While many of us took a breath to pause last week on 420 to appreciate the sheer brilliancy of the industry, the cannabis industry has not skipped a beat.
We’re moving into this next “New Year” on *fire* and ready. to. go. Especially in the Northeast.
In 2018, across the nine states in the Northeast, there were only 187 cannabis dispensaries. But since then, that number has almost doubled, jumping to 424 as of March 2021 (2).
And this pace is not slowing down any time soon… In fact, it’s starting to speed up…
With the spread of legalization, multi-state operators are expanding into the Northeast. And cannabis jobs are coming to states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
Mergers and acquisitions are changing the Massachusetts market
At the end of 2020, New Cannabis Ventures predicted mergers and acquisitions to be one of the biggest stories of 2021 (1). Massachusetts insiders like Brendan McKee, CFO at Silver Therapeutics, predicted this future for the state of Massachusetts as well.
Well, we’re only just into April of 2021. And we can tell, they were right. Multi-state operators are acquiring single-state operators, nationwide. And, lately, we’ve been seeing that in Massachusetts…
We predict this will bring new cannabis jobs to Massachusetts. Along with changes in the Massachusetts market.
Job seekers can expect to see new Massachusetts cannabis jobs popping up from Western Mass to the South Shore. Existing cannabis businesses should keep tabs on current industry standards and adapt. And for existing cannabis jobs in Massachusetts, job descriptions might change as companies continue to level up.
Multi-state operators are entering one of the most complex regulatory schemes
Massachusetts was the first state in the Northeast to legalize cannabis. And according to David Ullian — Senior Associate Attorney at Vicente Sederberg, top-ranked national cannabis law firm — MA has one of the most complex regulatory schemes in the country. This makes it extra tricky to set up a cannabis business in Massachusetts.
But the Massachusetts market has grown and local businesses have become more established. So it’s a promising location for multi-state operators to come in and buy already established single-state operators. And this is exactly what multi-state operator, Jushi Holdings Inc., is doing… Jushi recently paid over $100 million dollars to enter the growing Massachusetts market and is on the move (4).
Conscious cannabis brands join together on a mission
Earlier this year, we interviewed Ashley Esper, CMO at Nature’s Remedy in Massachusetts. Nature’s Remedy is a vertically integrated cannabis operation. And despite the difficulties of navigating one of the most complex regulatory schemes in the country… Nature’s Remedy has been on a mission to “make the best cannabis in the world” (5). Esper predicted that Massachusetts will be a leader in both innovation and branding.
Jushi Holdings Inc. shares the same mission, vision for the industry, and is home to a few best-in-class cannabis brands. This makes Jushi the perfect partner to acquire Nature’s Remedy.
John Brady is the CEO and founder of Nature’s Remedy. He said in the acquisition announcement, “Jushi was the first company that approached us who felt like a true fit, both culturally and intellectually.”
What’s better than two companies who share the same mission joining forces to change the world with cannabis? Being on a mission to consciously shape the industry.
Building a conscious cannabis community starts with YOU.
From the beginning, Nature’s Remedy has understood that the only way to make the best cannabis in the world is to involve their people (5). That includes everyone from the production chain to the sales chain. Nature’s Remedy has laid a rock-solid foundation for the two companies to join and stride towards their common goal.
An industry-leading management team set to cultivate competitive cannabis jobs in Massachusetts
Jushi Holdings Inc. is led by an industry-leading management team (3). This means, no doubt, they are coming into the Massachusetts market ready to put in place their expert systems and processes. Which is exactly what they’re planning on doing with Nature’s Remedy.
James Cacioppo, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Founder of Jushi said,
“Upon closing, we look forward to working with the current management team to maximize Nature’s Remedy assets… While introducing our own best-in-class brands and high-quality products to the Massachusetts market.” (3)
Nature’s Remedy and Jushi are setting the bar high for the Massachusetts market. These brands are helping to shape the future of cannabis with their expertise and best-in-class products.
Looking ahead at cannabis jobs in MA
After acquiring Nature’s Remedy, Massachusetts will be the seventh market that Jushi has entered. And the third state that they are vertically integrated.
Nature’s Remedy already has a strong cultivation footprint and an established retail presence (5). And Jushi is prepared to scale in Massachusetts’ maturing adult-use and medical markets. Cacioppo compares the Massachusetts market to Colorado’s. He reinforces that there’s “plenty of room to grow in Massachusetts.” (5)
What we know right now is that the Massachusetts market is changing. And the companies who are operating within it are changing too. This means that there will be new cannabis jobs added in Massachusetts as well as changes to current job descriptions.
The future of cannabis jobs in Massachusetts
If the future of the Massachusetts market looks anything like the “dispensary boom” in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, then Cacioppo is right. There’s room for the Massachusetts market to grow (2).
Great Barrington, Massachusettes is a tourist hot spot full of theatre entertainment and outdoor activities, like hiking, skiing, and camping. They have five dispensaries with a population of less than 7,000 (2). Springfield, Massachusetts, located in central Massachusetts has several stores. And, of course, Boston has many dispensaries. But there are a lot of large areas of Massachusetts with zero dispensaries. These locations tend to have little to no tourism and no major highway (2)
As Massachusetts’ cannabis market grows, we can expect these pockets to fill and cannabis jobs to appear.
If you’re ready to look for cannabis jobs in Massachusetts…
Keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities coming your way. Once they pop up, apply because these jobs are in demand.
Visit the FlowerHire Careers In Cannabis job board to see what jobs are available now. We will post more cannabis jobs in Massachusetts as they become available.