Early in the 20th Century, Detroit drew people from all over the nation who wanted to work in the budding automobile industry.

In 2025, Michigan will have the number two cannabis industry in the nation and business owners are seeking savvy, experienced workers to fill positions at dispensaries and cultivation centers.

Higher education institutions are tapping into the growing industry. Locally, Baker College is now offering an online cannabis workforce program in partnership with Green Flower that offers training in cultivation, extraction and product development and retail. Cost of the complete online course is less than $1,000 and there are payment options available.

Northern Michigan University offers a 24-week, online only non-credit Green Flower program that costs students $499 per month.

According to the Cannabis Business Times, Michigan exceeded $10 billion in adult-use cannabis sales last year. Green Flower co-founder and CEO Max Simon said Michigan’s booming cannabis business has created a great need for skilled and experienced workers.

“One thing Green Flower has done differently is that our instructors are operators, not professors,” said Simon. “If you look at this industry from an academic perspective, you miss a lot of the nuances.

“In reality, you don’t want to take a cannabis program from someone who has no experience.”

Simon said there are a lot of misconceptions about the industry and that most people do not realize the level of regulation involved.

“It is a new and very heavily regulated industry,” Simon said. “Everyone thinks ‘OK, weed is legal and this is going to be so much fun and so easy,’ but it is one of the most heavily regulated businesses.”

Simon finds the difference between the perception and reality of cannabis to be vast.

“I kind of joke that everyone thinks it is fun and easy, but the reality is you have to be very sophisticated to get into the business let alone be successful,” said Simon. “You need to understand science and agriculture and supply chain dynamics.

“This is not simple stuff, it is quite complex.”

Warren recently opted to allow unlimited adult-use cannabis licensing. Kristina Dedvukaj, owner of Nicky D’s sports bar and restaurant, plans to apply for a retail license. She agrees the industry is very heavily regulated and fast-changing.

“With cannabis, it is not so much that the regulations are complicated, but it is very detailed,” said Dedvukaj. “But on some level, if you are planning to open a dispensary, you still have to have retail skills and know how to give good customer service and things like that.

“So it is taking those skills that you’ve honed in another industry and learning how to translate that to cannabis.”

Dedvukaj welcomes education like the new Baker College online program. She said a potential employee with that kind of certification would stand out and that she would consider paying for a portion of the program for an employee with less experience.

“I think it could really build confidence for someone new to the industry,”Dedvukaj said.

Simon called the amount of misinformation circulating about the cannabis industry “staggering” and that an educational program that focuses on facts can help people sort out fiction from reality.

“Business owners who are trying to hire employees don’t have room for newbies who don’t have knowledge about the space,” said Simon. “If you are someone who wants to get into the cannabis industry, you want a job, you need something that lets people take you seriously and differentiates you.”

The highest demand for workers comes in the retail and cultivation sectors with less on the manufacturing end. There tends to be higher turnover in the retail part of the business, which makes it the most accessible area for most graduates. There are still jobs available in cultivation, but it can be more difficult to get a foot in the door.

Simon has been using cannabis to manage ADHD for many years and started Green Flower in 2014 because he saw a need for education specific to the cannabis industry.

“More people are seeking out the product and there is an enormous demand,” said Simon. “I’m very passionate about the value and potential of cannabis and how it can help people with various medical conditions.

“I still feel like I’m learning every day.”