WPI adds online cannabis product & design certificate program
WORCESTER — This September will mark two years of cannabis certificate programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as the need for product development hits sky-high levels in the Massachusetts cannabis industry.
In 2023, the Cannabis Control Commission announced a new sales record for the year had been set, exceeding $1.56 billion, more than 5% growth from the previous year. This past April, the CCC announced the state had surpassed $6 billion in gross sales.
“The cannabis market in Mass. is growing pretty quickly and significantly and that is creating a need for all sorts of things,” said Daniel Kalef, chief growth officer of Green Flower. “Because everything sold in Massachusetts has to be made in Massachusetts, it creates its own ecosystem.”
Green Flower partnered with WPI and launched the online program in September 2022. The program offers five different certifications: health care and medicine, agriculture and horticulture, business, compliance and risk management, and their newest program, product development and design.
More than 120 students have participated in the programs since their launch.
“Through this cannabis certificate program, WPI believes it can assist in workforce training, development and upskilling in a growing industry, and highlight WPI’s related, unique academic offerings to industry professionals who may be interested in further education,” said Jon Cain, a spokesperson for WPI.
“We partnered with WPI, well their reputation is second to none,” Kalef said. “The school also has an interest in how to make sure the industry is full of people who are knowledgeable and prepared.”
The newest program, the product development and design certification, reflects directly with what’s happening in the industry.
“There is an explosive growth in edibles, not just in Massachusetts but across the country,” Kalef said. “Having people fully understand how these things are extracted from the plant, CBD, THC, etc., and then added to edible products is more important now than ever.”
Green Flower has partnered with nearly 30 colleges in the United States to offer cannabis certificate programs. WPI is the only one in Massachusetts. Classifying Green Flower as a cannabis education company, Kalef explains those looking to get into the industry need to learn and understand the foundations of the industry as a whole.
“Even if you’re a businessman or businesswoman, it’s just harder in the (cannabis) industry,” Kalef said. “You can’t buy a Google ad with the word ‘cannabis’ in it, you can’t put your profits into a federally ensured bank. Then there is being compliant with all the regulations.”
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