INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Recreational marijuana could soon be legal, which has been years in the making. We've been following through on the progress of the proposal since it was first introduced and the roadblocks it faced, from lawmakers refusing to consider it to needing more valid signatures to get it on the ballot.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
The November election is two months away, and young adults in the area are choosing to pursue a career in cannabis instead of college. But is it financially worth it?
Each person's calling to cannabis is different. For former student turned instructor, Susan Whipple, it was to help her mother battle the pain cancer causes.
“That prompted me to look at other solutions out there to help her,” said Whipple. “When I was introduced to the Cleveland School of Cannabis, I was a hopefully romantic and said I want to save my mom's life.”
For others, like cousins Gabriel Griffith-Bergen and Ethan Gubanich, their calling is more of a personal passion.
“We love weed, don't we?” said Gubanich.
“We love it, but I feel like it's a little bit more,” said Griffith-Bergen. “We want to have our own thing going on and not jump on the bandwagon because it's supposed to be on the ballot this November.”
They're not alone in the thought of getting a head start if recreational marijuana passes the November election. The Cleveland School of Cannabis is having its highest enrollment year since 2018, with over 200 students this fall.
“What we’re seeing — that new generation looking at this industry as a full career opportunity,” said Kevin Green, Vice President, Cleveland School of Cannabis.
Greene said most students enrolled are between 18 to 25 years old. Courses at CSC go beyond the bud business. Students learn about everything from weed history to processing and dispensary operations to even resume building.
“You get an opportunity to learn about all those different proficiencies and really understand a high-level understanding of the cannabis industry and all the other technical aspects,” Greene added.
In Ohio, 18 to 20-year-olds can only handle hemp products, like CBD. But at 21, they get badged and can legally handle THC products. Most graduates start out making hourly wages with entry-level salaries in the upper teens, but Greene said the growth in today's market is what's priceless.
“We are seeing over the three-year mark, individuals are tripling and doubling their salary through the fact of upward mobility,” said Greene.
If recreational marijuana passes in November, the owner of Buckeye Relief, Andy Rayburn, said he will bring about 200 new jobs to Eastlake to help cultivate his growing plant population.
“It's going to create a whole lot of new jobs, so we will be hiring a lot of new people here at Buckeye Relief and at our Amplify dispensaries,” said Rayburn.
Rayburn said his employees are full-time and make a minimum of $16 an hour. About 15-20% of his current staff are CSC graduates.
“The people that are running this place are between 23 and 30 for the most part,” Rayburn added. “There's just a lot of opportunity for young people to jump ahead of the barriers they may run into with companies in a different industry.”
Whether recreational marijuana passes or not, CSC hopes graduates' calling to cannabis keeps them working and potentially starting new businesses here in Ohio.
“If it does pass, then I plan on staying here,” said Gubanich. “If it doesn't, I feel like I would probably be more use in a state where it's fully legal.”
If you have any questions about this growing industry you’d like us to follow through, email Bryn at bryn.caswell@wews.com.
