Start Up Story: Alison McMahon, Cannabis at Work

Alison McMahon, Cannabis At Work

Tell us about Cannabis At Work. What do you do?

Cannabis At Work is Canada’s only recruitment, training and HR consulting firm focused exclusively on the cannabis industry. Since 2015, our mission has been to elevate the conversation around working in the cannabis industry by helping people prepare for a career in this sector and connecting employers to qualified individuals.

Tell us your start-up story; when and how did you get into the cannabis sector?

In 2015, I was exiting from a HR technology start-up I had co-founded. It was around the same time that I started seeing a lot of content on cannabis — news, documentaries, and Trudeau was running on the campaign promise of legalizing cannabis. I could see the business opportunity and it was also an HR issue without a lot of precedent. It was just the type of meaty, undefined HR issue that I was looking to dig my teeth into. So I started delivering

education to employers on cannabis legalization and drug policy. Our services quickly evolved to recruitment, training and HR consulting services for the cannabis industry.

What’s ahead for the cannabis industry?

I think it will be fascinating to see the categories of business that will emerge out of the implementation of the Cannabis Act. I’m also really excited to see consumer demand in action — the products and brands that consumers gravitate to. I think the product mix will have to evolve quickly to meet the new consumer market, and I’m excited to see the response from new and existing businesses — and the regulator — to these buying patterns. It’s hard to believe that the learning and growth curve could get steeper, but I think it will. Fun times ahead!

Cannabis At Work by the numbers:

Cannabis At Work has a number of “firsts” that we’re proud of.

• We were the first to hold a conference in Canada on the workplace implications of cannabis legalization, which was subsequently delivered six times across four cities.

• We were the first recruitment agency in Canada to focus exclusively on the cannabis sector.

• We were in the first group to receive a government contract (LCBO/OCS) under the ACMPR era for recruitment services.

• We were the first to launch a cannabis industry–specific salary survey.

• We were the first to bring together HR professionals in the cannabis sector at the HR Summit.

What will you be doing on Oct. 17?

Our team is delivering a retail consultant training workshop in Edmonton and we’re involved in a career fair with the University of Alberta School of Retail. In the evening, our team is going to supper together to celebrate.

I will be the one on cloud nine, repeatedly asking people to pinch me.

Where can we find Cannabis At Work?

cannabisatwork.com

budtender101.caTwitter and Instagram: @cannabisatwork