Cannabis certification program launches at Northwest Missouri State University
MARYVILLE, Mo. — People who want to work in the cannabis industry in Missouri have a new option to get their foot in the door this week.
Northwest Missouri State University is hosing multiple courses related to the industry, helping prospective cannabis workers build up a resume.
“Typically, on a resume we like to see someone with retail experience since the industry is considered a little bit newer,” said BesaMe Wellness Regional Manager Cierra Sally.
It’s a challenge she and other hiring managers run into inside the cannabis industry because industry experience has been challenging to get with a product that is slowly becoming legal across the nation.
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Sally says applicants with certifications are rare, so Green Flower CEO Max Simon is trying to change that.
“Having illicit market experience isn’t always translated into a super positive thing in the legal market,” Simon said.
That’s why Green Flower created multiple certification courses that colleges and universities across the nation can offer. They teach students how to grow cannabis, process it into the wide array of products that are offered where it’s legal, and navigate one of the most highly-regulated industries in the United States.
“It really teaches you about the legal regulated cannabis industry,” Simon said. “It gives you a sense of the laws, the requirements, the obligations, the complexities, the nuances.”
The first online classes in Missouri launched Monday at Northwest Missouri State University. The classes run six months and Simon says about 20% of students complete multiple classes as they try to break into the industry. He says more big institutions are getting on board.
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“Once, we were almost laughed out of rooms,” Simon said. “Now we have colleges and universities calling us from across the country to consider cannabis education inside of their institution.”
It’s part of an ongoing push to normalize marijuana by training people for cannabis jobs and teaching them about the substance in dispensaries like BesaMe Wellness’ locations.
“We’re just constantly trying to change the narrative of what society thinks,” said Sally.
“To see what’s happening in the Missouri cannabis industry has been amazing because it’s arguably one of the best and hottest markets in the whole country,” Simon said.
Missouri generated $1.3 billion in marijuana sales, including $1 billion in recreational marijuana sales, since it was legalized on Feb. 3, 2023.
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Missouri now has the nation’s sixth-largest cannabis market, behind California, Michigan, Illinois, Florida and Massachusetts. Its sales were about 10 times higher than the $104 million in New York in 2023, despite Missouri having about a third of the population.
