3 Things to Know About Retail Cannabis Training
When I first came into the cannabis industry, I had zero cannabis experience. Well, I had some cannabis experience in terms of partaking, but zero experience working within the industry. What I did have was 18+ years of retail experience behind me, and to my surprise, that experience would be my saving grace in cannabis. So after a few years in the industry, I’ve set out to ensure that new dispensary operators get the support they need, right from the jump!
Retail Dispensary
Training Checklist Tip #1 - You Cannot Skip Over Training for Customer Service!
For so many cannabis establishments, it’s clear that team members are both passionate about product knowledge and trained to the point of exhaustion that knowing the product is the most important part of being successful in the industry.
Product knowledge is important for a budtender or agent to appreciate, though, nothing compared to the basic retail skillset that comes along with a great training in customer service.
Customer Service training will ensure agents can:
Listen with intent to best determine needs
Empathize with customers to best increase customer retention
Tailor selling habits to suit individual consumer needs and increase business drivers
Hold agents accountable to reaching sales targets
Cannabis plant
Training Checklist Tip #2 – Don’t Skip Over Cannabis Prohibition & the War on Drugs.
While the cannabis industry is a profitable industry, with estimates of reaching $100 billion in 2022 in the U.S alone, we at Grass Ceiling believe in acknowledging the history of cannabis and the ways cannabis has disproportionally impacted communities of color. We also believe that training on the War on Drugs is fundamental for all individuals entering into the cannabis space.
The federal government, in 2022, still does not recognize cannabis legally across each state. Cannabis prohibition was built on an unjust and racist system. Due to the drug war, there are an estimated 40,000 individuals incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses (Last Prisoner Project).
A strong retail cannabis training program will:
Address the War on Drugs and the ways in which communities of color have been impacted
Speak directly to an establishment’s Diversity and Positive Impact Plans on HOW the establishment plans to support the community they serve
Seek guidance and buy-in from team members on ways we can actively restore the injustices of communities harmed by the War on Drugs
Cannabis Notebook
Training Checklist Tip #3- The Responsible Vendor Course: Let It Be the Training That Sets Your Team up for Success!
Working closely with various establishments, we've heard the unenthused tone of team members (and leadership) around taking the state required Responsible Vendor Training. The collective sigh has been heard around the industry. The training can range from three hours to six hours, and depending on the source, can be extremely dry, lecture focused, and packed with non-digestible material.
We set out to change that! We see the RVT program as the gateway into the cannabis industry, which is why we created our own accredited program, now available in English and Spanish!
Grass Ceiling's Responsible Vendor Training for Massachusetts:
Utilizes studies from actual industry experiences - putting the learner in the shoes of Bud-tenders before them and learning from their example
Caters to various learning styles by establishing active participation through quizzes, resources, glossaries and difficult scenarios
Breaks down the regulations into bite size pieces to ensure retention and a culture of compliance in your establishment
Focuses on cultivating a collaborative, inclusive environment for all in the cannabis space.
