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www.HartfordBusiness.com • October 28, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 13 ed to cultivation, process- ing, sales, manufacturing, testing and distribution. UConn plant scientist Gerold Berkowitz said 400 students from just about every major registered for the inaugural class this year, an indication of strong interest in the field. The school has since limited course enrollment to juniors and seniors. Berkowitz said students — some of whom have already scored indus- try jobs in Massachusetts, where recreational pot was legalized in 2018 — are especially interested in obtaining jobs in growing and oil extractions. Those job opportunities excite Granhan, who has no specialized training or previous experience in the cannabis industry. "I'm still trying to figure out where I'm headed," said Granhan, who is pursu- ing his associate degree in business from the Universi- ty of Southern New Hamp- shire online before eventu- ally obtaining a bachelor's. "It's exciting to just go with the flow and see how things are developing." Growing industry The roughly $20 billion U.S. marijuana industry has grown significantly since Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the plant for recreational use in 2012. Today, 11 states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, and 33 states allow its use for medicinal purposes. The drug remains illegal under federal law even if states allow it. There are more than 200,000 U.S. jobs in the industry at dispen- saries, growing facilities, hydro- ponic stores, patient identification centers, and other retailers, accord- ing to the Cannabis Trade Federa- tion (CTF), a national coalition that represents Curaleaf Con- necticut. CTF projects the industry will employ up to 475,000 workers by 2023. CTF CEO Neal Levine said the marijuana sector will be- come the next major American industry to employ millions of workers. But finding workers to fill those jobs remains a big challenge. Nicole Leja, president of Curaleaf Con- necticut, is on the frontlines of developing that workforce. Leja has already hired a handful of drivers and packaging and cultivation workers since succeeding Greg Schaan, a 38-year veteran of the agriculture industry, as Curaleaf Connecticut's president in the last year. (Schaan now serves as Curaleaf's senior vice president of cultivation.) Curaleaf Connecticut currently has 48 employ- ees and is gradually in- creasing its workforce as demand for its products grows, thanks to more patients joining the state's medical marijuana program. More than 37,400 residents now qualify for Connecticut's medical marijuana program, which has 36 approved conditions for adults ranging from treating Tourette syndrome to Crohn's disease. That's up dramatically from the 1,684 patients who qualified for the drug when state regulators named Curaleaf among four licensed pot growing businesses in early 2014. Thousands of additional patients could be added in the coming years if chronic pain is added as a condi- tion in the program, which is over- seen by the Connecticut Depart- ment of Consumer Protection. Curaleaf is spending the fall moving to a larger leased building on Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury. Leja, who spent two decades in the environmental analytical field, is unsure how many new employ- ees will be added to the larger site, which will allow the company to double its lab capacity. Meantime, some employees will be taking on new roles at the facility as an auto- mated irrigation system eliminates certain jobs from those currently hand watering or feeding plants. Curaleaf relies on its Wakefield, Mass., corporate office to assist in job recruiting for leading positions in compliance and growing, and has human-resources personnel in Simsbury helping to hire packag- ing specialists, cultivators and other entry-level positions. "We have found there is a lot of interest in joining this industry," she said. "I don't think it's any more dif- ficult than hiring in other industries, based on my prior experiences." Job seekers Curaleaf Connecticut, like other production facilities, has steadily built a diverse workforce in terms of age and educational experience. Christine Brevigleiri, a sales and manufacturing coordinator, is one of several Millennial Curaleaf em- ployees with no prior experience in the marijuana industry. The 33-year-old Canton resident spent time in trade and massage- therapy school, and held vari- ous jobs at restaurants and at an aerospace company before joining Curaleaf in 2016. Brevigleiri's roles have changed dramatically over the last three years as the company and her skill set evolve. She previously worked in harvesting and packaging before taking on a larger role coordinating deliveries to the state's 15 dispensa- ries with a number of other depart- ment heads. Brevigleiri said she's been suc- cessful in adapting to new tasks, and wants to continue pursuing new roles in manufacturing. The process, she said, is made easier because Curaleaf offers unlimited training opportunities. "I think there has to be some sense of adventure to enter into the industry right now, kind of want- ing to see what other people don't get to see or do. That part is fun," she said. "If you're open-minded, the training is there to grow." Granhan also sees value in the exclusivity awarded to workers in the industry. "These are all the pioneers and the problem-solvers," he said. "These are the people when the in- dustry was first getting going, they said 'I want to be a part of it.' " Pot workers must be cleared by DCP Applicants seeking employment in the state's medical marijuana industry must first pass a criminal background check administered by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), which oversees the program, before they can land a job. Generally, people with previous drug charges will not pass a background check, which is overseen by DCP's five-member drug-control staff, according to Lora Rae Anderson, an agency spokeswoman. Meantime, Anderson said marijuana produc- ers and dispensaries are required to inform DCP if one of their employees has been arrested on criminal drug charges. DCP has not yet revoked anyone's license, she said. "These are good, high-quality jobs," Anderson said. "It's a really good medical program that helps patients who are sick, but it's also provid- ing good places to work." BY THE NUMBERS 29,000 The number of cannabis-re- lated businesses in the U.S. 6,000 The number of medical can- nabis dispensaries in the U.S. 175 The number of cannabis testing labs in the U.S. 17,500 The number of ancillary businesses that offer servic- es or products to licensed cannabis operations. Source: Cannabis Trade Federation Mass.-based Curaleaf sells a variety of cannabis products. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED