As of August 1st, 2016 there are 531 Medical Marijuana Centers, 801 Cultivation Centers, 242 Infused Product Manufacturers and 13 testing facilities in the state of Colorado. All of these businesses have created thousands and thousands of jobs for locals. The one common denominator between all forms of marijuana careers is the support badge (or key Badge for management positions) you must hold in order to work around medical or recreational marijuana. A support badge is required before you can work in any marijuana business, medical or recreational. Most marijuana employers won’t even accept an application unless you already have your support badge.
The process is fairly simple however, depending on the time of the year that you are trying to obtain the support badge, the wait may be a long one (4-6 weeks) Fall is the worst time to get the badge as far as waiting times go. You will first start by calling the location nearest you to see what the process is. For example, I have read that the Denver Marijuana Enforcement Division operates on a first come, first served basis while I know that the Colorado Springs M.E.D functions with the use of appointments. I had to wait a month in Colorado Springs for my appointment in June, 2016 to get my support badge.
Four Marijuana Enforcement Divisions in Colorado:
All open Monday–Friday, 8-5, excluding state holidays
455 Sherman Street, Suite 390
Denver, CO 80203
1030 South Academy Blvd, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80910
632 Market St, Suite G3
Grand Junction, CO 81505
275 South Main Street, Suite 101
Longmont, CO 80501
MED Occupational License Application for Key and Support Badge: Click Here
For all four locations you will need to bring in a prefilled application, notarized by a certified Colorado notary.
It costs $75 for your Colorado Marijuana Support Badge and MUST be paid in the form of a money order only. This will be needed the day you go in for the application process. Take care to properly fill out all portions of the application to ensure an easy as possible process. There is actually nothing more to the application process, other than the prefilled form, other than the fingerprinting and then waiting for the badge to be approved by the state. I arrived 20 minutes before my appointment with my completed, notarized application and a $75 money order. I was promptly checked in and called back within 10 minutes for the fingerprinting process which includes flat fingerprints and rolled fingerprints on all ten fingers. The rolling process involves rocking each finger back and forth to ensure the fingerprint in its entirety is logged within the states database. The whole process took less than three minutes and then I was made aware that they would call me when the badge was ready. I received that call the very next day ( be aware this may not be the case for some. I have heard of it taking 1-2 weeks) and picked up my badge with no troubles.
It will cost $250 to get a key badge to become a Key Employee. However this is usually reserved for positions like manager, master grower, and any job that can significantly impact the business and it’s operations but does not have ownership interest in the business.
If you follow all of the steps you should have no trouble getting your support badge or key badge. All in all this entire procedure is fairly easy and quick and there will be no shortage of job opportunities in the future. Good Luck!
You will NOT get your badge if you answer YES to any of the questions below.
1. Have you discharged a sentence for a conviction of a felony pursuant to any state or federal law regarding the possession, distribution, manufacturing, cultivation, or use of a controlled substance, including probation or parole, within the past 10 years, even if the conviction occurred more than 10 years ago?
2. Have you served a sentence, including probation or parole, within the past 5 years upon conviction for ANY felony, even if the conviction occurred more than 5 years ago?
3. Are you a licensed Physician making patient recommendations?
4. Have you had your authority to act as a primary caregiver revoked by the State Health Agency?
5. Are you under 21 years of age at the time of this application?
6. Are you the spouse or child living in the household of any person employed by the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division?
7. Are you a sheriff, deputy sheriff, police officer, or prosecuting officer, or an officer or employee of the marijuana state licensing authority or a local licensing authority?