Northern New Mexico College offering cannabis establishment technician course

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- The marijuana industry is expected to have a big impact on the state’s economy.

In an effort to learn more about the industry, Northern New Mexico College is offering a cannabis establishment technician course.

The course is currently geared course medical cannabis, but that could change following New Mexico’s legalization of recreational marijuana.

“The course really is a broad brush overview of the industry,” said Rick Bailey, president of Northern New Mexico College. “It’s everything from safety and security to compliance, to regulatory guidance to health issues to combating addiction. It’s really a broad brush look at the program and introduction to the course."

Bailey said the next course starts June 7.

They are working with SeedCrest on educational guidance.

With the probability of adult use legalization, Bailey said they may even need to expand the curriculum to include more on agriculture and manufacturing.

“It changes the scale of it, I think. So we had 2,500 employees in the medical cannabis industry. I predict that now within the next year or two that will move to 17,000 jobs,” he said.

He said the additions he will take some time, but he believes NNMC already has a leg up.

“We want to be a little more thoughtful in how we approach in having a workforce that understands, and not just the workforce, the community, who understands regulatory guidance, safety issues, health issues. I think the more we do that and higher education is the best place to make that happen,” said Bailey.