Improving Cannabis education is focus of new nonprofit coalition
A new nonprofit with connections to the Cleveland School of Cannabis has launched with the goal of addressing aspects of cannabis education to the benefit of consumers, industry stakeholders and those looking for jobs in the burgeoning legal marijuana industry.
The National Association for Marijuana and Cannabis Educators (NAMCE) was founded in 2022 by CSC president Tyrone Russell.
But the group — which organizers say is decentralized but will be based in Columbus — is announcing its formation now following the appointment of some key figures.
Those appointments include NAMCE interim director Michael Fields, who previously worked for about a year with national cannabis company Green Thumb Industries as its director of corporate responsibility.
NAMCE describes itself as being geared toward "strengthening the quality and standards of cannabis educators to drive safer outcomes for consumers and support employment within the industry." The group says it is "committed to creating sustainability, equity and educational and occupational alignment in the cannabis industry so that potential employees, patients and employers can find education they trust."
"The ultimate goal of NAMCE will be to standardize cannabis education in a way the legitimizes cannabis educational institutions so that we are all speaking the same language and minimize pop ups that teach old, outdated or false information," Russell said. "Patients and possible employees should know that there is a standard being set at their institutions so they can ensure their quality of education. We hope that we could create a rubric for our educators and their institutions that provide a scoring system which would reflect a left of educational quality control."
NAMCE is in its early stages and still has a lot to get in order.
Russell said the organization is working to fill seats of an 11-person board, which is intended to be composed of cannabis practitioners, educators and college/university personnel. A hunt for a permanent executive director is expected to start this summer.
Russell said he's also working on raising around $250,000 for the organization, which he described as a "good start" for the group that will allow it to continue operating for about two years without any additional financial support.
So while there will be more to come regarding how NAMCE will focus its time, energy is expected to be concentrated toward some broad, general efforts, which include: aligning approaches, language and relevant curriculum of cannabis educators and trainers; reinforcing industry standards for cannabis education that lead to employment pathways; forming a community of practice for cannabis educators to improve their skills in the delivery of cannabis education; building and legitimizing the industry by helping organizations develop high quality education and partnership.
"Cannabis is at an important crossroads where the industry must professionalize to ensure the integrity and trust of the market for both consumers and those employed by the industry," said Kurt Kaufmann, co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based employee enablement platform Seed Talent, in a statement. "NAMCE is emerging as the bridge between employers and employees making it easier for professionals to upskill and employers to recognize quality credentials."
According to the nonprofit, education partners besides the CSC that have "joined to move the mission forward" at NAMCE include Medical Marijuana 411, the Trichome Institute, the Minority Cannabis Academy, Oaksterdam University, Stockton University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Virginia.
"Collaboration among educational partners is not just important, it is essential," said Trichome Institute CEO Jim Nathanson. "Working together, we can create a holistic and comprehensive approach to education that empowers students to reach their full potential and prepares them for a rapidly changing world."
Other NAMCE supporters include Wana Brands, Viola and Cresco Labs.
"Steel sharpens steel, and if one institution falls, the entire foundation of cannabis education is questioned," Russell said. "We as educators and trainers should understand that we can't create these standards in a vacuum or allow opportunistic companies to pop up and call themselves cannabis educators if we are serious about industry sustainability."
