A couple Saturdays ago, I took a class for the first time in years. It wasn’t to relearn algebra (although I have definitely forgotten it), but to become a certified cannabis worker. The four-hour course, which is offered by the Science of Cannabis Institute (SCI) and is held on the University of Washington campus, is the first of its kind in Washington State, part of a growing cannabis education industry. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) recently announced that it would create a medical marijuana consultant certification program, and SCI hopes to be the first accredited institution to offer it.
Currently, though, the institute’s certification doesn’t confer any official status. You just take the class (which costs $125), take a short online exam afterward, and if you pass—which I did, thankfully—you get a link to a printable version of your certificate. The class is essentially a leg up on the competition for cannabusiness job seekers, or professional development for those already in the industry…