ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Medical Cannabis Network recently launched a joint venture with the Cannabis Training Institute (CTI) to provide medical education to physicians in legal medical marijuana states. CTI has been providing educational resources for the cannabis industry since 2013.
The State of Maryland is preparing to accept applications for Medical Cannabis Cultivation and Dispensary licenses. The licenses will be awarded on a point system, similar to other states, with weight being given to experience and education. Uniquely, Maryland will allow cultivators to act as dispensaries, with additional licensed satellite dispensaries throughout the state. Unlike other medical cannabis programs, patients will be qualified on the basis of symptoms rather than specific conditions.
The decision to award licenses will be based on preferred staffing, experience and education of applicants and staff. The State is concerned about public safety as well as safe access to medical cannabis. The Commission allows for transferable experience from other industries, unlike other states in which experience in the medical cannabis industry is required. The commission also requires that each person involved in cultivation or dispensary activities ‘has the training, education or experience necessary to perform assigned functions’.
Cannabis Training Institute (CTI) has been instrumental in providing education that leads to certification throughout the country. In Illinois, applicants with CTI certification have been successful in receiving cultivation and dispensary licenses, their certifications assuring that training has been provided and expertise has been demonstrated. This carries great weight in influencing the decision to award or withhold a license. CTI’s certification includes courses for physicians, as wells as for cultivators and dispensaries, including processing, laboratory standards, and distribution—all crucial factors in the license award decision.