Joliet Junior College class prepares students for recreational marijuana industry

Joliet Junior College has been offering a class for those interested in learning about how to work in the recreational marijuana industry.

JJC’s dispensary agent training and certification course is designed to train students for dispensary operations in Illinois. Recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois last year.

When the Illinois General Assembly passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act in 2019, it included a provision which established a community college cannabis vocational program to train students to work in the industry.

Amy Gray, JJC’s vice president of academic affairs, said the college received a lot of questions about how it could be a part of the industry. She said JJC was in a good position to host such a class considering its existing horticulture, agriculture and health care programs.

“At JJC, we have so many programs,” Gray said. “We know there was a place for us.”

She added that about 150 students have already participated in the first two sessions of the four-hour course JJC has held. During the class, students learn about proper identification, storage, packaging and labeling, health, safety, security, record keeping, inspections, privacy and more.

Gray said as the fledgling industry grows, they hope to create partnerships with companies to help provide internship and training opportunities for students. The state government projected significant revenue growth just in taxes within the first few years of the recreational product being legal.

She added that with more dispensaries and other marijuana-related businesses developing, JJC could also expand its program offerings.

Gray said when she attended a summit on hemp, a variety of cannabis plant, it opened her eyes to the potential opportunities for students to find work in various fields related to marijuana. She pointed to jobs in the logistics industry and the specific knowledge needed just to transport marijuana products.

JJC officials have also been doing their own research about the kinds of jobs available just within their district. Municipalities like Joliet and Romeoville have recreational dispensaries already operating. She said she’s cautiously optimistic about the industry’s growth offering more opportunities for JJC to expand its programs and class offerings.

“As long as the demand is there, we will definitely offer them,” she said.

The next dispensary agent training course is scheduled for April 22. For more information, call 815-280-1555 or visit trainingupdate.org.