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The basics:

• Minority Cannabis Academy opens enrollment for free eight-week workforce training program
• Program offers hands-on instruction, job placement support across three career tracks
• More than 150 graduates to date with 92% enrollment rate
• Next cohort runs May 11–June 29 with classes in Maplewood, hybrid options

Enrollment is underway for a workforce development program that aims to provide a pathway for minorities who want to work in the legalized cannabis market.

Two New Jersey entrepreneurs, Brendon Robinson and Stanley Okoro, founded Minority Cannabis Academy. MCA focuses on equipping disenfranchised communities with the career skills related to the business and science of cannabis.

The free, eight-week, instructor-led program combines hands-on training with job placement support. Participants gain practical experience and skills for a range of roles in the industry, from retail positions to leadership roles such as store managers and cultivation directors.

Now entering its fifth cohort, MCA has established itself as a powerful engine for workforce development. To date, the program has graduated over 150 students and maintains a staggering 92% enrollment rate.

The next cohort will run from May 11 to June 29.

The MCA student experience

According to Robinson, MCA is offering three core tracks: bud tending, extraction and entrepreneurship.

In-person courses are held in Maplewood, while the entrepreneurship courses are offered on a hybrid basis. Regardless of track, all students participate in tours of dispensaries, cultivation facilities and/or manufacturing operations based on their area of focus, he said.

Participants will meet once a week for two hours per session. They’ll be provided with all necessary course materials and resources. Additionally, laptops are provided for those who need them, according to Robinson.

A pre-test will be administered at the start of the program and a post-test at the conclusion to measure progress and knowledge, Robinson said. A graduation ceremony is scheduled for July 6 to celebrate students who successfully complete the program, he added.

Residents of New Jersey and New York have until April 21 to apply.

Seats are extremely limited “due to high demand the selective nature of the program,” MCA said. For more information, contact [email protected].

‘Long-term impact’

The latest cohort is sponsored by family-owned cannabis brand Jersey Smooth. According to Robinson, the support allows MCA to help expand access and scale the program’s impact.

Jersey Smooth CEO Aslan Zadeh remarked, “We believe in investing in people and building pathways into the industry. Partnering with the Minority Cannabis Academy aligns directly with our commitment to supporting education, opportunity, and the future of cannabis in New Jersey.”

As part of its mission to offer students direct access to real world opportunities, MCA has a growing network of institutional and industry partners.

MCA has collaborated with Rutgers Law School to offer a cannabis and business certificate program at no cost to students. It has also struck partnerships with multistate operators – like AYR Wellness, Ascend Wellness Holdings and Cannabist – to facilitate direct recruitment, guest lectures and hands-on learning.

MCA is about creating real pathways into an industry that hasn’t always been accessible. We’re not just educating, we’re connecting people to opportunity, to networks, and to careers that can truly change the trajectory of their lives.
— Brendon Robinson, co-founder, Minority Cannabis Academy

Robinson shared, “MCA is about creating real pathways into an industry that hasn’t always been accessible. We’re not just educating, we’re connecting people to opportunity, to networks, and to careers that can truly change the trajectory of their lives.”

Okoro added, “For us, this is about long-term impact. We’re building a pipeline that empowers individuals to not only enter the cannabis industry, but to grow within it and become leaders in their own right.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 8:50 p.m. March 31, 2026, to correct the contact email address.