11 Marijuana Businesses You Can Start for Under $1,000

The marijuana industry is growing at a spectacular rate, creating plenty of new small business opportunities for entrepreneurial types. Legal sales of marijuana expanded by a massive 30% in 2016 and accounted for approximately $6.7 billion in sales across North America, according to a report by Arcview Market Research (1). If the industry continues to grow by an estimated 25% per year, the cannabis industry could reach a staggering $20.2 billion by 2021.
 
There are now 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have already legalized cannabis in some form. In some states, cannabis is only legalized for medical use, but some states also allow recreational use as well. It’s also fair to note this is a hot trend. There are more states adding marijuana measures to their ballots each passing voting season.
 
When thinking about starting a marijuana business, the majority of people immediately think about setting up a dispensary or a growing operation. Unfortunately, starting a business of this size often costs a lot more than $1,000.
 
What you might not realize is that there are even more opportunities available for ancillary businesses who serve cannabis retailers in some way. So if you’re ready to jump into the world’s fastest growing industry and start a new marijuana business for under $1,000, here are some options you might consider.
 

Marijuana Delivery Service

Due to regulations, marijuana dispensaries and online stores aren’t able to simply mail orders to their customers. Instead, they struggle to find reliable, safe, secure ways to deliver orders on time. You could operate your small business the same way as a courier, charging the seller directly for your delivery services.

Cannabis Crowdfunding Coordinator

The vast majority of cannabis-related businesses struggle to find banking services or qualify for traditional bank loans. Many of those same marijuana business owners also have no idea how to raise the capital they need to fund business expansion and future growth. If you’ve got some skill with coordinating a crowdfunding effort to support new marijuana businesses in your area, your services could be in demand. Charge for your services or take a percentage of the amount raised as your professional fee.

Cannabis Edibles

Cannabis edibles can come in a range of different forms, including cookies, brownies, cakes, chocolate bars, candy, potato chips, peanut butter, pies, popcorn and even infused gummies. If you’re the creative type, you might experiment with your favorite foods and infuse them with cannabis. For example, healthy cannabis edibles might appeal to those seeking gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or even vegan options. Just be sure you’re aware of the processes and challenges associated with creating and packaging those products before selling them.

Cannabis Cookbooks

If you’ve already developed some interesting and tasty marijuana recipes of your own, you might consider launching a series of cannabis cookbooks. There are already some interesting cannabis cookbooks out there so why not experiment with some of your own recipes and see what you can contribute to the industry?

Cannabis Cultivation

Before anyone else can produce or sell marijuana products, someone first has to grow it. You can harvest and sell cannabis flower, sell your harvest to processors to use in concentrates, edibles and other products, breed cannabis seeds to sell to other growers, or produce cannabis clones and sell them to dispensaries. Double-check the laws and regulations in your state before planting any cannabis plants.

Cannabis Accessories

Marijuana users don’t just buy weed. They also buy cannabis accessories. There are so many different types of accessories to choose from, including pipes, bongs, roach clips, vaporizers, grinders, trays, and lots more. Get creative and you could potentially build a business around creating and selling various accessories.

Marijuana Beauty Products

If you’re especially fond of healthy, natural beauty products why not experiment with using cannabis as an ingredient. Surely you’ve seen hemp used in specialty soaps, body lotions, bath bombs, body butter, lip balm, face masks, and massage oils. It’s also possible to infuse topicals with THC along with your other favorite ingredients. Creating these products at home can be a great low cost entry into the industry.

It’s up to you whether you keep your marijuana beauty products business small and just sell a hand-crafted, boutique line of beauty products to local dispensaries or expand into a much larger operation over time. Either way, at least starting small keeps things safer and you always have the option of expanding later.

Cannabis Reviewer

Marijuana users know that not all weed is the same. That’s where your knowledge of different strains, species, and sections of cannabis could come in handy. It’s possible to build a business around providing informative cannabis reviews designed to help users make decisions. You might consider charging dispensaries or cannabis retailers to review their product offerings. It might also be possible to monetize your review website further with cannabis-related advertising.

Cannabis Cocktails

Imagine creating your own cannabis infused cocktails. Not only will it create a buzz at your next party, but it could also be the basis for a fun new business. In states where it’s legal, you could offer your cannabis-infused mixology services to local craft breweries or dive bars. Bring your own marijuana infused ingredients to work and charge to serve your creative cannabis cocktails to customers.

Marijuana Art Classes

If you’re on a shoestring budget, why not start up your own marijuana art class? Your students come to class with the express intention of smoking some pot and then getting creative. Students have the option of following instruction from the teacher to create a marijuana-inspired work of art, or just creating whatever they want.

This is already a proven business model in the alcohol industry. But so many don’t partake because they don’t drink. This would be an attractive alternative to someone who prefers marijuana instead.

Cannabis Catering

Lots of people recognize that cannabis pairs just as perfectly with food as wine. Your catering business could easily elevate the food experience beyond just ‘munchies’. Develop a mouth-watering menu and serve dishes with accompanying smokeables and premium wines.

No matter which business idea you choose to explore, always be sure to check out the local laws and licenses needed within your state. You might have a great marijuana business idea, enough funding to get you started and lots of potential customers excited about your offer but if you aren’t playing by the rules there are hefty fines and penalties to watch for. Once you’ve looked into what’s needed in order to adhere to local laws, you’re in a great position to start working on your own start-up marijuana business.