Vermont - Do I need General Employee Training, Retail Employee Training, or Both?

"Tell me in the simplest way possible: what training do I need to take...and why?"

Trust me, we get this question all the time, and have had this conversation many times.

So, we're going to roleplay this conversation (since we've had this conversation with so many of our partners in the cannabis industry in Vermont)...

You: Is my team required to get cannabis training in Vermont to operate?

Us: Okay, so there's basically three trainings that are required in the Vermont cannabis industry (Rule 2.2.5: Employment and Training). 

1. Licensee Training: agents of those who control a Cannabis Establishment shall complete an enforcement seminar once every 3 years (provided by the Vermont Cannabis Control Board)
2. General Employee Training: Employees of Cannabis Establishments must complete trainings within 60 days of hire and annually after that
3. Retail Employee Training: Customer-facing employees of retail Cannabis Establishments
   must complete trainings (similar to General Employee Training)

You: Okay, why do I need this training?

Us:

• Short answer: the Vermont Cannabis Control Board requires either General Employee Training or also Retail Employee Training (if applicable) from a certified trainer.
• Long answer: Both the General and Retail Employee Training allows your team to be educated on the responsible use, laws, regulations, and best practice guidance of handling cannabis to ensure compliance, decreased risk of regulation breach, and safety for both your establishment and your surrounding community. Sounds pretty helpful, no?
  • Further, compliance training in cannabis has been proven to be effective in developing crucial skills and is highly recommended by industry members across the nation (National Library of Medicine 2019)

You: I believe you...but show us the regulation?

Us: Sure - that's what we live and breathe. So here's "Board Rule 2.2.5(b)(i-v) and 2.2.5(c)":

• General Employee Training: within 60 days of hire and annually after that, employees of
  Cannabis Establishments must complete trainings regarding the following topics, except
  that employees of retail establishments may not sell Cannabis or Cannabis Products to
  consumers without first completing trainings regarding the first 5 topics of the following
  list:
  1. the Cannabis Establishment’s operating, security, health, safety, and sanitary
     procedures;
  2. compliance, enforcement, inspection, incident reporting, and record-keeping;
  3. acceptable forms of identification for staff and visitors, if permitted by this rule;
  4. inventory control and appropriate tracking systems;
  5. cash handling;
• Retail Employee Training: customer-facing employees of retail Cannabis Establishments
  must complete trainings regarding the following topics, and may not sell Cannabis or
  Cannabis Products to consumers until they do so:
  1. the health effects of Cannabis and Cannabis Products;
  2. preventing the sale of Cannabis to minors; and
  3. signs of overconsumption and signs of mental health or substance abuse disorder.

You: What's even covered in your training?

Us: We cover...

• What's required by the Vermont Control Board - See above, but it includes: operating, security, health, safety, and sanitary procedures; compliance, enforcement, inspection, incident reporting, and record-keeping; acceptable forms of identification for staff and visitors, if permitted by this rule; inventory control and appropriate tracking systems; cash handling; the health effects of Cannabis and Cannabis Products; preventing the sale of Cannabis to minors; and signs of overconsumption and signs of mental health or substance abuse disorder.
• And more - retail AND non-retail related training, common scenarios that you'll encounter, the science behind cannabis, and more! 
• And it's never the same course twice with the American Cannabis Training Association - we're required to update our trainings after applicable regulatory or policy changes
• And, we LOVE feedback - ACTA's team reads EVERY single comment and survey you submit. Not enjoying your time with ACTA? Our Magic Formula: Feedback + Time + Effort = Feedback Addressed!

You: Is that it? Any other training requirements?

Us: Nope! That's in Vermont for now. But these training requirements change over time, so drop us a note and we'll keep you posted!

Plus, just because something is not "required", doesn't mean you shouldn't try to differentiate yourself with superior training.

That's why we're here at the American Cannabis Training Association: to tailor our award-winning curriculum to your team's needs. Just contact us here OR email us at hello AT actatraining.org!

You: Got it - who provides "General and Retail Employee Training"?

Us: The American Cannabis Training Association is a leading, national provider of cannabis compliance education. That's all we do - we just wake up, read up on regs, train your teams, track your schedules and go to sleep. And, our mission is very simple...the lowest priced training that is ridiculously convenient and actually enjoyable. 

You: How do I sign up?

Us: If you need just 1 course, buy it directly here.

If you need to train a group, then just contact us here OR email us at hello AT actatraining.org, and we'll make sure to customize our offer on what's best for your team.

You: Anything else?

Us: Listen - we get it. Your life in the industry is really busy with the unique rules, constant changes, and the growing number of stakeholders (regulators, community, shareholders, employees, and most importantly, your loved ones). We've been through it and have helped many people who've gone through the same thing. That's why we create a customized dashboard that helps you track all employees' training schedule and implement our "automation on autopilot" to ensure that compliant training is NOT something you have to worry about at all.