Marijuana Business Magazine April 2020

Marijuana Business Magazine | April 2020 44 S hare prices of cannabis companies might be in the tank, but granting stock options or shares remains a significant way for both private and public organizations to try to lure talent. The main difference this year versus the same period in 2019, however, is that potential employees are far more cautious when it comes to any such incentives. “When capital markets are hot, stock options are very attractive. They have a retentive value to them, because people don’t want to walk away from the upside of those options,” said Alison McMahon, founder and CEO of Cannabis At Work in Edmonton, Alberta. “However, when the market shifts—and this is exactly what we’re going through now—those options no longer have the value they once did. They lose their retentive value.” Some companies offer such packages only to executives, while others do it throughout the organization. Denver cannabis recruitment agency Vangst, for its part, offers options to employees even at entry level. “The way I see it: You treat things better if you are an owner rather than a renter,” said Karson Humiston, CEO of Vangst. OPEN TO ALL? Corporate governance in the cannabis industry remains generally weak. And when executives issue themselves either WEIGHING YOUR OPTIONS By Nick Thomas Job candidates are increasingly wary of stock options as compensation, but some companies still offer such incentives