Jefferson College will offer a six-week medical cannabis dispensary agent training course starting next month.
The online training course, which begins Jan. 11 and runs through March 9, was developed in cooperation with North Medical Group L.L.C., a provider of medical marijuana in Jefferson County.
It will be taught by certified cannabis industry professional John Hunt.
According to information supplied by the college, a medical cannabis dispensary agent works behind the counter of a marijuana dispensary “to help patients meet their medical needs.”
“They’re like a customer service agent or pharmacist, where they will work with the patients to determine the best products to match their health needs,” said Chris DeGeare, the college’s acting vice president of instruction. “There’s a lot of regulatory compliance involved, including ethics and professionalism.”
He said the medical cannabis dispensary course is not for college credit, but instead is considered “an industry training course.”
The course has a maximum enrollment of 30, and those who want to take the course must be at least 21.
“We do anticipate a lot of interest in it,” DeGeare said. “It is a growing field.”
Roger Barrentine, Jefferson College’s public relations and marketing director, said the class is part of the college’s plan “to be the predominant responsible cannabis industry training provider in the St. Louis region and across the state.”
He said the program is no “fly-by-night operation.”
“Our professional training program has been intentionally built to include academic quality, responsible practices and learning assessments led by highly qualified industry leaders,” Barrentine said.
Hunt, who lives in Denver, said each week of the course will focus on a different topic.
Week 1 will cover compliance and control; Week 2 focuses on production selection; Week 3 – regulatory and business principles; Week 4 – patient consultation; Week 5 – industry ethics and professionalism; Week 6 – standard operating procedures.
Hunt said he previously owned medical marijuana dispensaries and a cannabis cultivation facility and currently is a partner in a cannabis cultivation facility in Arkansas.
“I’m also working with clients in seven states, all (ventures) having to do with cannabis,” he said.
Hunt said those who take the Jefferson College medical cannabis dispensary agent training course will be prepared to work in the job if they successfully complete the course.
“They can get a job as a dispensary agent,” Hunt said. “They’ll learn the ins and outs of daily operations at a dispensary.”
Missouri voters passed Amendment 2 in November 2018, which allows the use of medical marijuana in the state.
For more information about the course or to register, contact Jefferson College Workforce Development and Employment Services at 636-481-3144 or www.jeffco.edu/wes/dispensary-agent.