Shameka Beach learned about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis as a teenager when she used it to relieve painful muscle spasms that made her mother literally scream. Beach said her mother's pain relief showed her that marijuana was more than a party drug.
“I saw how it helped her. It helped so much that eventually she didn't have muscle spasms anymore,” Beach said. “That's when I learned about the beneficial effects of this plant and how it can help people.”
Further research into holistic treatments and herbalism, coupled with ongoing adult use activity in Ohio, prompted Mr. Beach to attend the Cleveland School of Cannabis Inn, an accredited career institution for marijuana employees. – I started learning about the business side of cannabis at Independence.
“At first, I don't know, maybe it's better to go to the West Coast because they've been in this industry longer,” Beach said. “But (CSC) had a mock dispensary and a mock grow room. It was a much bigger world than I realized when it came to cannabis.”
With the passage of Issue 2, Ohio will need many people like Mr. Beach to fill industry jobs. Nicole Phoenix, CSC's director of education, said marijuana is creating an explosion of jobs in other states, from fields like cultivation to patient consultants.
“There are 132 dispensaries in the medical marijuana space, but that number will double for adult use because most businesses will apply for dual licenses,” Phoenix said.
Companies that add recreational licenses to existing medical certifications will double Ohio's cannabis workforce. Touted as the only accredited cannabis education institution in the Midwest, CSC offers science classes on the medical applications of cannabis, along with a marketing curriculum that teaches the ins and outs of product branding.
“(Employees) go to the pharmacy and have what we call an education day,” said the Phoenix school, which has been preparing students for jobs since 2017. Consumers coming to the pharmacy. It's been interesting to see that over the last three or four years. ”
Beach hopes to join a medical dispensary as a “bud tender” (in industry parlance for someone who helps customers purchase cannabis products) after he graduates with his CSC certification in June.
“I want to learn from the bottom up, because I think people can be more effective at the top if they know what it's like at the bottom,” Beach said. .
don't get me wrong
Business, healthcare, compliance and agriculture are the focus of a new cannabis certificate collaboration between Kent State University and Greenflower, a California curriculum creator and industry bootcamp. His four certifications are aimed at preparing students for a market in Ohio that grew 24% last year and created more than 1,300 jobs, according to the Vangst 2023 Jobs Report. And that was before recreational cannabis even started.
This fully online program costs $2,950 per certificate and teaches basic agricultural principles such as seed selection, nutrient management, and proper soil composition. Additional courses focus on consumer behavior, along with the industry's complex legal and regulatory landscape. Meanwhile, product development and design reveals the formulations behind tinctures, topicals and other pharmacy products, said Max Simon, Greenflower co-founder and chief executive officer.
“Next is retail, which has the most jobs,” Simon said. “There are a lot of different jobs in that landscape, from people purchasing cannabis and overseeing menus, to supply chain management, retail operations and marketing.”
Students who complete the KSU program receive a digital certificate and gain access to career events and new job openings. The curriculum, now offered at 26 colleges and universities across the country, was developed in part to break down the stigma that still surrounds the market, Simon said.
“Most people don't actually know much about cannabis because it's so misunderstood,” he says. “They don't understand the reality of how these things work. That's why at Green Flower we have programs that cover different industry sectors depending on where people want to play. Masu.”
Simon said media members sometimes trivialize what Greenflower does by making “weed” jokes when reporting on the company. But he said the public needs to be informed about the skills needed to grow cannabis plants, including expertise such as genetics, lighting and watering cycles.
“Someone needs to learn those skills. They need to understand the nuances of cannabis, and ultimately that's why I think these programs are so valuable,” Simon said.
The KSU program, now in its second year, has attracted about 80 students, said Eric Mansfield, the university's assistant vice president for communications.
“Our intent is not to make a pro or con statement on cannabis, but to meet the needs of workers,” Mansfield said. “Now that Ohio has spoken in the polls, we want to prepare our cannabis workforce as well as journalists, teachers, and scientists. This (Green Flower) program is the best way we can help right now.
take the industry seriously
CSC's Phoenix said there are very few cannabis education programs in the Buckeye State. The University of Toledo has an online-only cannabis management certificate available through its College of Pharmacy, and The Ohio State University's cannabis law course examines criminal and civil policy.
New marijuana programs should focus on proper certification, Phoenix said.
“We're accredited by the Ohio Career Colleges and Schools Commission, so we have to follow a rigorous curriculum. It's really important that these other cannabis educations are accredited in some way.” Phoenix said. “We are also recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, so we have taken great care to ensure that our curriculum aligns with true academic coursework.”
Shangri-La Dispensary, a Missouri-based medical cannabis company that opened a store in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood late last year, is now gearing up for company-wide growth, said regional manager Amber.・Mr. Miller said.
“We will need skilled professionals in retail, compliance, product development and marketing,” Miller said. “Our cultivation facility requires workers with expertise in horticulture and plant science. From the retail side, we need knowledgeable bidders and people who are good at customer service. In this industry, educating consumers about the product is important.”
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Miller, a marketing veteran on the pharmacy side, said colleges looking for the latest trends would be wise to connect with industry leaders who can also develop curriculum.
“Companies like Shangri-La want to be involved in the development process by providing input on industry trends and bridging the gap between education and opportunity,” Miller said. “We want to find ways to engage the community and foster partnerships with educational institutions.”
Greenflower is not currently in talks with any other schools in Ohio, but Simon said he is encouraged by the possibility of future collaborations.
“Trust exists in higher education,” Simon said. “When an institution like KSU offers cannabis education, it sends a huge signal that this industry is legal, respected, and should be taken seriously.”
Beach, a CSC student, answers questions from friends and relatives about this emerging industry that many still consider illegal. Still, he said, Beach is willing to defend something that saved his mother so much pain.
“I'm just passing on the knowledge I've learned and showing people that marijuana isn't what they think it is,” Beach said. “It's more than that.”
