Wana Brands Expand Cannabis Leadership with Green Flower, GF Institute in Promoting Cannabis Credential Initiative

VENTURA, Calif. and BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Flower announced today that Wana Brands and its CEO and Co-founder Nancy Whiteman are joining the newly formed GF Institute to promote professionalism and employee development with a historic new initiative that brings standardized education and professional credentialing to the cannabis space.

"We have been building the cannabis industry from the ground up, and over time we have learned what attributes and knowledge are necessary for top recruits in the business. Now the development of standardized credentials will help make recruiting high-quality candidates easier. It will also advance credibility for the industry among policymakers, business leaders and consumers. I'm extremely grateful to be a part of this process," said Whiteman.

"We have seen the edibles industry grow rapidly and reach new audiences previously unfamiliar with cannabis use?highlighting the critical need for real, powerful, research-tested standards like what GFI will provide for this workforce," said Gil Christie, the inaugural chairman of GF Institute. "Wana Brands' commitment to innovation provides the GFI with a much-needed perspective as we work with the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest accreditation agency in the Western hemisphere, to standardize the cannabis industry and promote professional development programs like never before."

Contrary to popular belief, standardizing education is not about hollowing out the content to its barest elements and extracting it from the culturally specific, community-based approach under which cannabis has been able to thrive for hundreds of years. In fact, many of GF Institute's Steering Committee members view standardization of the onboarding process and cannabis fundamentals to be an important operational component that means employers can focus on bringing cannabis culture to their corporate way of life.

"Company culture is essential for Wana Brands. We understand the value of ongoing education and are committed to helping employees reach their full potential. It's why we have provided company-sponsored education and training programs for years, and why we are supporting the GF Institute in its efforts to create a framework for cannabis credentials that will enhance the level of professionalism across the industry," Whiteman continued.

GF Institute's professional credential program is launching with the first three certificate courses focused on developing the largest sectors of people growth in the industry today: Dispensary Associate Certificate (DAC), Cultivation Technician Certificate (CTC), and Manufacturing Agent Certificate (MAC). Each program is specifically designed to ensure that, for each specific job role, program graduates are prepared to succeed with a fundamental, functional knowledge of what they are being asked to do and why.

Each credential is 15 hours long, 100% online, and consisting of two units with exams at the end of each unit.

• The first unit is cannabis health, safety, and compliance -- and covers everything you need to satisfy mandatory training requirements in cannabis.
• The second unit is a skills-based training, designed to give people a foundational level of knowledge and skill in each target job area of the cannabis industry.

On successful completion of a credential, an individual is automatically granted membership to GFI. The GF institute will offer its members exclusive access to continuing education content, networking and career development opportunities, and more.

To encourage industry-wide adoption, GF Institute invites every Licensed Cannabis Operator across the United States to join this historic push to bring credibility, equity, and professionalism to our industry and become Founding Members of GFI.

More information on GF Institute or the GFI Cannabis Credential program can be found at the GF Institute website, where visitors can download complete program documentation, review course syllabi, and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

About Green Flower:
Founded in 2014, Green Flower is the industry leader in cannabis education, empowering thousands of consumers, regulators, and professionals with the knowledge they need to succeed in the emerging cannabis industry today.

Green Flower's content and technology platform powers the cannabis programs of top universities and colleges across the country, provides customized learning and compliance solutions for cannabis businesses of all sizes, and equips individuals with the skills and credentials necessary to make an impact in the modern cannabis industry.

Wana Brands: Enhance Your Life.
Included in the 2020 Inc. 5000 list at #2,074 and boasting a three-year growth rate of 203%, Wana Brands is the No. 1 edibles brand in North America. Wana leads the industry in quality, consistency and potency, providing a range of different options that enable customers to select the specific cannabis experience they want. Wana products offer diverse product forms, a wide range of CBD/THC ratios, as well as a variety of different dosages, onset times and duration of effects. Wana's best-selling quick onset products were the first to offer a Delta-9 "smoker's high" experience in addition to 5-15 minute onset. Wana products are available in 11 US and 9 Canadian markets, among others imminently coming online. For more information or to subscribe to Wana's e-newsletter, visit www.wanabrands.com. Follow Wana on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. Subscribe to Wana's Enhance Your Life Podcast.

Contact: Adam Summers
e: [email protected]  p:708.223.2336

SOURCE Green Flower