The 7 Best Places to Work in the Cannabis Industry (and the Worst!) - International Highlife

The 7 Best Places to Work in the Cannabis Industry (and the Worst!)

Are you looking to work in the cannabis industry? Business is booming, and there are more positions than ever before, from entry-level trimmers to product design to cultivators and beyond. But not every company is going to hit it out of the park when it comes to culture, salary, and perks. As with any industry, some are better than others.

If you want to work in cannabis, we want to make the decision a little easier. We pulled the data the biggest winners and losers on Glassdoor.

Glassdoor is an excellent resource for anyone curious about a potential new employer. It’s an employee review job site where current and former employees can leave honest reviews. Want to know what salary to expect? What about the interview process? How about the management style? Most companies have a profile loaded with valuable information. Glassdoor compiles reviews and turns the data into an overall rating between 1 and 5.

Glassdoor prides itself on being 100% transparent. All employee reviews are legit; companies can’t get bad reviews removed or altered. Although, companies are allowed to respond to the negative reviews. This is very similar to the way that Yelp lets restaurants answer questions and explain any negative feedback.

We pulled the profiles of the top cannabis companies on the website, and the bottom. It makes it easy to find out who deserves your time and who doesn’t.

The good news about Glassdoor if you are looking for work is that they also offer job postings as well. This means you can find the best employers, and see what jobs they’ve posted, all from the same location.

Best Cannabis Companies to Work for According to Glassdoor

What makes these companies so great to work for? Let’s take a look

7. Weedmaps – Rating 3.6

Weedmaps

A website designed like Google Maps, but for all things cannabis related. Users can find dispensaries, source-specific strains or products, and leave reviews while they are at it.

For weed focused companies it offers packages to get placed on the map (literally). For users, Weedmaps is a place to learn about the big wide world of cannabis while connecting to the weed community at large.

The main hub is located in Irvine, California, but they have branched out to other global locations including Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Denver, New York, Phoenix, and Toronto. They have over 400 employees around the world.

What Makes Weedmaps so Good to Work for?

According to the ratings, Weedmaps offers excellent compensation and benefits and has a positive business outlook. Reviewers highlight their love of the catered lunches and super flexible work environment. There seems to be a ton of opportunity for growth at this company.

Learn more about Weedmaps here.

6. Canopy Growth – Rating 3.7

Canopy Growth

While you might have only heard about Canopy Growth thanks to the hype about their stock prices, they also make our list as one of the best companies to work for. If you want to know what they do, its easier to ask what they don’t do. They operate a very diverse range of cannabis products and own millions of square feet of indoor grow space. Recently they launched Houseplant, a curated brand with Seth Rogan.

What Makes Canopy so Good to Work for?

A shocking 99 percent of the raters approve of the current Canopy CEO. A majority of reviewers also say they would recommend the company to a friend. Over the last few years, Canopy’s Glassdoor rating has skyrocketed thanks to the company’s culture and values. One commenter indicated the only bad part about their position was they “Didn’t get hired sooner!”

Learn more about Canopy Growth here.

5. Dosist – Rating 3.8

Dosist Logo

Dosist is a company seeking to bring accuracy and consistency to the vaping world. They have developed a line of disposable vape pens which deliver a specific and measurable dose every single pull. Dosist curates a variety of strains to stimulate different therapeutic effects. Dosist is located in Santa Monica, California.

What Makes Dosist so Good to Work for?

First and foremost, they come highly recommended to friends because of their extremely positive business outlook. In the Glassdoor rating system, their star has been rising through the ranks thanks to their ability to listen to their employees. Employees feel the company invests in them; they feel their opinions matter, and as an employee, they are valued.

Learn more about Dosist here.

4. Tilray – Rating 3.8

Tilray is a global player in the cannabis industry. When they aren’t working in cannabis, they are buying hemp companies – like their recent takeover of Manitoba Harvest. They have several lucrative contracts, spanning four continents to supply medical grade cannabis to patients, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, governments, and researchers. They are a Canadian company.

What Makes Tilray so Good to Work for?

With excellent career opportunities, substantial compensation packages, and a positive working environment, everyone seems to love working for Tilray.  Employees report that if you work hard for this company, you’ll be rewarded. With some of the best talent in the industry, employees love working in the team environment with smart and hyper-focused coworkers

Learn more about Tilray here.

3. Green Thumb Industries – Rating 3.9

Green Thumb Industry Logo

A consumer goods company, Green Thumb Industries focuses on giving back to their community. They sell a full spectrum of cannabis products, from edibles to flower to concentrates. Although they have their head office in Chicago, they operate 11 manufacturing facilities and 72 retail locations. You can currently find them in 12 US markets.

What Makes Green Thumb Industries so Good to Work for?

