things he needs to be a good employee (or to start 
his own business, if he is a go-getter type of person). I'm guessing 
it won't be long until colleges offer a major in cannabis production. 
Who'd have thought we would see the day when a young person could 
major in weed? Congratulations, and good luck!

What's up with all the raids going on?

- -Johnny Appleweed

It's weird, right? The cops and sheriffs up in the Emerald Triangle 
(Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties) have been raiding large 
grows for the past week. The authorities are looking to eradicate 
about 100,000 plants. They claim to be worried about "water theft" 
and "environmental degradation," but the people on the farms being 
raided think these raids are happening because most of the farms are 
members of the political action group California Cannabis 
Voice-Humboldt. Hezekiah Allen, the head of the Emerald Growers 
Association, decried the raids in a strongly worded press release: 
"This type of activity is ever more concerning because state agencies 
are hard at work developing new programs. This 'business as usual' 
law enforcement activity squashes this nascent dialog. It makes the 
hard work of the state agencies ever more difficult. It torments and 
traumatizes hard-working families. California needs a well-regulated 
cannabis industry. This type of activity keeps us from that policy by 
marginalizing critical perspectives. And unfortunately, this type of 
activity is still an everyday reality for families and communities 
throughout the state." He is correct. These raids are a black mark on 
the reputation of the law enforcement community.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom