Official Site of The State of New Jersey
FAQs About the CTA
- The New Jersey Business Action Center (NJ BAC) has been designated by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ CRC) to build and launch the Cannabis Training Academy (CTA), a no-cost technical assistance, training and mentorship program that supports local cannabis entrepreneurs who wish to apply for a cannabis license in New Jersey.
- All courses will be available online and will be asynchronous. Courses will be a combination of pre-recorded webinars followed by live, virtual question-and-answer sessions, where applicants can ask specific questions and receive non-legal guidance and direction. All classes in the Academy will be taught by experts who are in or have supported, taught or consulted to the cannabis industry. The goal of the technical assistance and training program is to ensure equitable and diverse representation in the cannabis industry.
- Any adults ages 21 and over will be eligible to register and access this free resource. The general public will have access to modules 1 through 3 which will provide general cannabis information on business/job opportunities and help participants determine if they qualify and fall under the SDC categories (social equity, legacy, minority-owned/women-owned/disabled-veteran-owned, microbusiness, or Impact Zone business). Those that do fall under the SDC categories will receive further access to modules 4 – 10, which will include information and education to assist participants in completing all required materials needed to apply for a cannabis license in New Jersey.
- The CTA is free! The only requirement is that you attest that you are 21+ years old when you register to enter the CTA Portal.
- To begin your CTA journey, please first register to the CTA portal by clicking on the following link: registration link. If you run into any issues, please email us at CTA@SOS.NJ.GOV.
- The CTA is all online and asynchronous, meaning students will have the ability to take each class at their own pace. While instructor modules aim to be 10 minutes or less of video content per module, students can rewatch and redo each module at their own pace. We recommend setting aside at least 10 – 15 minutes to review materials in each module.
- The CTA will offer more than 60 initial courses upon its launch, with more modules planned in the future as new information and updates to the current cannabis laws and regulations continue in New Jersey.
- The CTA will feature general information courses for the public and specific, advanced, courses for prospective cannabis applicants who qualify as social equity, minority/women/disabled-veteran owned businesses, legacy operators or those who are starting a cannabis business in a designated Impact Zone.
- Classes will be taught virtually, by faculty who are in or have supported, taught or consulted to the industry, and feature live Q&A’s for participants to ask application-specific questions. Topics to be covered include in the CTA include, but are not limited to:
- Regulatory Overview, License Types and Classes
- Business Plan & Development
- Application & Licensing Process
- Municipal Process, Approval and Zoning
- Raising Capital and How to Avoid Predatory Lending
- Post Licensure Process and Operations
- Conditional Conversion Support: The CTA also will design and deliver courses to support conditional conversion license holders. Classes for these students will include:
- An overview of the plans they need to create
- Standard operating procedures
- Updates to mandatory information
- Site plan submission and examples that work
- Municipal compliance, approvals and resolutions
- Final site control documents and labor peace agreements
- The CTA prioritizes:
- Building a network of professionals from New Jersey’s cannabis industry to serve as instructors, mentors and volunteers that will assist the public in determining how they can enter the cannabis industry, and will help assist cannabis applicants in the social equity, legacy, Impact Zone, diverse-owned and microbusiness categories.
- Creating a core curriculum program led by industry professionals to walk students step-by-step through the licensing application process.
- Creating and launching a business development plan curriculum that will enable students to build their traditional business plan and learn how to pitch investors and raise capital.
- Creating h a “Legacy to Legal” curriculum that will assist legacy operators to transition into a licensed cannabis operation.
- Creating and producing general education/advocacy webinars or resources to help people learn more about the importance of social equity as well as help to remove the stigma around cannabis.
- The CTA exists to help the public understand the business and work opportunities that exist within the cannabis industry and to walk people through the application process for those who wish to obtain a cannabis license. By participating in the CTA as a student, you will gain important knowledge on how to leverage your current skills and expertise to transition into the cannabis industry, you’ll connect and network with other like-minded cannabis stakeholders and experts in New Jersey, and you’ll learn what it takes to succeed in acquiring and winning a cannabis license to operate a legal cannabis business in New Jersey.
- The CTA remains committed to ensuring all students, instructor and mentor information remains private, secure and will not be shared to any third-party company.
- Yes! The CTA is available to help the public understand the opportunities and requirements needed to obtain a cannabis license. The free information and education provided will help people make the best business decisions for themselves – whether that means continuing through the academy modules to apply for a cannabis license, or seeking other job or work opportunities that supply, serve and support the legal cannabis industry.
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