marijuana budtender

agent

security specialist

customer service representative

cultivation technician

Northeast Alternatives

Rating: ★★★★★

Working at a marijuana growing facility has been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience for me. From the moment I stepped foot into the lush green environment, I knew I had found a workplace that not only nurtured plants but also cultivated personal and professional growth. Allow me to share the highlights of my journey and why this experience has been nothing short of extraordinary.

First and foremost, the work environment at the marijuana growing facility is unlike any other. Surrounded by passionate individuals who share a common love for horticulture, I was instantly welcomed into a supportive and inclusive community. The teamwork and camaraderie among coworkers fostered a sense of unity that transcended job titles, making each day an enjoyable and inspiring one.

The facility itself is a testament to innovation and cutting-edge practices. The state-of-the-art technology and sustainable cultivation methods not only ensured the production of high-quality marijuana, but they also allowed us to contribute positively to the environment. Working in an organization that is committed to eco-friendly practices filled me with a sense of pride and purpose.

One aspect that truly stood out was the constant learning and growth opportunities available. The management invested in their employees' development, providing workshops, seminars, and training sessions. As a result, I honed my skills in horticulture, learned about new cultivation techniques, and gained valuable insights into the broader cannabis industry. This investment in personal growth has not only made me a better professional but also instilled in me a passion for lifelong learning.

Moreover, the nature of the job itself is inherently gratifying. Being responsible for nurturing and cultivating plants that offer various medicinal and recreational benefits to people brings a profound sense of satisfaction. Witnessing the growth of the plants from seedlings to full-fledged, healthy cannabis plants has been awe-inspiring and has given me a profound appreciation for the wonders of nature.

Furthermore, the culture of openness and transparency within the facility encouraged everyone to contribute their ideas and opinions. This collaborative atmosphere fostered innovation and creativity, allowing us to explore new methods of cultivation and problem-solving. Feeling valued as an employee, I always felt comfortable voicing my thoughts and suggestions, which further fueled my passion for the job.

Beyond the professional growth and unique work environment, the job also provided an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in the cannabis community. Engaging with knowledgeable experts, enthusiasts, and customers opened my eyes to the immense positive impact cannabis can have on people's lives. This firsthand experience in the cannabis industry has left an indelible mark on me, and I am grateful for the insights and perspectives I have gained.

In conclusion, working at a marijuana growing facility has been an exceptionally positive experience. The dynamic work environment, opportunities for personal and professional growth, and the profound sense of purpose in cultivating a plant with such incredible potential have made this job truly fulfilling. I can wholeheartedly recommend working in a marijuana growing facility to anyone seeking a meaningful and rewarding career path.

This is the place to chase greatness! A fun and productive environment with cannabis. Be prepared to be challenged but well rewarded with career stability and advancement opportunities. Ownership extends many collective years of experience, success and expertise from different sectors, that channels into a great environment to learn and get years ahead vs. just being an employee elsewhere. 

I have been here for over a year and experienced the recognition and reward that breeds excellence. I started with an entry level position and have served at many different roles in my tenure. It was very fulfilling to earn my success as I showcased my abilities, while enjoying the application of my skills toward my passion with cannabis. 

You can expect your strengths to be leveraged here, putting you in a position to shine. The right people in the right places creates the type of environment that explains why NEA is the most awarded dispensary in MA! I believe that if you show up and truly hustle, strive for greatness and operate with integrity; you can expect a great future! Best of all, you can have fun doing it with cannabis and a great team of like minded people!

All in all NEA brings together a great atmosphere of inclusion, culture, perspective and expertise that drives the ship toward expansion and excellence!

"We don't fire people, people get themselves fired." If you are vocal about favoritism, you'll be a target. If you are too good at what you do, management will most likely take that as a threat, and you'll be a target. You can point out obvious security and CCC infractions, and have multiple witnesses, but don't expect anything to be done about it- except becoming a target. More likely than not, the people with the poor work ethic are the ones favored and rewarded by management. "If you want to keep your job, you need to be friends with the right people." Abject laziness is allowed for the chosen few, while the rest of the team carries the weight. When you've become too much of a problem, when you refuse to let the favoritism go unhindered, they'll find a reason to fire you. Time card audits, too many "points" you weren't told you ever accrued, small policy infractions that you were never written up for and that everyone did. Also, good luck with the policy and procedures, it's buried in an app, that never runs right.- but management will ride you like a rented mule to have you sign off that you read it, even though they know dam well you didn't. Not that it would matter anyway- they change the manual whenever they see fit, with no notifications that something has changed. They'll look, and find a reason to let you go. The double standards run deep, bring your boots. If it gets dark, don't worry- the gaslighting will illuminate your way as security leads you out the door. 

