As New York State’s cannabis industry continues its growth, guidance for job seekers, prospective and current licensees looking to break into this budding field is more important than ever. The Cannabis Workforce Initiative (CWI), a state-funded effort that relies on the expertise of the nonprofit Workforce Development Institute and Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations, was established to support social equity in this new industry by offering workforce development and legal education in New York State’s adult use legal weed industry.
We sat down with Esta Bigler, director of Cornell University ILR’s Labor and Employment Law Program and co-chair of CWI, to discuss CWI’s mission and how job seekers and employers can benefit from its offerings.
CWI started after the state legislature passed Marijuana Taxation & Representation Act in 2019 (MRTA) – a social justice act that legalized adult use cannabis. It was meant to deal with the results of mass incarceration drug offenses that adversely affected communities of color with criminal records, unemployment and other long-term effects. What was the concept behind CWI?
With the passage of MRTA and its emphasis on social equity in the granting of licenses, this would be the first time New York state had a chance to develop an industry, which is expected to generate 50,00 jobs, in the way we would like to see it developed. This means a fair and equitable industry where people really have the opportunity to own their own businesses, and employees make good family-sustaining wages and move up the job ladder — to change the landscape for people and communities that were so injured by the war on drugs. The goal is to build generational wealth in these communities. The Cannabis Workforce Initiative was created to further the goals of MRTA.
Are there any costs for people to take advantage of CWI’s training/guidance?
We are totally funded by New York State legislature. All programs in person, by webinar or accessed on our website and resources are provided free of charge.
What is the mission of CWI?
Our goal here is simply to support the promise of MRTA through education and training. CWI has a two-pronged approach, job training and workplace legal education for businesses, for job seekers, employees and prospective licensees. For all participants in the industry to be successful, each needs to know and understand their rights and responsibilities so business and employees flourish.
How is the program doing so far?
One of our first projects was to design a15-hour Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights Certificate for job seekers, employees, and licensees on their legal rights and obligations under federal, and NYS laws. This knowledge is key to the industry’s equitable sustainability. Trainings include: Discrimination and Harassment; What Legalization Means; Criminal Records; Wage and Hour Laws and Drug Testing. Since 2022, more than 7,500 New Yorkers have attended CWI training sessions live and online; more than 1,700 New Yorkers have completed self-guided training online and more than 1,100 New Yorkers have earned a 15-hour Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights Certificate. [Those numbers continue to grow.]
Now that licenses have been issued and businesses are operating, has CWI developed any new initiatives?
Yes, CWI is developing a new program for employers. Labor and employment law rules are quite complicated and we want employers to avoid costly legal mistakes. CWI is launching Employer Essentials for Success in the Cannabis Industry. MRTA requires licensees to sigh a Labor Peace Agreement and for employers to have an employee manual. We train on both requirements and have a model employee manual on our website. We will shortly add other helpful programs on hiring the right employees, hiring people with a criminal record, and disability law requirements on access for customers and reasonable accommodation for employees. Occupational health and safety are important issues in the industry. We will soon be offering three programs, for the special requirement in cultivation, retail and manufacturing. As the industry grows and changes, we will be adding new workshops.
CWI offers a free newsletter filled with information on events, training, industry reports and more. For more information, go to cannabisworkforce.org.
Disclosure: The Cannabis Workforce Initiative is a sponsor of NY Cannabis Insider events.
Job seekers and employers can both benefit from the initiative’s offerings. Read More
