Core • Required prerequisite
Core Cannabis
The shared vocabulary every dispensary employee needs to operate without embarrassing the brand. You will learn the plant from biology through chemistry, the full product taxonomy from flower to edibles to concentrates, the endocannabinoid system and why cannabinoids do what they do, the U.S. legal architecture and the federal-state conflict that defines this industry, and the precise customer-facing language that keeps you compliant and credible. Required before any role track or elective.
23 lessons7.7 hours460 section quizzes5 chapters
Begin courseFree during early access
What you'll master
Outcomes you can defend.
- Speak fluently about cannabinoids, terpenes, and the entourage effect without overclaiming what the science supports
- Distinguish every product category by format, onset, duration, and ideal customer fit
- Verify IDs, enforce purchase limits, and refuse service without losing composure
- Recognize the ten cannabis customer personas and adjust language for each
- Discuss product effects in compliant reported-effects language that never crosses the medical-claim line
- Explain the federal-state legal conflict and what "legal" actually means in your market
Curriculum
The full syllabus.
Every lesson, in the order we recommend you take them. Click any lesson to begin. Your progress saves automatically.
Part 01
6 lessons • 100 minThe Plant
- 01Cannabis 101: What Is CannabisBaseline definitions of the cannabis plant, the role of trichomes, the hemp-vs-cannabis 0.3% THC threshold under the 2018 Farm Bill, and why sativa/indica labels are effect-family shorthand rather than pharmacological categories.5 min
- 01The Cannabis Plant: Biology, History, and the Hemp-vs-Cannabis DistinctionWhat the cannabis plant actually is, why it has been cultivated for 12,000 years, how male, female, and trichome biology drive everything a dispensary sells, and how the 2018 Farm Bill's 0.3% delta-9 THC line splits a single species into two separate regulatory worlds, with major federal changes to that boundary scheduled for late 2026.17 min
- 02Cannabis Chemistry 101: Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and FlavonoidsThe three compound classes that drive every cannabis effect (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids), the endocannabinoid system they interact with, how biosynthesis from CBGa determines chemotype, and an honest reading of the entourage effect grounded in evidence tiers rather than marketing.23 min
- 03THC vs CBD: The Two Cannabinoids Every Operator Must MasterHow THC and CBD differ in receptor pharmacology, legal treatment under the April 2026 federal order (medical cannabis now Schedule III, recreational Schedule I), and on-the-floor customer guidance, including THCa math, ratio categories, and the drug-interaction talk every budtender must be ready to give.15 min
- 04Minor Cannabinoids: CBG, CBN, CBC, THCV, and the Emerging SetHow to read CBG, CBN, CBC, THCV, and the emerging cannabinoids on a COA and on the floor, including the April 22, 2026 federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III and the November 12, 2026 hemp-definition shift that reshapes which intoxicating hemp SKUs survive in a licensed catalog.24 min
- 05Cultivation Literacy: Indoor, Outdoor, Greenhouse, and Why It Matters to RetailHow grow method drives wholesale price, shelf positioning, and customer perception, plus the post-harvest vocabulary (hang-dried, cold-cured, hand-trimmed) that tells a buyer whether a jar of flower is actually premium. As of April 2026, state-licensed medical cannabis is Schedule III; adult-use remains Schedule I.16 min
Part 02
5 lessons • 103 minProducts
- 06Cannabis Product Categories and the Canonical TaxonomyThe seven primary product categories a dispensary sells, the canonical Treez category names and their cross-POS aliases, and the standard weights, required attributes, and sub-forms that distinguish a clean catalog entry from a messy one.20 min
- 07Flower, Pre-Rolls, and the Inhalation CategoryHow flower, pre-rolls, and the rest of the inhalation shelf actually differ, from cultivation method and cure to infused pre-rolls and 510-thread vape hardware, with the vocabulary to describe any jar on the wall with confidence.16 min
- 08Concentrates and Extraction Methods ExplainedA working operator's map of the concentrate shelf: how solvent and solventless extraction actually differ, what live vs cured starting material does to terpenes, how to read rosin textures and bubble hash star ratings, and how to justify a $25 distillate cart next to an $80 live rosin cart without lying to either customer.22 min
- 09Edibles, Tinctures, Topicals: The Ingestible and Alternative CategoriesHow edibles, tinctures, topicals, and transdermals actually work inside the body, why 11-hydroxy-THC makes edibles feel different, and the dosing and consultation patterns that keep new customers from ruining their weekend.22 min