I currently work at NorthEast Alternatives  Lakeville production facility in Lakeville. I have worked in the Post Harvest department for the past 9 months and I can confidently say I have no intentions of going anywhere any time soon! The management is very professional & hospitable! I have never had any conflicts of any kind while working here. It is a friendly, compassionate environment with a variety of amazing people! I look forward to progressing within the company & seeing how the future unfolds! I would highly recommend anyone to work here! If I am to provide any disclaimers, it would simply be that this facility is barely ONE YEAR old! There are still growing pains. But there is much room for growth so long as you are persistent & passionate! Trimming & manicuring cannabis can be tedious. If it is not something you love, it may not be suited for you! It can be monotonous if that is not your kind of work! There have been many negative reviews left on this company based on relative biased opinions. It is a simple job that pays well for what it entails. What could be better than working with cannabis and providing recreational & medicinal benefits to others? Give it a shot & I promise you will not be disappointed!

Working with a federally and locally restricted plant material you would hope your supervisors and management understands sometimes they might have to establish some training before they let their new hires play around with 1,000gs of bulk flower. They will tell you there is a network of people around to assist you. So, you go and ask for help and they a) won’t have the answer and have to call the manager anyway b) tell you the WRONG answer c) do it themself and you never learn how to perform your job. 

They do not offer PTO. They barely give full time hours - but for others I have seen them get a steady 50 hours a week for over 3 months. The bias is there actually more than any other job I’ve ever had.

Managers are hand picked by the owners to be “yes” men (though let’s be honest they’re mostly women that can’t say no to the CEOs) and they play childish games while in very adult roles. Masked behind their hideous awards and selective hires, I can recommend the job only if you are prepared to lose it quickly.

Some positives - staff was friendly, their weed is excellent, and they respect their brand and product. 

Negatives - No training, it’s a loud environment, lots of gaslighting from management. 

The work itself is pretty stress-free, as long as your coworkers don't create problems for you to fix that is (they absolutely will.) Every other aspect is stress inducing enough to negate anything good about the work and some. Coworkers are either fighting with each other or sleeping with each other, management included. Promotions are mostly given to those friendly with management. There is a mass lay-off about once a year. Raises are minimal and pointless after they raise starting pay without any consideration for existing employees. Kpi was constantly a moving goalpost. This place is only good for getting your foot in the door of the cannabis industry and moving on to somewhere that will treat you better. Oh and they dropped the standards for product quality so you can't even take pride in the work you do anymore, though that makes it easier to not care about your job if that's what you're looking for. They also push for current employees to write good reviews on here so be on the watch for that too.

When starting at NEA, there was very little structure or training, and most responsibilities had to be learned independently. Accountability felt inconsistent, as performance issues were rarely addressed. I observed situations where coworkers appeared unfit for duty, which at times raised concerns about workplace safety.

Safety did not always seem to be a priority. Some tasks involved working at heights without adequate support or equipment, and certain practices did not appear to align with standard safety expectations. Cleanliness was also an issue, as the grow rooms were not well maintained compared to other facilities I’ve seen.

There was a merit-based incentive program intended to reward strong performance, but it was eventually discontinued after management issues undermined its fairness. This was disappointing for employees who relied on it as motivation and compensation. Overall, the workplace could improve significantly with clearer leadership, stronger oversight, and a more proactive HR presence.

Was a really cool job at first I wanted to stay there a while made a couple friends in Co workers my boss was cool and I got good at what I did quickly always making good numbers when it came to production then quota went up they hired a bunch of new people then once my 3 months and my raise came along the company decided to lay off 15% of people in my department and alot of those people just hit there 3 months or were just about to I got kids and a house to pay for and it was sudden and didn't have anything to do with my behavior or performance, all the equipment is broken or held together with tape for the most part, other dispensaries give better benefits, could be a better company if they thought about there production workers a little more. Even a warning about the lay off would have been nice so people could look around before they get kicked out the door and have to worry about paying the bills and feeding there kids.

The good: 
The majority of workers here are great people and great to work with (could change over time with people coming and going).

The job is pretty laid back but repetitive

Job security seems pretty great as long as you show up on time and don't cause drama

The Bad: 
As of 2026, the health insurance is not great. I pay almost $300 a month and a basic doctors appointment isn't covered. 

As of this review, communication and collaboration from Massachusetts executives and management to Kalkaska isn't great. Often times you will be redoing or going back and modifying work. Personally I don't mind because I get paid all the same, but I know many people find it frustrating. 

Management for the past 7ish months has been a revolving door but again it seems there is effort into fixing that. Our post harvest manager has been here for about 4 months now and our cultivation manager has been here for a month. 


I’ve been in the Industry for 4 years and this is easily the best company to work for.  The work days are a breeze and you have a ton of fun working with people who enjoy it just as much as you do. If you have a passion for cannabis, you will fit right in. They offer so many opportunities to learn/grow and everyone is open and willing to help you succeed. The overall goal is to bring “cannabis of a higher stature” to Massachusetts and I believe everyone is aligned to do so. It’s hard to find a company that cares about its employees. They work extremely hard to accommodate, listen and make us feel heard and validated.  

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Marijuana budtender 3 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Agent 8 salaries reported	$18.34 per hour
Security specialist 8 salaries reported	$18.09 per hour
Customer service representative 1 salary reported	$17.00 per hour
Cultivation technician 5 salaries reported	$17.60 per hour

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