SJBiz_Dept_Rec_Weed_1123_Dept 11 / 6 / 23 11 : 56 AM Page 3 EMERGING INDUSTRY quit my job and just smoke weed all day . ’ That is not how it is if you walk into a re - tail dispensary . It is similar to walking into a Rite Aid or CVS : Those workers are knowledgeable , they're trained , they have excellent customer service relations and also health care skills . A lot of work - ers that come into the dispensaries and cultivation sites usually have degrees in some form of medicine , or medical train - ing , ” explains Giordano . More jobs are forecasted to open up as the edible market expands . Part of the delay has to do with distributing confec - tionery products from a food regulation standpoint , but most notably , the hesita - tion is due to packaging and advertising concerns . Essentially , it’s their “ likelihood of diversion , ” according to Tipton . As many cannabis insiders are aware , though , the gray area market is thriving with cannabis ’ legal status . Unlicensed delivery services , stores and pop - up mar - kets sell dispensary products at lower prices and with edibles one might see in a California dispensary , such as brownies or even drinks . While some argue this causes unfair competition with dispen - saries that go through the lengthy process of legally obtaining a license without any protocol for enforcement , others recognize that this may be the only option in an industry requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars of upfront money . Many banks still refuse to work with cannabis companies , especially where loans are concerned . “ The banking and credit - card pro - cessing laws are basic hurdles legitimate cannabis businesses face . The federal and state government need to address this is - sue , as they are losing millions of dollars in taxable revenue that goes unac - counted for while the cannabis world is largely relegated to dealing in cash trans - actions , ” explains Romanoli . Regardless , any industry is expected to face hurdles in the beginning — espe - cially one with such a vivid history in leg - islation . Developments already in progress may allow for the cannabis busi - ness to strengthen with its resilience and entrepreneurial initiatives . Ultimately , it is about an expansion of supply and product , but it is more so about assisting and protecting cannabis industry profes - sionals . Only time will reveal its level of success , especially if the state , municipal - ities and other local businesses can work w in harmony with this budding industry . 16 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 11 | SouthJerseyBiz.net