Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) is offering cannabis industry certificate programs as of July 19.

The certificates include Advanced Manufacturing Agent, Advanced Dispensary Associate, and Advanced Cultivation Technician. The not-for-credit courses are asynchronous and online, meaning students can work on them at their most convenient time and place.

Students can start self-paced courses at any time. Once registered, they will have eight weeks to complete the program and pass a final exam. Students will receive a certificate of completion and earn access to job postings on the Green Flower Employer Network.

The fee for each certificate program is $750. Federal aid is not available.

“Cannabis is still federally illegal. As a result, federal aid is not available to cover program enrollment fees,” said Janice Mrkonjic, MSJC’s Interim Director of Workforce & Economic Development. 

MSJC’s Community Education joins the University of California Riverside’s University Extension, the University of San Diego, and many other institutions in partnering with Green Flower to offer cannabis career education. Green Flower works with industry experts to develop its curriculum.

According to the annual Leafly Jobs Report, “California remains the nation’s leading cannabis employer, with $5.1 billion in 2021 sales supporting 83,607 jobs.”

“The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing sources of employment in America and this includes southwest Riverside County,” said Mrkonjic. “After interviewing industry leaders, I identified their needs for a skilled workforce in the areas of cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensary.” 

To learn more about the program, visit https://cannabis.msjc.edu/.