10 Great Cannabis Jobs San Diego Has Now

San Diego is full of sun, beaches, and tons of popular tourist attractions. It is a hub for manufacturing, research, military, and tourism sectors. America's Finest City is also seeing a surge in commercial cannabis activity.

San Diego’s laid-back vibe and warm climate make it the perfect destination for cannabis professionals. If you want to work in one of the most idyllic regions in the world, San Diego may be the perfect career destination for you. Here are 10 great cannabis jobs San Diego has now.

Top Cannabis Jobs San Diego

1. Budtender

Budtending positions are one of the most popular cannabis jobs San Diego has to offer. Budtenders provide medical and recreational customers with expert guidance on different cannabis strains, products, and delivery methods. Budtenders must be friendly, outgoing, knowledgeable, organized, and reliable.

Dispensaries prefer hiring budtenders with previous retail, customer service, or hospitality experience. This position also requires experience handling cash and documenting orders on a POS system in a fast-paced and high-stress environment.

2. Packager

A cannabis packager is a great entry-level job in San Diego for those with no or minimal cannabis industry experience. However, preference will be given to candidates who have worked in a similar production or manufacturing environment.

As a packager, you must quickly and accurately process either raw or processed cannabis material and prepare it for commercial sale. Responsibilities include weighing, labeling, and  packaging the product for sale. Packagers must also perform regular inventory management.

3. Trimmer

Cannabis trimmers are one of the most in-demand entry-level jobs in the cannabis industry. While this may be an entry-level cultivation job, the job duties are critical to preparing the mature cannabis plants for sale.

Cannabis trimming requires attention to detail, focus, and an ability to perform repetitive movements over a long period of time. Trimmers must snip off the large leaves and stems while preserving the flower buds' high trichome content.

Trimmers can gain direct cannabis industry experience and work their way up within a cultivation facility to higher-paying work such as assistant grower, section grower, and even the head grower job with enough experience.

4. Receptionist

Receptionists are the face of a cannabis company. Whether they work in a dispensary or other cannabis facility in San Diego, they need to be organized and friendly. Essential job skills include multitasking, communication, interpersonal, technology and time management skills.

Receptionists are responsible for greeting guests, checking IDs, and performing a host of clerical duties such as answering calls and updating online menus,. Previous experience in hospitality, customer service, and administrative jobs are preferred.

5. Extraction Technician

Cannabis extraction technicians, also known as lab technicians, operate under a master extractor and lab manager. Technicians are responsible for setting up the equipment, keeping it cleaned and maintained, and operating the machinery and post-processing equipment to produce cannabis concentrates.

Job candidates with a degree in chemistry or chemical engineering are preferred. Operators may be working with flammable and explosive solvents and need extensive knowledge about safety precautions when working in a lab.

6. Delivery Driver

In every segment of the cannabis industry, delivery drivers are a necessity for transporting cash and inventory. Cruise the beautiful streets of San Diego, CA while delivering cannabis products and moving forward the supply chain.

Delivery drivers must have a clean driving record, a smartphone, and a reliable form of transportation as well as excellent customer service, time management, and organization skills.

7. Dispensary Manager

A dispensary manager requires retail management experience and extensive cannabis knowledge. A dispensary manager must hire and train budtenders, keep customers happy, and ensure the store meets sales goals. In addition, they must ensure dispensary staff remain compliant with federal, state, and local regulations.

8. Head Grower

Head or master growers are one of the highest-paid jobs in the industry and for good reason. Head growers must have years of experience and knowledge about cannabis cultivation. Most importantly, they must have experience running a large cultivation facility.

Cultivation facilities prefer master growers who have a degree in related science fields such as botany, agriculture, and horticulture. Understanding commercial cultivation systems such as integrated pest management (IPM) is important to troubleshooting issues that come up.

Apart from requiring strong cultivation skills, master growers must have a knack for managing every part of the operation including dealing with vendors, managing inventory, training employees, and handling payroll.

9. Cannabis Chef

Chefs with experience infusing cannabis into food can start an exciting career as a cannabis chef. Chefs can be tasked with creating a consistent and precisely dosed product to expand a product line.

Cannabis chefs may also be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of a processing kitchen. Responsibilities can include delegating tasks to kitchen assistants and ensuring the quality of the edible product remains high.

10. Sales Representative

A sales representative in a cannabis company can be one of the highest-paying cannabis jobs in San Diego, CA. Sales representatives must have excellent communication, negotiation, customer service, and organization skills. They must perform cold calls to make new clients and maintain relationships with existing customers.

Online Cannabis Job Training for Cannabis Jobs San Diego

Interested in finding a cannabis career in America's Finest City? Enroll in Cannabis Training University’s online cannabis college to learn more about the plant, the industry, and how you can land a cannabis career. CTU’s complete curriculum can teach students how to get cannabis jobs in San Diego, CA.