Cannabis certification at Farmingdale State opens doors into growing field | Long Island Business News

Those seeking to start or grow careers in the legalized cannabis sector can find educational and networking opportunities at Farmingdale State College.

The college, which started as a school of applied agriculture in 1912, offers a Cannabis Production and Management Certificate program, an online program that can be completed in two semesters.

And on Saturday, from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., Farmingdale State will host the Long Island Cannabis Session, billed as a high-level educational and networking event geared for craft commercial operators and growers.

To participate in the certification program, “you must be enrolled in Farmingdale State College,” said Andrew Barton, the lecturer and program coordinator of the program. And by enrolling in four classes each semester, students may qualify for financial aid.

The program meets the needs of what the New York State Office of Cannabis Management described in January as a “burgeoning industry” that reached $1 billion in revenue in 2024.

“This milestone is a testament to the resilience, hard work and innovation of cannabis entrepreneurs across New York,” OCM Acting Executive Director Felicia A.B. Reid said in a written statement in January.

The certification program at Farmingdale is aimed at addressing a growing need for skilled technicians and specialists who can enter this field as growers, budtenders, dispensary staff, product managers and marketing and sales associates. The program first launched in 2021 with the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, when New York joined other states with an expanded market for legalized cannabis and cannabis-related products.

“We have some of our budtenders and some of our managers from the program,” said Jim McCune, marketing director of Farmingdale-based Planet Nugg. McCune said he hoped the certification program would convert to a fully matriculated program.

Enrollment in the Certificate in Cannabis Production and Management program has remained steady but not grown markedly since its introduction, according to Farmingdale State. There has been growth in students pursuing certification concurrently with another academic credential, such as a degree in business management or horticulture. The cannabis curriculum complements other academic programs and career pathways at the college.

Earning certification appeals to people of all ages and work experiences, Barton said

There are those, typically ages 18-25, “who are coming out of high school or a gap year and interested in obtaining the certification by itself to help them attain a job in the cannabis field,” Barton said.

Similarly, there are 18–25-year-olds “who wish to attain the certification, but are getting it in tandem with their four-year degree so that they graduate with a four-year degree and the academic certificate. This group may want to work in the cannabis industry or may be taking the certificate to simply improve their knowledge about cannabis and add the certificate to their resumes,” Barton said.

Then there are the more seasoned enrollees “who already work in the industry and are trying to advance their own education to expand their knowledge base to make them more effective at their current job, or to help them switch jobs or get promoted to a higher-level job within the field,” he said.

And there are those who are “currently working in other industries and wish transition over to the cannabis industry. The online nature of the program makes it easy for students who currently have jobs to both keep working in their current jobs while attaining the certificate,” Barton said.

Barton will provide an overview about the certification program at the June 14 seminar at Farmingdale State. The seminar will also feature industry speakers Justin Esquivel from Green Luster Phenos, Rick Rainbolt from Canna Cobra, Dave Tubens from Planet Nugg, and Dave Bavlnka from Kaleidoscope Collective. More about the event is available here.