Australia’s first nationally recognised course in medicinal cannabis cultivation has welcomed its first students as the industry looks to unearth the next generation of local growers.
Nine students have enrolled in the inaugural Federation TAFE Certificate III course where they will study the art of cultivation and production over a six-month period.
The course, the first of its kind in Australia, has been developed by cultivation research and development business Cannai in partnership with the Federation University of Australia.
It will combine online learning with hands-on training at Cannai’s facility in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Course units will cover security, regulatory and quality requirements, and the care, maintenance, harvest and pre-processing of medicinal cannabis.
Former Cann Group senior cultivator Nick Spurr will be among the teachers, with support from Cannai staff.
Cannai founder Bryce Lawrence said the course has been three years in the making.
“This is a really important Australian first,” he said. “It’s the first Commonwealth-funded tertiary medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing course of its kind in Australia, and importantly, the students get to learn on a real licensed commercial cannabis farm.
“They’re not just learning theory and practicing on tomato plants or hemp plants — they’re getting hands-on experience with high-THC, commercial cannabis in cultivation, post-harvest, processing, compliance and experiencing the realities of operating within the Australian industry.
“We’ve worked closely with Federation University, overcoming significant logistical and compliance obstacles to help develop a program that can produce industry-ready graduates and start building the next generation of skilled Australian cannabis cultivators.”
The development was welcomed by growers.
Golden Days Cultivators co-founder Sacha La Forgia said recruiting staff with a solid grasp of both cannabis and commercial horticulture production was “one of the biggest pain points in our business”.
“This so this is a really important bedrock for our industry,” he said. “It also gives us the opportunity to upskill people that are already in our business, which is a huge value add for both us and the industry as a whole.”
In addition to finding and coaching the growers of tomorrow, Lawrence suggested such government-funded vocational education will play a wider role in helping to destigmatise the plant and professionalise the sector.
However, he warned it was no use developing a skilled workforce if the local cannabis industry did not develop and prosper.
“Australia has a long history of being a world leader in agriculture and horticulture, and medicinal cannabis should be no different,” he said. “We need to reduce our reliance on imported product and keep building sovereign cultivation and production capability here in Australia.
“If we don’t continue to build and protect a viable domestic industry, we risk training a skilled workforce for jobs that simply won’t exist here.
“I feel this course and this moment in time represent an important juncture for the medicinal cannabis industry in Australia.
“Will we recognise the value in supporting Australian cultivators and the huge ancillary industries around them, and continue building strong, sovereign production capabilities onshore? Or will we allow an increasing reliance on imported product to erode the domestic market?
“We’re really proud that Cannai can provide the real-world bridge between education and commercial cultivation.
“Hopefully this is just the beginning, both for the course and for Cannai’s role in helping develop the Australian industry.”
Medicinal Cannabis Council Australia chair Fiona Patten, who attended the course launch this week, described it as a “significant milestone” for the industry, and a fitting development in the 10th year of a legal medical industry.
She said developing a skilled domestic workforce would be critical for Australia to compete with international competitors.
But she said it also needed greater support from the government in the form of testing imported products.
“Too much of what Australian patients use is imported, and that is not simply because it is cheaper to grow overseas,” Ms Patten said.
“Australian producers operate under strict regulatory and quality requirements that help make our products safe, reliable and highly regarded. But equivalent requirements do not always apply to imported products.
“That creates an uneven playing field and makes it harder for Australian growers and manufacturers to compete in their own market.”
Patten also called for education across the industry to be stepped up.
“This qualification is a very positive step, but education is needed right across the medicinal cannabis sector, particularly among health professionals,” she said.
“The medical, nursing and pharmacy schools training our future healthcare professionals need to provide meaningful education about cannabis medicine, its clinical applications and the regulatory environment in which it is prescribed and supplied.”
Cate Hall, chair of the Australian Cultivators Guild, said she “welcomes all investment in Australian medicinal cannabis cultivation”.
“Our cultivators engage staff with a wide range of backgrounds, education and experience, often relying on transferable skills from agronomy and horticulture or overseas training,” she said. “We look forward to seeing the results from this tailored course and the training provided on the ground at a well-respected Australian facility.”