ERIE, Pa. –Hundreds of people with resumes on-hand lined up Thursday for interviews with representatives of the company bringing the first medical marijuana dispensary to the region. during tonight’s job fair.
In all, 15 to 20 jobs need filled by late-March or early-April for the dispensaryoperated by Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, one of the top medical cannabis producing and distributing companies in the industry.
Those jobs include everything from the entry-level patient care specialists, all the way up to management level positions, and pharmacists, CEO Pete Kadens said during the job fair.
Most of the jobs will be full-time, but some will be part-time, he said. Those that are full-time will be family-sustaining jobs. For example, the patient care specialists start upwards of $17 per hour, he said. The dispensary would always have a pharmacist on-site.
These job fairs are incredibly popular. GTI had another 500 applicants for roughly 100 jobs at their marijuana grow facility in Danville Pa. last year.
Their first Erie employee is Jill Beck, formerly the assistant to former Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott. The goal now, Beck said, is to educate the public about the region’s newest industry.
“GTI will do all of the hands-on training, discuss all of the products, and make sure that all of the employees are trained and up to speed with all of our products and they know what they’re selling to the public,” Beck said.
Roma Johnson was one of the first in line for an interview following Kadens’ town-hall style presentation about the company and its offerings.
“It’s always good to get it done at one time,” said Johnson, who is currently unemployed. “I need the money, I need a job.”
The Erie dispensary is one of just 27 licensed in Pennsylvania. GTI also operates one of just 13 licensed grow facilities in the commonwealth, one of five companies to receive licenses for both types of facilities.
credit:erienewsnow.com