Jeanne Ficcardi-Sauro was watching TV when she came across a commercial advertisement for a school that offered an opportunity in a fast growing industry with increasing jobs. She was very eager to find out more information about enrolling. Ficcardi-Sauro became one amongst a group of students to enroll at Northeastern Institute of Cannabis (NIC). The trade school is said to offer students a variety of courses such as, Medical Marijuana 101.
Medical Marijuana 101 is a course designed to teach students how to become medical marijuana experts and how to prepare to work in a dispensary. Within the next year there are several dispensaries that are supposed open in Massachusetts. This can be a very good time to plan on new ways to make money. The classroom is described as a two classroom school located in an office park. Not only is this school creating jobs for students, but they are also employing educators and candidates with medical backgrounds.
Ficcardi-Sauro is 56-years old and the proud mother of two grown children. She was having a tough time finding a fulltime job when she decided to look into the medical marijuana industry. She’s also familiar with this pain relief method. Ficcardi-Sauro is a cancer patient who smokes medical marijuana to relieve her pain and to help her sleep. She’s very happy with the opportunities the industry has presented to her.
According to Keith Saunders, a sociology professor who also oversees the curriculum at NIC, there are several help wanted ads surfacing the web on sites such as Monster.com. Saunders had already drawn the conclusion that as soon as dispensaries start to open statewide, there will be more employment opportunities. NIC is not the only institution educating students on medical marijuana. The New England Grass Roots Institute provides services to medical marijuana patients. The Cannabis Carter Institute provides marijuana business trading courses in Boston.
Mickey Martin, an advocate for reform on marijuana laws founded NIC in early 2014. There were several obstacles that came about when trying to begin the process. Martin recalls it being very difficult to find a landlord comfortable enough to give them the opportunity. It has been hard for dispensaries to find a location to do business. Medical marijuana cannot be used in the institute due to the school being strictly about academics.
Employment opportunities range from cultivating, educating, growing and selling marijuana. Amanda Reiman, manager of Marijuana Laws and policy says this can be significant and it can grow many jobs statewide. She’s absolutely correct manufactures can aid in the packaging process and marketing firms can improve their brands. The Northeastern Institution of Cannabis has applied for state certification as an occupational school. Although the program may sound easy to enroll in there are several requirements that must be fulfilled in order to graduate the program.
In order to receive a certificate students must complete twelve four-hour courses. In addition to completing the course Medical Marijuana 101, students must complete a medical marijuana law course. Knowing the laws behind dispensing marijuana is essential to avoid being arrested or violating state regulations. There are several other courses that offer lessons teaching the art and science of marijuana. Upon completion of the program students must pass an exam scoring 70 percent on 12 different sections and having an overall score of 75 percent.
Uma Dhanabalan, a teacher at NIC who currently holds her Master’s in the Public Health from Harvard University points out her most interesting discovery. Dhanabalan states that years later into her career she had no idea that medical marijuana helped patients with chronic pain, glaucoma, nausea and migraines. Once she was presented the job offer she could not resist. Several cook books have been released teaching cooks how to add medical marijuana to their food to enhance flavor. This is obviously an opportunity to make large amounts of money and change the lifestyles of patients.
Twelve students have graduated so far and there are 64 more students pending enrollment. Program costs will be increasing on Jan 1st, 2015. Prices will increase from $1,500 to $2,000. With more business opening up there will hopefully be a compromise for the new upcoming industry.
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