wouldn't you have more faith in your leap of faith if you understood the industry as a whole a little better?
I mean if you tired of your position now at 50 it would be really sad to leap into something only to find out it's actually much harder work than you had to do before.
the reason why you may think people keep their cards close, is because of this very reason. a love for the plant or saying you have grown it before doesn't impress anyone. we all love the plant and we're all active growers, but we can't even demand such positions. everyone loves the plant, everyone has grown it before. the people keeping their cards close are the ones who get exposed to this the most. they hire someone who "loves the plant" and "have grown it before" but then when it comes to being bent over for 8hrs a day constantly busy with physically demanding work that needs to be done in a timely and orderly fashion, then the "love for the plant" and the "having grown it before" quickly fades into a harsh realisation of reality. work is work. doesn't matter what you do.
most people have a misconception of the cannabis industry aswell, you don't get to sit and admire weed all day and look, touch and spend time on what you think is fun and cool.
most likely, as with any other labour intensive position, you'll be faced with a work load you presume is too much for you to handle, so you have to figure out the best way to get things done, figure out a routine without hindering quality. you'll have numbers to work towards, you'll have goals to reach set by the boss and and and all that jazz, work is work.
I am 28, my age, background, experience and current position all count in my favour, yet I cannot demand a position in the industry, because people aren't employing any random person right now.
it's like in the arts industry. you have to be known, people have to be talking about you, people have to be asking for you to work for them, seeking you out. you have to make a name for yourself, network, get your face known by the people at the top. untill then, you have to do all the work yourself. make friends, master a few "paintings" to get people talking... you know?