What CannabizTeam does

CannabizTeam is a San Diego-based staffing and recruiting firm founded in 2016 by Liesl Bernard, positioning itself as the largest staffing company exclusively focused on the U.S. cannabis industry. The firm operates a proprietary cannabis talent marketplace built around a database of over 100,000 vetted candidates (with reach to 200,000+), organized across all major cannabis verticals including large-scale cultivation, lab and extraction, product manufacturing, retail dispensaries, supply chain management, and C-suite and management roles. Service offerings comprise Direct Hire (contingency-based permanent placement with fees only due upon successful placement), Executive Search (C-suite and VP-level retained or contingency recruitment typically completed within 60 days), Cannabis Consulting and Fractional Executive Services (hourly, retainer, or project engagements staffed by former Fortune 500 executives), Outplacement Services for transitioning employees, a self-serve Cannabis Job Board at jobs.cannabizteam.com, and an annual Cannabis Industry Salary Guide used as a content marketing asset. The company serves over 500 cannabis operators across 30 states plus international placements in Switzerland, Thailand, and Costa Rica, with named enterprise clients including TerrAscend, Jushi, Harborside, Acreage Holdings, and Statehouse Holdings. CannabizTeam generates revenue primarily through placement fees on a contingency or retained basis, supplemented by professional services fees from consulting and outplacement, with go-to-market split between direct recruiter engagement for enterprise/executive work and self-serve job postings and a Featured Talent marketplace for SMB and individual employers. The firm operates two wholly owned subsidiaries — CannabizTemp (temporary cannabis staffing) and, as of October 2023, Kalon Executive Search and Staffing (health and wellness staffing extension) — and maintains strategic partnerships with Fisher Phillips (cannabis labor law), Arcview Management Consulting, and the Last Prisoner Project.

Name

CannabizTeam

Legal name

CannabizTeam

Website

https://cannabizteam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CannabizTeam is the largest staffing firm exclusively focused on the U.S. cannabis industry, placing vetted candidates across cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, retail, and executive roles for over 500 operators in 30 states plus three countries, with a database of 100,000+ candidates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct Hire Placement Fees: Contingency-based placement service where fees are only due upon successful placement. No upfront financial commitment required from employers.
2. Executive Search Services: Specialized C-suite and VP-level recruitment services for cannabis companies, typically on a retained or contingency basis for strategic leadership positions.
3. Cannabis Consulting Services: Consulting and fractional executive services offered on hourly, retainer, or project basis. Consultants include former C-suite executives, CFOs, audit and finance experts, and VPs from Fortune 500 companies.
4. Outplacement Services: Comprehensive outplacement service program including job placement resources, cannabis resume analysis, interview skills training, and personal guidance for transitioning employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CannabizTeam is the largest staffing firm exclusively focused on the cannabis industry, providing direct hire permanent placement, executive search for C-suite and VP roles, and consulting/fractional executive services across all cannabis verticals including cultivation, extraction, retail, manufacturing, and compliance. The firm also offers outplacement services, an online cannabis job board, and operates Kalon, a health and wellness staffing subsidiary, serving 500+ cannabis companies with access to 100,000+ vetted candidates.

