In an effort to relieve the job vacancies in the state’s marijuana industry, one California-based cannabis certification program is partnering with Cal State East Bay to boost the workforce.

Gina O’Hara, who lives in Pacifica, recently completed Green Flower’s cannabis certification course.

“When it became legalized here, a lot of friends were going to dispensaries and stuff and trying things. But I was interested in the medicinal aspects of it,” Gina O’Hara told CBS News Bay Area.

She’s been working as a consultant and technical writer for traditional pharmaceutical companies for the past 30 years, when she wanted to change things up a bit. That is when she discovered the school’s online, six-month program.

“You learn about the cannabis plant itself and how it works in the body. After everyone takes that, you specialize into different fields,” she said.

Students can learn about the agricultural cannabis business, medical applications, product development and compliance.

“For people that are looking for a new career in a new career, a new sector they are passionate about, I think cannabis is a great place to look,” Max Simon, the CEO of Green Flower, told CBS News Bay Area.

The company is optimistic that their educational program will help boost the cannabis industry statewide. According to one recent report, there were more than 78,000 cannabis market jobs in the state last year.

“There is some compression happening in the cannabis industry here in California but it doesn’t mean there is a real dearth of opportunity. We have 65,000 people that work in the industry and thousands of employers throughout the ecosystem. And there are always new brands and new providers showing up,” Simon said.

“We still have a federal contradiction to the state laws, and that creates all sorts of challenges from a banking, compliance or fundraiser standpoint. I actually think we are very close to some federal reform which will fundamentally change the industry in pretty dramatic ways,” he added.

According to the 2024 California Cannabis Market report, the number of active licenses decreased by 18% last year. Some of those reasons, officials site, are increased costs, regulatory compliance and competition with unlicensed cannabis markets.

The report states, however, that licensed cannabis production is up nearly 12%.

“We also have a lot of people who take these programs from other sectors. Whether you’re a lawyer, or a doctor, or a finance specialist, an investment banker, they take these programs and add cannabis to their practice,” Simon said.

As for O’Hara, she said as she is working in biotech, she is actively looking for contract jobs in the cannabis industry.

“I’ve updated my LinkedIn, I got this certification. I put it on my resume, I’m looking at jobs here and there, and I’m hoping to get contract jobs going forward,” she said.

Both Simon and O’Hara said they are optimistic about the full legalization of marijuana nationwide, and hope that it will improve the future of the cannabis industry.

• Education
• Cannabis