Ask a Stoner: States Looking for Marijuana Professionals

Dear Stoner: I’m finally ready to cash in on my marijuana experience in a new state or country. Where should I be looking?
Floater

Dear Floater: You’re not the only frustrated cannabis pro in Colorado looking for greener pastures. Still, if you’ve built up any connections here, it might be a good idea to stay put and jump on opportunities opened by the stampede of entrepreneurs to newer markets. But since it’s not 2014 anymore, there are plenty of other states and even countries that could use your special set of skills.

For starts, you can look east…and not far. Oklahoma’s medical marijuana scene is booming, with soft laws and no hard license cap at the state level, which means lots of job and ownership opportunities – if you can survive the initial rush to get in before the state goes recreational. Judging from its rocky start, Illinois’s new retail market could definitely use more cannabis experience and thought leadership, as can East Coast states close to commercial legalization, including New York, New Jersey and Vermont. As for other countries, while Canada might get all the attention for being the first major country to legalize, France, Italy and Germany all have very strong medical marijuana markets, and Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic also boast growing commercial pot sectors.

Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.