How To Become A Certified Ganjier, The Best Job In The Weed World

There’s a new job for cannabis advocates and enthusiasts, similar to a Sommelier; the new position is called a Ganjier (pronounced gone-Je-yey), which turns budtenders into knowledgable cannabis experts.

The new certification program was created by Green Flower, a Ventura-based cannabis education company that believes knowledge of cannabis is needed now more than ever. The program is rather expensive, running at $2,997, and it will train budtenders to assess cannabis and related products while making recommendations to customers and pairing products with activities and experiences.

Most cannabis consumers are still reliant on stereotypical information regarding the effects of Indicas, Sativas, and hybrids. But in today’s modern marketplace, experts say these meanings have lost their touch with the thousands of crossbreeds. Many users also associate high THC content with a better quality weed, which isn’t entirely true.

Derek Gilman, managing director of the Ganjier training program, told Orange County Register that cannabis is an “epicurean product, like wine or cheese or coffee.” He explained how coffee’s quality is dictated through the flavor and aroma, not the caffeine content. “With wine, it’s not the alcohol content,” Gilman added.

It takes three comprehensive steps to become a Ganjier. First, students will take ten courses over 31 hours via an online curriculum. These courses can be taken at the student’s desired pace and will inform them of the history and botany of cannabis as well as information about consumption and retail.

Step two, students visit California’s Emerald Triangle for two days of real-life training and experience. Day one will cover service, helping future Ganjiers ask the proper questions and listen to a consumer’s needs in order to serve the correct products. Day two will help students assess cannabis and concentrates through the Ganjier program’s Systematic Protocol App.

The app helps students keep track of their products by rating each sample based on 31 different characteristics, which then tallies up a score for each sample. Students are also encouraged to continue using the app after gaining Ganjier certification in order to build a roster of their top recommendations.

Finally, step three is the in-person exam, which includes a multiple-choice test and a service test where the students role-play scenarios with different assessments and customers. Students must correctly examine and rate the sample products based on the customer’s desires. Only after passing these three steps can somebody gain full Ganjier certification.