Cannabis Education Offered on Campus
Dylan Meyer
Oct. 25, 2021
Illinois Central College has introduced a new cannabis education program to promote high-paying jobs and training for students and future dispensary employees.
The Cannabis Education program was established after Trinity Compassionate Care Dispensary donated $200,000 to ICC. Ann Banks, Manager of Corporate and Community Education, and Julie Howar, the Dean of Corporate and Community Education, were assigned to assemble the cannabis program.
Howar says, “It’s a growing industry, and ICC is here to serve the students but also the industries in this district so they can have a knowledgeable workforce. We’re preparing them for work in a dispensary.”
The cannabis program will offer programming to help “bud-tenders” learn the business and the operations of a dispensary. The program will provide three objectives: community programming regarding information and uses of cannabis, provide training for dispensaries, and informational programming for industry-related careers.
The program will provide training for the community, employers, and professionals in the area. The training will include learning terminology, medical and recreational uses of cannabis, state regulations, and customer service skills. “It serves our community by bringing people back to college. Community comes first. That will help more people understand cannabis and its different uses,” says Howar.
The program offers a certificate that can enhance your resume, “We’ve heard from the employers that they get so many applicants for the dispensaries that having that certificate of formal education will help someone stand out,” Banks said.
The program does not offer college credits but is a pathway for wanting to work in a dispensary. Students thinking of a future in the cannabis industry can take the class, but you must be 21-years-old to work in a dispensary.
The free Cannabis 101 workshop is offered on Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The certificate dispensary training program is in the process of being scheduled for the spring. Anyone interested in the cannabis education program can contact the Corporate and Community Education department at CorporateEd@icc.edu.