Rob Mejia, an adjunct professor at Stockton University in the Cannabis Studies Department, talks about training the future workforce in the cannabis business during NJ Cannabis Insider’s conference at the Carteret Performing Arts Center.
Early last week, the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission announced it would begin accepting applications for licenses to operate a variety of cannabis businesses, starting Dec.
Co-hosted by NJ Cannabis Insider, the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association and Stockton University, the Cannabis Career Fair and Business Expo at Stockton in Galloway will feature many of the state’s cannabis companies who are seeking new employees.
We decided to go with a minor because any new industry coming to a state essentially will change the entire economy, and cannabis industry specifically sits at the intersection of many fields, like business, law, sustainability, biology, and criminal justice.
For instance, there is the social justice aspect of the industry — you cannot really talk about cannabis licensing without discussing the War on Drugs and the devastating effects it had on the African-American communities.
They also have knowledge and skills they have acquired as a part of their major, and we hope that the combination of strong academics and hands-on opportunities gives them both skills and flexibility in applying those skills to a rapidly changing workplace.
A: We launched our Certificate in Cannabis Studies Program in 2019 via Continuing Education, and we did so as a response to many inquiries we have received.
A: Most students do come to us thinking about working in the dispensaries, but oftentimes they discover that there are other possibilities out there — like hemp industry! So it is difficult to tell which one dominates, as they often change their focus as they learn.
NJ Cannabis Insider is a B2B resource that connects businesses through a weekly subscriber-only trade journal and monthly events.
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