Since the inception of Cannabis At Work, we have always invested in the industry, looking for ways to add value and demonstrate our long-term commitment to the sector. Attending Cannabis Council of Canada's Grass on the Hill event in November in Ottawa was another example of this. Here are my takeaways and your call to action from the event.  There is a real sense of urgency. If not already obvious, there is a real and palpable need for change in the industry. This includes a somewhat overwhelming list of “asks,” including changes to federal and provincial taxes, provi ..read more

This article details the approach we have been taking at Cannabis At Work to engage with our Member of Parliament and be engaged advocates for the future of the cannabis industry.  Show Up and Engage My colleague Jeffrey Ord had the opportunity to attend the first Grass on The Hill event in Summer 2022. This was a catalyst for our own advocacy work as we were very impressed with C3’s government relations training and access to elected officials. During this event, Jeff and other cannabis industry members met with elected officials in Ottawa and spoke about the challen ..read more

The retail industry has been under pressure for many years to pay living wages and offer better benefits to employees. This is no different in the cannabis industry, where retail jobs often experience low wages, lack of benefits, no sick time, inconsistent scheduling and shifts, and few full-time opportunities.  As a result, many people are choosing to leave the retail sector. Stats Canada reports that job vacancies in the retail sector have reached all-time highs. This is not only happening in Canada but across North America. In April 2021, 649,000 retail employees in the United States ..read more

What is the Cannabis Industry Salary Survey?  Cannabis At Work in partnership with Global Governance Advisors (GGA) confidentially collects salary data from LPs and produces a report of aggregate salary and incentive data for 80 benchmark positions. This salary survey was established in 2017.  GGA brings extensive experience in compensation strategy, executive compensation, and board governance from the cannabis, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, banking, and mining sectors (to name a few).  How is the data collected?  Participating organizations receive an Excel template ..read more

The Society of Human Resource Management describes a compensation philosophy as “a formal statement documenting the company's position about employee compensation.” They go on to say “it explains the ‘why’ behind employee pay and creates a framework for consistency. Employers use their compensation philosophy to attract, retain and motivate employees.” Cannabis companies need to closely manage their people costs and compensation structures today as they face industry-specific financial constraints. They are also dealing with broader market forces, including high inflation and low unemployment ..read more

We are facing challenging times in the Canadian cannabis sector as companies fight on a daily basis to keep operating in the face of financial constraints caused by excise tax, underfunded working capital, and weak public markets performance. We’re also seeing a mix of growth, divestitures, and consolidation that has led to a mixed bag of both hiring and layoffs.   Additional external forces including low unemployment rates and high inflation rates create an even more complex environment that impacts operational decisions, including how to compensate and reward employees. Employee p ..read more

There is a tight labour market for cannabis retail store managers. Looking in the right place for candidates is important to tap into the talent pool that does exist. Today, searching for candidates is mainly done online, and websites catering to job-seekers are a crowded space. Building out your job posting so that it is attractive to cannabis candidates is important to stand out amongst the competition.   Where to Find Management Candidates An obvious place to look for managers for cannabis retail stores is within the industry. We have had cannabis retail in Canada for many years now, s ..read more

The past four years have been an exciting and volatile time in the cannabis industry as cannabis retail has been implemented in Canada. Each province has taken a varied approach to regulating cannabis distribution and sales. The landscape continues to change as provincial regulators adjust their approach and involvement in cannabis retail operations. These changes require organizations to pivot and adjust as they grow. While it is common for corporate teams to handle major changes, there tends to be a trickle down effect and even front-line cannabis employees are impacted. Alongside the maturi ..read more

We asked the cannabis industry to help us celebrate women’s achievements for International Women’s Day. Here’s the list. (Did we miss someone? Submit them for celebration here. ) Alannah Davis - Alannah DOES. NOT. STOP. - she got Health Canada approval for her outdoor cannabis facility while working a full time job elsewhere, harvested Dabble Cannabis' first crop, processed most of that crop into hash rosin, renovated a home, and JUST TURNED 30. All in the span of just over a year! Amiga Wheatle - Amiga is a cannabis sommelier in training who in the height of the pandemic opened 6 of Spade- on ..read more

Amid stories of poor financial results and restructuring, there is a call in the cannabis industry for an increased focus on execution and the need for experienced management. The profile of the cannabis business executive is changing. Many cannabis companies were started by young, inexperienced leaders, or by lawyers and bankers. These were smart and passionate people with the right resources to start cannabis companies, but not necessarily the profile of the business leader needed for maturity of the industry.    We’ve been hearing a lot about hiring executives from the CPG space ..read more