Colorado’s cannabis entrepreneurs can look forward to a new technical assistance program aimed at providing education on business development within the industry.
The Cannabis Business Office, which announced the program Monday, plans to partner on the initiative with Make Green Go!, a firm that offers business development services to marginalized communities. The free program will provide participants with self-paced learning curriculum, such as videos and coursework, to develop business plans, pitches, and marketing materials, along with other elements.
“As the first state where voters supported legalizing the recreational use of cannabis, Colorado is a leader on programs, research and education that continue to create jobs and opportunities in the cannabis industry,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement. “We are thrilled to announce this work to make Colorado even more of a national leader.”
The program opens for registration on Wednesday. It spans 15 modules, and should typically take between 15-20 hours to finish, according to the CBO. La Wanda Knox, consultant at Make Green Go!, described the curriculum as “realistic, relevant and just as innovative as the industry itself.”
Tristan Watkins, who leads the CBO, emphasizes that the technical assistance program is open to any state resident. His office was created last July through Senate Bill 21-111 in a move to make Colorado’s marijuana industry more equitable.
Still, the new program “is developed with social equity licensees in mind,” Watkins added in a Monday telephone interview. The Marijuana Enforcement Division provides social equity licenses, which are intended to help marginalized entrepreneurs break into the sector. As of Jan. 1, 50 social equity licensees had received approval, with four distributed in December.
“We will continue to build out excellent curriculum and educational materials that will be accessible and beneficial to the cannabis industry moving forward,” Watkins said. “We’re not stopping here.”