Starting a cannabis business can prove to be a difficult task when it comes to regulation navigation and company development, especially in a new market that has recently voted to legalize marijuana.
The Arizona-based Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA) on Thursday announced that it would be offering a complimentary 16-week Social Equity Applicant Mentorship Program.
Sponsored by Copperstate Farms, Weedmaps, and Scottsdale Community College, the Program focuses on helping social equity applicants obtain one of the 26 licenses that Proposition 207 designates for minorities.
“The industry has a greater duty to help those who will come next,” says MITA Executive Director Demitri Downing. “Especially those who are in the social equity category.”
The comprehensive course covers the full scope of the cannabis industry, including the license application process and details for running a successful business.
The classes, which began on January 21, run through April and will be archived so that Program participants can watch according to their schedule and review modules.
Each week, the Program will feature a panel of top cannabis industry professionals.
According to MITA, the first-of-its-kind-in-the-country Program can serve as a model for other states and industry associations interested in adopting a similar program.
The Program is presented by Downing, Dr. Will Humble, former Arizona Public Health Association director Paul Paredes (AZ MJ Logic), and cannabis industry CPA Jeff Tice.
