Could the “Green Rush” Offer You a New Career Path?

• Cannabis industry veteran, Sara Betesh, shares that the “Green Rush” is less about getting rich quick and more about long-term opportunity. 
• While traditional retail is contracting, skilled retail professionals are in high demand in the cannabis industry. 
• Discover the US hotspots for cannabis jobs and the practical steps you can take to move into this exciting new industry. 

7-minute read

Post-pandemic, many of us are reexamining how our work fits into our lives. If you’re not satisfied with your career, there’s a huge new industry being born right now in legal cannabis. Like the dot.com bubble, it even has a catchy name—the Green Rush. And the industry doesn’t just need cannabis growers. While traditional retail is contracting, Sara Betesh of the Betesh Buying Group gives us the scoop on how retail skills are tremendously sought after in cannabis. Same with accounting, legal, supply chain management, and a host of other expertise that’s transferable to the industry. So, if you’ve always wanted to get in on the ground floor, now’s time to think about getting into cannabis.

What is the “green rush”?

The term itself means, “Let’s get rich.” And that’s really not where we’re at. If you’re coming to the cannabis space because you want to retire in a few years, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. To me, the green rush means the excitement of being able to even work in this industry. The beginning part is the rush, when everyone’s trying to get into the space. I think it’s legitimizing the industry for us.

How did you get into the green rush?

I’ve been a buyer for over 10 years at multiple retailers in New York. Then, I came here to Los Angeles, and then a friend was working for a corporation just starting up called MedMen. She said they needed great people with retail experience. That was the opportunity for me to get into the green rush. Working in a startup environment, you end up doing a lot of different things. But that gave me a lot of exposure to what was out there. That’s how I got into it—my expertise in buying. Once I was in the cannabis space, it took me about 2 months to learn the ins and outs. I wasn’t an expert yet, like I am today. But the basic foundation of my experience transferred into the industry.

What do people need to know about getting into the green rush?

One of the first things I learned was to drop your expectations—because nothing you did before is going to be exactly what you need to do now. It’s not an established 100-year-old model like I was used to working for. For me, it was not putting so much energy into being perfect. Instead, it was really just embracing and learning from the people around me.

What cannabis knowledge do people need to get into the industry?

There’s plenty of accreditations out there that you can get—especially if you’re in a state that’s never even legalized medical cannabis. But, if you know nothing about the plant, go work in a dispensary for six months. It might seem like you won’t be able to go places from being a budtender. But that’s not true. Because that’s where the magic happens. 

How did your cannabis career evolve into the Betesh Buying Group?

I had been a fashion buyer before I started at MedMen. The position there included a high profile spotlight I wasn’t expecting. But I was ready for it. It was really overwhelming at first. Then I realized, you just have to stay humble. You have to talk to everybody to build relationships. Nurturing those relationships led me to found Betesh Buying Group. That’s because there weren’t enough professional buyers coming into the space. So, I started thinking about how I could help buyers in the space up their game. I work temporarily with all these shops as they’re building to grow more professional buyers within the cannabis space.

What exactly does Betesh Buying Group do?

We’re buying, inventory planning, and reporting experts. We help curate menus, negotiate costs, manage vendors and logistics, and manage their open-to-buy, which a lot of cannabis stores don’t do. We’re basically account managers. What we do for stores depends on what their issues are. So, the first thing I do is identify their problems. Then, together, we come up with a proposal, a scope of work. From there, we work with the teams they currently have or create a team for them. For companies that can’t afford an experienced full-time buyer, they can hire us by the hour.

What would you tell your younger self?

I would tell myself that nothing is forever. When I was younger, I thought I was gonna work at Ross forever. Then, I realized there’s a lot of other places I wanted to live besides New York. I would also tell my younger self that “supply chain” is a thing and that your GPA doesn’t matter. Learn what you can and get your degree. Then, let your personality guide you to the job you’re most suited for.

Where are the next hotspots for the US green rush?

Michigan has a lot of opportunities. That’s true of most states where you can buy third-party products. It’s tough in states like Florida, where you have to integrate vertically. It’s just so much to grow, process, manufacture, and cultivate all yourself. If you can buy third-party products, then there’s room for more people to enter the space even if they don’t have millions of dollars to get started. I’m also rooting for Texas, because it’s such a huge market. Right now, people near the Texas borders are driving to other states for cannabis. So, it’s important for such large states to go recreational. But it’s going to be a long time. New Jersey also has a lot of opportunities, because they’re going to get the New York overflow. That’s a ton of people. So, when it comes together, I think it’s going to be a huge market.

Practical steps for getting into the green rush? 

Scour the internet for any opportunities that you can find. When MedMen first came on my radar, they needed help literally labeling products, so I did that for 3 hours. Working in the dispensary is super enlightening, and knowing the consumer-facing stuff is a huge step. You should also be open to taking roles that might be considered lateral in the real world. Or, if you want to break through in the industry at a higher level, I’d reach out to someone on LinkedIn who’s doing the kind of job you want. Relationships are super important. The way to establish those relationships is to go to events, meet people, and talk to them.

What lessons can the rest of the US learn from California?

In California, we might have a lot of dispensaries, but most of them are shoved together in the same areas. So, what other states can learn from us is that, if you’re going to legalize recreational cannabis, then go for it—don’t do it halfway. Other states can encourage landlords and homeowners to put their faith in dispensaries to do it right in their neighborhoods. Second, if states fix the banking problem for cannabis companies, then we’ll be able to compete better with the illicit market.

What will the green rush look like in 5 years?

Dare I say, it’ll be federally legal? But I don’t think it’s gonna be what we want it to be. Unfortunately, once cannabis becomes federally legal, it’ll open up the market to everyone. So, you’re going to get a lot of trash products out there. And it’s going to take a few years to weed all that stuff out. For the average consumer, who hasn’t been exposed to cannabis like we have in legal states, they’re going to think those products are standard. And that’s going to cause a drop in value and price. In the long term, that’s good because then it’ll become more of a commodity—especially for those who need cannabis to treat their illnesses. But it’s going to take a few years to even out.

What are your desert island cannabis products?

I usually roll joints and I like doing it. But pre-rolls are now my number 1 thing. But, if I’m going to run out of pre-rolls because I’m on a desert island, I’d need to have papers to roll joints and 3”x5” index cards. There’s something about rolling a crutch with them. They have the best density for me to roll. So I’d also need scissors because I cut a little rectangle and roll it that way. I also love cannabis serums. They give me super clear skin that feels very plump. And I’d bring my favorite sleep product because you’ve got to sleep well while you’re on your island. I like Kikoko sleep mints. They work every time.

What’s the best way for people to connect with you?

You can connect with me through LinkedIn or at www.beteshbuying.com.