Product overview

CannabizTeam operates as a cannabis-focused staffing and recruitment platform offering a comprehensive suite of talent solutions across the cannabis and wellness industries. The core offering consists of Direct Hire Services for permanent placements, Executive Search for C-suite and VP-level roles (typically completing searches within 60 days), and Cannabis Consulting & Fractional Executive Services providing part-time strategic leadership. Supporting services include an Outplacement Services program for career transitions, a Cannabis Job Board for job seekers, the annual Cannabis Salary Guide publication with data on 60+ positions, and the Refer & Earn referral incentive program. The company also operates Kalon as a health and wellness staffing sub-brand following its October 2023 expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Hire Services Full-time permanent placement service matching cannabis businesses with vetted candidates who fit company culture and possess the required technical skills. Fees are contingency-based with no upfront financial commitment — payment is due only upon successful placement.
• Executive Search Specialized recruitment service for C-suite and VP-level placements in cannabis companies. Uses a proprietary executive search methodology with decades of global experience, typically delivered on retained or contingency basis, and includes culture fit assessment.
• Cannabis Consulting & Fractional Executive Services Provides cannabis companies with access to experienced consultants and fractional executives (including CFOs, CMOs, and VPs of Retail) covering cultivation, operations, marketing, compliance, audit, finance, and business strategy. Engagements are priced on hourly, retainer, or project basis.
• Outplacement Services Career transition program for departing cannabis employees including job placement resources, cannabis-specific resume writing and analysis, interview skills training, LinkedIn profile optimization, and personal guidance through career transitions.
• Cannabis Job Board Online job marketplace featuring cannabis industry positions across all verticals, with filtering by job type, location, and specialization. Employers can self-serve job postings and job seekers can browse and apply directly.
• Kalon Health & Wellness Staffing Health and wellness industry staffing subsidiary providing executive search and placement services in the broader health and wellness sector, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of CannabizTeam.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ candidates placed since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Last Prisoner ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCannabizTeam is an official partner of the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit focused on restorative justice for those incarcerated for non-violent cannabis offenses. The partnership aims to help those who experienced past injustices due to the war on drugs and support them in finding their place in the cannabis industry.
• Fisher PhillipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFisher Phillips is the premier labor and employment law firm in the cannabis industry. CannabizTeam has partnered with them to provide comprehensive HR and employment law support to cannabis clients.
• Arcview Management ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced to support the cannabis industry and help it reach its full potential. Arcview is a cannabis industry consulting and investment firm.
• Kalon Executive Search and StaffingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKalon is a new health and wellness staffing firm that joined the CannabizTeam family. This expansion allows CannabizTeam to serve the broader health and wellness industry in addition to cannabis.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 420careers: 420careers is an established cannabis job board and recruitment platform that overlaps with CannabizTeam's job-board and candidate-marketplace offerings. Competes for employer job-posting spend and candidate applications within the same cannabis vertical.
• FlowerHire: FlowerHire is a cannabis-exclusive recruiting firm with executive search, direct hire, and consulting offerings very similar to CannabizTeam's product mix. Competes head-to-head for the same employer clients and candidate pool across cultivation, extraction, retail, and C-suite mandates.
• Vangst: Vangst is a direct competitor offering cannabis-focused staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions across cultivation, retail, and executive roles. Operates a similar vertical-specialized model and serves many of the same MSO and ancillary employer clients as CannabizTeam.
• GreenForce Staffing: GreenForce Staffing provides cannabis-industry temporary and direct-hire staffing, including cultivation, trimming, and retail budtender roles. Highly comparable to CannabizTeam's CannabizTemp subsidiary and direct-hire services in the entry-to-mid level segment.
• HireCannabis (Hire Cannabis): HireCannabis operates a cannabis-focused job board and recruiting service connecting employers with cannabis-industry talent. Overlaps directly with CannabizTeam's self-serve job board and direct-hire services for entry-level through mid-market roles.
• Cannabis Recruiting: Cannabis Recruiting is a niche cannabis-specialized executive search and staffing firm competing for similar C-suite and VP mandates. Closely aligned with CannabizTeam's executive search methodology and target customer segment.

Regional players

• AMN Healthcare: AMN Healthcare is a major healthcare and life-sciences staffing firm with adjacency into CannabizTeam's newly launched Kalon health & wellness vertical. Kalon competes in this same broader healthcare-staffing TAM where AMN is a dominant incumbent.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting and executive search firm that competes for senior leadership and fractional executive engagements in regulated industries. Comparable to CannabizTeam's executive search and consulting services when cannabis operators hire experienced CPG/pharma executives.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search firm that places C-suite leaders across industries, including consumer and healthcare-adjacent roles that overlap with cannabis MSO leadership mandates. Represents the type of broad incumbent CannabizTeam competes against on cannabis executive searches.
• Robert Half: Robert Half is a large, established staffing and recruiting firm that places finance, accounting, administrative, and technology professionals. While not cannabis-specialized, it competes for fractional-executive and CFO/finance mandates that CannabizTeam's consulting practice also targets, and would likely enter cannabis more aggressively if federal legalization occurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cannabizteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cannabizteam
• Instagraminstagram.com/cannabizteam
• Xx.com/cannabiz_team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CannabizTeam