Vermont State University is teaming up with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Vermont Cannabis Control Board to provide hands-on training for those looking to enter the state’s regulated cannabis industry.

The initiative includes a two-day series of short-term workshops on December 5 and 6 at the VTSU Johnson campus. Designed for cannabis license applicants but open to the public, the workshops cover a range of topics from business and compliance to genetics and cultivation. Sessions include Cannabis Business 101, Cannabis Compliance, Challenges to Growing Cannabis, and Knowing Your Genetics. Enrollment is limited to 12 to 15 participants per workshop. Costs are set at $250, though social equity applicants will pay just $50, with additional tuition support available through ACCD.

“The Cannabis Studies Program puts Vermont State University at the forefront of cannabis education in the Northeast,” said Phil Lamy, professor and coordinator of the Cannabis Studies Certificate Program at VTSU. He added that by partnering with state agencies, the university is expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs, growers, and even the cannabis-curious to build sustainable, compliant businesses in Vermont’s market.

Funding for the new workshops comes from the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, which supports projects that foster collaboration between Vermont’s higher education system and the broader community. The effort is part of a growing investment in workforce development tailored to the cannabis sector.

VTSU already plays a central role in cannabis education through its Cannabis Studies Certificate Program, a 12-credit course that provides required training for employees in the state’s cannabis industry. Now in its sixth year, the program has attracted students from across the U.S. and internationally, including Colombia and Ghana, where graduates have gone on to apply their training in emerging legal markets.

Nearly 50 students have earned the certificate, over 100 now work in the cannabis industry, and hundreds more have taken courses exploring cannabis from scientific, business, and cultural perspectives.