As more states pass medical marijuana and even recreational (adult-use) cannabis legalization, the cannabis industry and market continue to grow. Cannabis enthusiasts now have resources and information for strain and farm reviews, and those who wish to work in the cannabis industry have options for higher education as well (pun intended). Who knew we would be in a time where you can actually attend a cannabis training university to receive a well-rounded cannabis education!
Marijuana Education Courses through Cloverleaf University
This is an exciting time with the options for cannabis education, and even the option to go to a cannabis training university or college where the content taught is specific to working in the cannabis industry. One of the oldest and most reputable options for a cannabis training university is Cloverleaf University. Founded in 2009 in Denver, Colorado, Clover Leaf University (CLU) is the first accredited university specializing in phytotechnology to be approved, regulated and licensed by the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Private Occupational School Board. CLU provides the highest quality industry training and the most comprehensive curriculum available today. Clover Leaf Universities faculty includes the industry’s top-level executives, professionals, attorneys, instructors, cultivators, manufacturers and industry leaders from all over the world.
Cannabis Training University (CTU) Offering Cannabis Education Online
Another option is the Cannabis Training University (CTU). Cannabis Training University is an online marijuana school and was developed to provide marijuana education to students across the globe. The online Medical Marijuana Education series offered by CTU features recognized and knowledgeable members of the medical cannabis community worldwide, including marijuana attorneys, accountants, cannabis horticulturists, insurance agents, medical marijuana dispensary managers, marijuana point of sale software companies, cannabis chefs, and canna-business owners and vendors.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, CTU is in the heart of America’s first recreationally legal state, providing easy access to members of the medical marijuana industry. The Weed Blog asked CTU CEO Jeffrey Zorn a few questions about cannabis education, the resources they offer, and student success stories.
“All CTU students get certified in 9 areas of instruction including: Growing Cannabis Indoors and Out, Cooking with Cannabis, Cannabis Extractions, Budtending, Dispensary Operations,” Zorn said.
The cannabis information and education materials have been developed over the last decade with the help of the cannabis industry’s leading professionals—growers, cooks, dispensary operators, physicians, budtenders, attorneys, extraction technicians, topical cannabis business owners, and more.
Working in the Cannabis Industry
There are a variety of positions in the cannabis industry for both entry level employees and seasoned, skilled professionals that are coming from both the legacy market and other traditional industries. The cannabis industry has many businesses that are in the initial supply chain, where the plant is actually touched, as well as businesses that are ancillary, or non-plant touching. Many individuals have found the cannabis industry to be a great option for applying a different skill set, such as law, bookkeeping, accounting, marketing, or even event production.
Once you are in the cannabis industry, regardless of whether you are making compliance decisions for a chain of dispensaries or a trimmer at a cultivation facility, you have a social responsibility to be an ambassador for the cannabis plant and the activism that it took to make it legal in the U.S. Cannabis industry professionals must see and carry themselves as such, and must be educated about the timeline of cannabis prohibition and the social injustices that are intertwined in it.
There are many questions about working in the cannabis industry, such as what is a dispensary manager salary and can budtenders smoke? We have addressed them here…
Dispensary Manager Salary
The average pay range for a Dispensary Manager job varies little (about $34,000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. The average hourly wage for a Dispensary Manager in the United States is $21 as of June 28, 2020, but the salary range typically falls between $18 and $25. Hourly rate can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $312,000 and as low as $31,500, the majority of salaries within the Dispensary Manager jobs category currently range between $41,500 to $75,500 across the United States.
One source found these to be the highest paying cities in United States for Dispensary Managers:
- Philadelphia, PA
- San Francisco, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Denver, CO
Zorn, of Cannabis Training University, said, “Graduates of Cannabis Training University most often go on the start careers in the cannabis industry with the following positions: Budtender, Cannabis Grower, Cannabis Extraction Technician, Cannabis Edibles Chef, Dispensary Manager and Cannabis Trimmer. The salary ranges of such positions are from $12 to $15 an hour for a budtender or cannabis trimmer, all the way up to over $100,000 for some dispensary management positions and cannabis cultivators.”
Can Budtenders Smoke?
Budtenders are generally not allowed and often prohibited by law from smoking cannabis on the licensed premises of the dispensary or cannabis retail shop they work at. Budtenders can smoke pot on their time off work, so long as it is legal where they choose to smoke it. The policy for smoking cigarettes for bartenders or customers is up to each individual cannabis retail shop or dispensary. Always make sure to check the rules and regulations in your state and city about smoking.
Whether you are an avid weed consumer or work in the cannabis industry like a dispensary manager or budtender, it is great to have options for learning more about cannabis and how to grow, manage, and advocate for it.
Zorn of Cannabis Training University added, “CTU has many students who are not necessarily looking for a cannabis career, but who are looking to grow their own cannabis, cook with cannabis at home, learn all the latest cannabis laws and regulations, or to increase their overall cannabis knowledge.”
