Cannabis and Higher Education: CCRI Gets in the Game

Every once in a while, an email lands in my inbox with good news. On May 29, I received a link to a press release from the Community College of Rhode Island titled: “CCRI Launches First Cannabis Training Program to Meet Workforce Demands in a Fast-growing Industry.” This is good news indeed. Actually, this is GREAT news!

Along with URI and Johnson and Wales, Rhode Island now has three institutions of higher education that provide training and academic learning opportunities for people who want to become skilled in the Rhode Island cannabis industry where jobs nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023.

CCRI has put together an eight-week Cannabis Training Program through their Division of Workforce Partnerships. The Cannabis Training Program is a free 45-hour curriculum with most of the work online. It is paid for through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Real Jobs RI Initiative.

The first cohort of the Cannabis Training Program has space for 15 students. It will begin on July 9 at CCRI’s Liston Campus in PVD. Interested participants can apply for an interview by filling out and submitting the forms at: ccri.edu/cannabisindustry

CANNABIS EDUCATION IS A BOON
TO RHODE ISLAND RESIDENTS.

The flexible online instruction and free tuition components that are central to the Cannabis Training Program are designed to address cannabis-related social justice issues that persist from the failed War on Drugs. Stacy Sullivan, CCRI director of industry partnerships explained that the program “is equitable and accessible to those from communities that have been impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.” Jenny Johnson, CCRI division of workforce partnerships vice president noted that the “Division of Workforce Partnerships is always looking to be responsive to employer needs and we are proud and excited to create training for this emerging industry. We look forward to having a hand in creating a robust cannabis industry.”

The Cannabis Training Program curriculum at CCRI was developed in large part by Jacob Carlson, founder and CEO of EZHire Cannabis, as well as certified commercial cannabis expert Melissa Rutherford. Both will teach in the program. Rutherford stated: “Having the ability to learn job skills in a new industry is important, and having CCRI embrace cannabis education is a boon to Rhode Island residents interested in determining if this emerging marketplace is right for them.” Carlson continued, “The question of how people are supposed to learn skills about jobs that didn’t exist legally in a highly-regulated industry always puzzled me. How are legal cannabis businesses supposed to find trained employees? We are seeing more need for entry-level workers which aligns well with community college programs from both a cost and training level.”

The US cannabis labor market increased from 321,000 jobs in 2021 to more than 428,000 in 2022. By 2025, cannabis is projected to become a $45 billion industry. Currently in RI, there are more than 100 jobs that list “familiarity with the cannabis industry” as a required entry-level skill. There are more than 100 businesses in the Ocean State that require employees to have knowledge of the cannabis industry. This includes cannabis retailers (including products with either CBD, THC, or both) as well as cultivators.

It is also worth noting that the Cannabis Training Program at CCRI is a true partnership. The program is aligned with and supported by some of the major cannabis industry businesses in the state such as Ocean State Controlled Botanicals, Mother Earth Wellness, Sweetspot Farms, Emerald Leaf Organics, Coast Cannabis, Solar Cannabis Co, Good Feel, and Contempo Specialty Packing.

As a person who spent more than 45 years learning and working in colleges and universities, it is gratifying for me to see Rhode Island emerging as a leader in higher education and state-of-the-art vocational training for people who want to become qualified for good-paying jobs in our fast-growing cannabis industry.