Having direct experience in the cannabis industry may help with getting a job in the legal department at an expanding cannabis company, but experts say it takes more than industry knowledge.

In March, Mike Evers, the founder of Evers Legal Search, was contracted to help Chicago-based Grassroots Cannabis find its first general counsel. Usually, Evers explained, he gets a middle-of-the-road response with attorneys wanting to learn more about the specific role. However, the lawyers he has approached for the position have either been excited at the prospect of helping expand the industry or showing they do not believe in cannabis legalization.