Unlike almost all the other so far, Green Thumb has substantially more 5-star reviews. Current and former employees say the company has great senior management, which in turn leads to a wonderful culture and core company values. Nearly 75 percent of reviewers say they would recommend the job to a friend. Need more convincing? Here is what one current employee says, “Cool perks like Friday staff events at 4:20, off-site parties, free snacks, lots of catered lunches Generous paid time off.”

Learn more about Green Thumb Industries here.

2. Cura Cannabis Solutions – Rating 4.0

Cura Cannabis Solutions

Cura is the best selling cannabis brand in both California and Oregon. They sell premium cannabis oil directly to consumers, but also as an ingredient to top-quality edible companies. Only found in 2015, in Portland Oregon, they now have over 500 employees in the US and aboard in the UK.

What Makes Cura Cannabis Solutions so Good to Work for?

According to the Glassdoor reviews, the compensation at Cura is some of the highest in the industry. Everyone has a chance to grow within the fast-growing company. Many people report rapid upward promotions. Despite the growth, employees also say the company continues to care about their work-life balance and happiness. The culture is reportedly engaging and inclusive.

Learn more about Cura Cannabis Solutions here.

1. Marijuana Policy Project – Rating 4.0

They might not be a big company, but they have a big heart. The Marijuana Policy Project “is the largest organization in the U.S. that’s focused solely on enacting humane marijuana laws.” If you want to be a part of the change, it’s time to get involved with this historically significant organization.

What Makes marijuana Policy Project so Good to Work for?

Out of all the companies on our list thus far, the Marijuana Policy Project values work-life balance (4.7 out of 5). They don’t have a single one-star review. Employees report they are the best company to work for in terms of actually getting laws changed. Employees are given independence in their position but have a passionate group of people to support them.

Learn more about Marijuana Policy Project here.

Now that we got the know the best ones let’s take a look at the worst ones.

Worst Cannabis Companies to Work for According to Glassdoor

These companies are struggling to keep their employees satisfied. Have you been offered a job with one of these seven businesses? Should you turn the offer down, because of these terrible reviews? We’ll summarize the worst rated companies here, and leave it up to you to decide.

7. High Times-  Rating 2.6

High Times Logo

High Times describes itself as “the definitive resource for all things cannabis.” For a long time that was true, as they were the go-to cannabis magazine on the market. They have evolved with the industry, and now cover much more than cannabis news. You can find them building apps, hosting events, and even though they have not been able to raise enough cash to go public yet, they acquire company after company.

What are the Reported Cons of Working for High Times?

If you are looking for a relaxed job that doesn’t eat into your evenings and weekends, High Times is likely a bad choice. On top of that, it received poor grades on compensation and benefits. One reviewer commented that the issues were, “Leadership, management, direction, growth, [and] communication.” Another indicated the culture had drastically changed when High Times sold.

Learn more about High Times here.

6. MedMen – Rating 2.4

MedMen Logo

MedMen is a cannabis retailer brand. They are one of the biggest employers on either list, with over 1000 employees. They currently operate in five states in the US. MedMen focus on redefining the way cannabis is cultivated, through sustainable and innovative indoor facilities. The company now has 19 facilities across the country.

What are the Reported Cons of Working for MedMen?

Since 2017, their ratings on Glassdoor have plummeted. They now have far more one-star reviews than any other. Of particular concern is the senior management, and the values of the company. The words currently getting thrown around in the comments section say the most about what it’s like to work for MedMen right now: shady, untrustworthy, unloyal, and liars.

Learn more about MedMen here.

5. Massroots – Rating 2.4

Massroots Logo

Massroots is a social media and community hub for the cannabis community. It’s is very similar to WeedMaps, as it allows you to search and find local dispensaries, specific strains, and leave feedback. If you’ve got questions about cannabis, you can find your answers on their community pages. If you are a cannabis business, you can easily find a customer base through their advertising packages.

What are the Reported Cons of Working for Massroots?

Massroots is yet another company with poor ratings for senior management. Senior management’s negative reviews also mean poor ratings for culture and company values. Are you looking for career opportunities? You might want to look elsewhere, according to their Glassdoor reviews. One employee said that with so much weed consumed at work, it led to a breakdown of productivity and shady dealings — something you’d expect to find working for a dealer, not a big multi-state company.

Learn more about Massroots here.

4. TruLieve – Rating 2.4

TruLieve Cannabis Logo

TruLieve is a big cannabis stock. It’s rapidly expanding into many new markets, especially in Florida. It has dispensaries in two other legal markets as well: California and Massachusetts. Its a large company, with over 1000 employees and based in Florida.

What are the Reported Cons of Working for TruLieve?

If you look at the trends on Glassdoor, it doesn’t look good if you want to work for TruLieve. Their reviews have been getting increasingly bad since 2017. The problems? Senior management and salary. One reviewer commented that management was full of folks with “immaturity and incompetence.” The CEO received unusually harsh comments.

