Technical skills were minimally used in the illegal cannabis industry. With changing attitudes and legislation, the demand for technical skills has grown in leaps and bounds. Many brand new, well-capitalized businesses have sprung up and are looking for tech professionals in cannabis. The next phase of the cannabis industry could see many technological innovations.
A company like Leafly is using technology to educate users. It facilitates matches between growers, users and popular products and strains. Grow Ratio is a platform that helps companies to optimize growth at every stage while minimizing cost.
It has a unique mobile app that helps them stay connected with their grow room activities from any device, anywhere. Technological innovation and ongoing R&D are essential ingredients in the cannabis industry as it continues to mature and grow.
Last year BrainStation, a tech training provider based in Toronto, gathered industry professionals to explore how legalization of adult-use cannabis in Canada would transform the landscape of cannatech.
The conclusion was that tech skills are vital for the advancement and growth of the industry. These skills can help to generate market growth, improve public perception, enhance implementation of regulations and protect public health and safety.
Computer Programmers
All IT professionals are in high demand throughout the cannabis industry. Programming skills are necessary for automation of business processes in e-commerce.
Seed-to-sale platforms need programming skills in every aspect of their businesses, from tracking plant growth and production to quality assurance and compliance. Compliance is one of the most important issues for businesses and computer programmers are needed to help them operate vigilant tracking from growth to sale.
Cannabis businesses run e-commerce websites that must be set up and maintained. They also have comprehensive client databases and need automated prescription management.
The cannabis-specific staffing firm at Cannabiz has a job posting board that lists new opportunities for computer programmers.
Data Science, Digital Marketing, and UX Design
Data science and UX design skills are in great demand to help companies throughout the supply chain to run businesses processes smoothly. Digital marketing skills, such as search engine optimization (SEO) are valuable in this growing sector, especially due to restrictions on which channels can be used to advertise products.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics are affecting cannabis businesses, and consequently financial investors, consumers and buyers. As organizations increasingly understand the importance of data science and analysis, the need for experts in this field has grown.
A great deal of data about individuals and their behavior is being gathered every minute by companies, and they realize that the insights they can gain from analysis of this data is crucial to their success.
Application of sophisticated algorithms is already providing companies with usable data to help predict trends, reduce costs, meet consumer demand, comply with regulations, improve efficiency, and maximize sales.
Companies that have these reliable predictive insights are better positioned to mitigate any risks and increase their profits.
Engineers in Every Field
A number of high-tech careers in the cannabis industries are centered around engineering. Indoor growing operations, extraction facilities and retail management are just some of the areas where engineers are required. As the technology for indoor farming becomes more complex from an environmental and power technology standpoint, it becomes just one area where engineers can make an impact.
Product Design Engineers
Engineers use problem-solving skills and ingenuity to develop concepts, design and fabricate prototypes of new products. An example of these skills in action was when UPEI engineering students developed a THC breathalyzer.
Mechanical and Electrical Engineers
Mechanical engineers help to design, create, and maintain indoor cultivation systems. The buildings need high-tech irrigation plumbing, ducts for ventilation, complicated HVAC systems and provide other challenges for engineers to resolve.
Chemical Engineers
Chemicals are used in many of the extraction and laboratory processes in the cannabis industry. Chemical engineers are required in these production processes.
Firmware Engineers
Firmware is software that tells computer systems and devices what to do. Firmware engineers design, develop, test and debug firmware.
Software and application engineers
Software is being used to run everything from product management systems to accounting packages in the cannabis industry. Software needs to be developed to cope with issues such as the complicated state laws affecting inventory management.
Whether it’s coding a new mobile app, designing software to analyze lab data or programming sensors to monitor the health of plants, computer engineers have a place.
A cutting-edge cannabis technology company, BrainGrid, is hiring more engineers after raising 2.5M for expansion.
AEssenseGrows is another example of a high-tech cannabis company with an increasing demand for engineers. It focuses on automating growth and agricultural advancement. They already employ 30 engineers and demand is expected to grow two to three times over the next three years.
Cannabis design and engineering firm, Hybrid Tech, helps to develop efficient cannabis cultivation facilities. It coordinates all the contractors and engineers required to handle such a project, using engineers with specific cannabis industry knowledge.