- 10Consumption Methods: Onset, Duration, Bioavailability, and Dosing FundamentalsHow the six consumption routes differ in onset, duration, and bioavailability, why 11-hydroxy-THC makes edibles feel different, and the dosing and hardware guidance that keeps a customer out of trouble on their first try.23 min
Part 03
4 lessons • 92 minThe Experience
- 11The Endocannabinoid System and How Cannabis Affects the BodyHow the endocannabinoid system actually works, why THC, CBD, and the minor cannabinoids hit differently at a receptor level, and the plain-language explanation to give a curious customer without drifting into medical claims or mysticism.26 min
- 12Terpenes: The Aromatic Compounds That Shape the ExperienceHow to read, recommend, and merchandise cannabis by terpene profile instead of by THC percentage: the primary eight compounds, the aroma-to-effect map, how processing preserves or destroys them, and the customer conversations that turn a terpene panel into a sale.22 min
- 13The Entourage Effect: What the Evidence Actually SaysAn honest walkthrough of the entourage effect hypothesis: what is clinically established, what research merely suggests, what is only widely reported, and how to talk about full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate products without overselling a theory the science has not fully settled.22 min
- 14Strains and Chemovars: Beyond Indica/Sativa/HybridHow to move customers off the indica/sativa/hybrid binary and onto chemovar thinking, using dominant terpenes, minor cannabinoid ratios, and genetic provenance to predict experience with far more accuracy than the old three-bucket model.22 min
Part 04
4 lessons • 79 minRetail Foundations
- 15What a Dispensary Is and How Legal Cannabis Retail WorksHow a licensed cannabis dispensary actually functions as a business: the legal frame it operates inside, the store formats and positioning strategies that define its identity, and the daily realities of cash, compliance, and customer demographics that make this retail category unlike any other.19 min
- 16Cannabis Customer Personas: The Ten People You'll ServeThe ten archetype customers a dispensary serves, how to read them within 30 seconds of a greeting, and how to route each one to a product, a dose, and a basket that keeps them coming back.19 min
- 17Responsible Retail: Speaking About Cannabis Without Medical ClaimsHow to speak about cannabis on the sales floor with clinical precision and zero medical overclaim, covering the claims boundary, the reported-effects pattern, state enforcement triggers, and the scripted refusals that keep the license intact. As of April 2026, state-licensed medical cannabis is Schedule III; adult-use remains Schedule I; Section 280E relief applies only to the medical portion of dual-license operations going forward.20 min
- 18Medical vs Adult-Use: How the Two Customer Types DifferHow the same human becomes a different customer the moment they identify as medical or adult-use, and how to read the signals, switch register, and stay compliant in both arcs without ever crossing into medical claims. State-licensed medical cannabis is now Schedule III; adult-use remains Schedule I.21 min
Part 05
4 lessons • 89 minLaw and Compliance
- 19Cannabis Legal Status in the U.S.: Federal, State, and the Conflict in BetweenHow cannabis can be legal in your state and federally Schedule I or Schedule III at the same time depending on context, what that split means for your tax bill, your bank account, and your product mix, and the three live moving pieces (rescheduling Phase 2, SAFER Banking, P.L. 119-37 hemp) that will reshape the industry over the next 24 months.25 min
- 20ID Verification, Age Limits, and the Refusal-of-Service PrincipleHow to run a compliant ID check every single time, when and how to refuse service without drama, and why the door is the single highest-leverage compliance control in the dispensary.21 min
- 21Purchase Limits, Labeling, and Track-and-Trace BasicsHow to keep three compliance surfaces tight at POS: the purchase limits a regulator counts in ounce-equivalents, the state-mandated label elements that must be intact before a product leaves the store, and the Metrc (or BioTrack) flags that mean stop-the-transaction rather than try-again.22 min
- 22Safety and De-escalation: Handling Intoxicated, Difficult, or Escalating SituationsHow to read escalation early, de-escalate with technique rather than instinct, refuse service without triggering confrontation, and know exactly when to pull the shift lead, hit the panic button, or dial 911.21 min
Ready when you are
Core Cannabis starts with one lesson.
Cannabis 101: What Is Cannabis, 5 minutes. Pick it up here whenever you have time.
Start lesson 1