New Jersey couple launch Minority Cannabis Academy

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New Jersey couple launch Minority Cannabis Academy

Two entrepreneurs, Stanley Okoro and Brendon Robinson, who are already deeply rooted in the cannabis industry, have announced plans to launch the Minority Cannabis AcademyCannabis Academy MCA, a program that was created by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission CRC out of their own experience with the negative impact of the War on Drugs. There needs to be opportunities for minorities at all levels. The non-profit, workforce development program is set to tackle what the couple say has been a shortfall in New Jersey's pathway to legalization thanks to the financial and professional backing of Shaya Brodchandel, CEO, Harmony Dispensary.

The MCA is intended to give individuals an opportunity to start in the industry by working at a dispensary or cultivation facility with initial educational programming that will include 8 week courses on budtending and horticulture.

This pilot programming, along with three additional courses that will be added to the MCA's curriculum, will help prepare future minorities for a wide range of positions including as top-level CEOs, store managers and cultivation directors.

The Minority Cannabis AcademyCannabis Academy will create entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for disenfranchized communities and impact zones through education and workforce development, according to Okoro. We have the ability to create a more diverse and equitable industry in New Jersey with education and technical training. Okoro praised Brodchandel for his understanding of the cannabis culture, saying that while his financial contribution of $165,000 is going to provide critical support for education, the cannabis industry can transform lives, and that begins with creating opportunities for those who have been disenfranchised for too long. The MCA will be housed at Harmony Dispensary's Jersey City location, and expected to welcome its first class of 25 students from Jersey City, Newark and Irvington in June. Brodchandel said that the MCA wanted the men and women to get a full hands-on experience of what it is like to work in the cannabis industry. Brendon and Stanley have created a man to fish because of their passion for education. We are going to put real people into real jobs and help them build real careers. That will have an impact on the community we are serving. Robinson warned that this is going to be a challenging program. It is designed that way because this is a challenging industry. It's going to be authentic and provide a level of sustainability that this industry and our community deserves.