Cory Lake is among countless Minnesotans preparing their picks and shovels for the economic gold rush that is expected to come with cannabis legalization.
The Minnetonka insurance agent wants to offer his services to growers, manufacturers and dispensaries who need coverage once they're up and running. He and other professional services workers — like cannabis accountants, lawyers and consultants — are eager to capitalize on Minnesota's new cannabis market.
States that legalized recreational cannabis have experienced a major job boom from the creation of an industry extending far beyond new "budtenders" and grow technicians. Ancillary jobs that support the cannabis market, but don't deal directly with seed-to-sale operations, will be critical to the growth of Minnesota's industry in the coming years.
"Because of the nature of the industry, there are a lot of businesses owned by people who love the plant but don't have the experience of running a buttoned-up operation," said Mark Waller, a Minnesota-based certified public accountant who has worked with cannabis firms in other states. "That is going to be extremely important because every state has its own set of rules."
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