Learn more about TruLieve here.

3. Privateer Holding – Rating 2.0

Privateer Holdings

Founded in 2010, Privateer Holding owns some of the biggest names in the cannabis industry. Do you know Leafly, Marley Natural, and Tilray? These are all held by this holdings company. As a venture capitalist, they know how to build big, successful companies no matter if its a consumer brand (Marley Natural) or a medical cannabis cultivating giant (Tilray).

What are the Reported Cons to Working for Privateer Holding?

With no five-star reviews, most employees have given the company straight-up one-star reviews. Even if some of the brands owned by Privateer Holding are worth working for, the Venture Capital firm is worth passing. Few employees could manage a positive review beyond the lunchtime snack bar. The most often cited issues were lack of communication, transparency and that the senior management didn’t smoke what they were selling.

Learn more about Privateer Holding here.

2. Green Dragon Cannabis – Rating 1.7

Green Dragon Cannabis Logo

A prominent dispensary operating in Colorado, Green Dragon Cannabis advertises itself as a premium brand, but without the premium prices. Based only in Colorado, they have 12 dispensary locations across the state. They strive to focus on customer service, high-quality product, and friendly staff

What are the Reported Cons to Working for Green Dragon Cannabis?

In all the areas Glassdoor focuses on, Green Dragon fails. Inadequate compensation, lack of culture and values, bad senior management and more. Most reviewers said there were far too many chefs in the kitchen, and management micromanaged them to death. Everyone also mentions the lack of training for their position. Doesn’t sound like a great place to start working in cannabis if they won’t teach you what to do!

Learn more about Green Dragon Cannabis here.

1. Herb – Rating 1.5

Herb Logo

As they say on their website, “Herb is a community of cannabis enthusiasts, by cannabis enthusiasts.” it started as a resource for people to share recipes and resources, but now it is a multimedia cannabis empire with video streams, news resources, and 85 million monthly engagements. If you love weed, you’ve likely seen their content before.

What are the Reported Cons to Working for Herb?

Coming in at the bottom of the list, there aren’t very many nice things to say about this company. Most reports point straight to the CEO who lacks direction, communication skills, and has a huge ego.

To give you some shocking examples, this is what (former) employees had to say about the CEO, Matt Gray:

  • CEO is an unethical, psychotic, drug-addled, micro-manager that messages and berates employees at inappropriate time, tells them that work-life balance is garbage, imposes literally 100s of different task and directions per day (without sticking to anything) and forces revenue and sales team to hide the truth, promote fraudulent information, and lie to clients to stay ahead.
  • CEO abuses hard drugs publicly in the office and brags to employees about the use.
  • CEO swears and yells at employees in his hazy state of mind, verbal abuse is a part of everyday life.
  • Multiple hard-working employees have been fired due to “cutting costs”, but CEO and leadership somehow has money for lavish trips, dinners, and parties.
  • The CEO has been involved in multiple scandals and seems to be self-sabotaging his own brand.
  • CEO is absentee/crazy and abusive with a drug prob. Spends money on himself and his ego, not on quality leadership. Crazy and inexperienced sub mgmt. that feeds his ego.
  • The CEO has to be the most pompous, callous, domineering person I have ever met in my life. He hired people that he doesn’t trust to do their job (although they are exceptionally talented) and micromanages people in fields he knows nothing about which ultimately resulted in Herb’s downfall.
  • The CEO has an ego bigger than the moon and makes too many empty promises to count. Do not work here. Not even for a little. And if you do, I’m sure you will be fired soon anyway.
  • CEO needs to lay off the cannabis and focus on committing to a direction for the company. The company direction changes on a weekly basis. He also needs some serious help, he seems mentally unwell and needs help from a professional.
  • There is no work-life balance nor does the CEO believe this
  • You are fired if you don’t agree with the CEO or challenge him in any way.
  • CEO needs to go to rehab.
  • INVESTORS!!! PLEASE for the love god kick out Matt Gray. HE is the problem. The team wasn’t.

It sounds as if there are constantly mass-layoffs and no sense of security across the company. While some flux is to be expected with any cannabis company, it is especially chaotic at herb.

Learn more about Herb here.

Conclusion

The reviews on Glassdoor help shed light on what it’s actually like to work for some of the biggest names in the business. While compiling this data, we did notice a significant trend throughout both the good companies and the failures – the issues caused by exponential growth. If you work in cannabis, expect the environment to be dynamic — lots of turnover, lots of changes, and sometimes periods of turmoil.

What separates the good employers from the bad during this situation always comes down to the culture, support, and compensation offered to their employees. Look for companies that have strong senior management, and good culture and company values.

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