Oregon: Cannabis Legalization Has Created Over 2,100 New Jobs, More than Liquor Industry
Despite being passed into law just a year and a half ago, the legalization of cannabis in Oregon has already created over 2,100 jobs, with many more to come, according to the new Oregon Cannabis Jobs Report. The total number of jobs has already far surpassed the number of people employed in the beer, wine and liquor industry.
According to the report, legalization has created a total of 2,165 new jobs, with a total annual payroll of $46 million. The Oregon Cannabis Jobs Report is sponsored by the consulting firms New Economy Consulting and Whitney Economics.
By comparison, Oregon’s alcohol market employed 1,450 people with a total annual payroll of $28 million, according to Employment Department data.
The number of people employed in the cannabis industry is expected to grow substantially in the coming months as retail outlets prepare to open later this year and into 2017 (currently recreational cannabis is sold legally through dispensaries, though soon recreational cannabis will be sold exclusively through stand-alone retail outlets licensed by the Oregon Liquor Commission).
