Five certificate programs will train students about business, medical, legal, product and agricultural aspects of the industry.

Fire on Fore in Portland on Wednesday. The store was the Old Port’s first medical and first recreational cannabis store.
*Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer*

Patrick Small, general manager at Fire on Fore, helps Tyler Grill choose a product at the cannabis shop in the Old Port on Wednesday.
*Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer*

Summary:

The University of New England (UNE) has launched five online certificate programs focused on the booming cannabis industry, covering key areas such as business, healthcare, law, product development, and agriculture. Partnering with California-based Green Flower, UNE aims to address the unmet educational needs of Maine’s most valuable cash crop, which generated nearly $500 million last year, surpassing traditional crops like potatoes and blueberries.

Leo Paquette, co-owner of Fire on Fore—the first medical and recreational cannabis store in Portland's historic Old Port—emphasizes the importance of such educational initiatives. Paquette, who also owns Firefly Organics, believes that formal education will help new entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of the cannabis industry, from regulatory challenges to banking and taxation issues. He highlights that cannabis businesses face unique hurdles, including market saturation and increasing operational costs, making education crucial for sustainability.

Maine’s cannabis market is expanding rapidly, with 157 recreational shops, 66 medical dispensaries, and an estimated 289 medical storefronts. The industry’s growth has sparked concerns about market saturation, but Paquette and other industry leaders see education as a key to long-term success and reducing stigma. UNE’s partnership with Green Flower positions it at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry, with the potential for significant growth as federal reforms loom on the horizon.

Exerpt:

Paquette is the owner of Firefly Organics, a medical cannabis cultivation facility, and a co-owner of Fire on Fore, the Old Port’s first recreational cannabis store.

Cannabis has quickly become Maine’s most valuable cash crop. Together, the state’s medical and recreational markets brought in almost $500 million last year – more than potatoes, blueberries, hay and maple syrup combined.

But the markets also have been struggling to keep up with the industry’s rapid growth. Business owners are combatting concerns about market saturation, which is driving the price of cannabis down while the costs of running the business, including payroll and energy bills, are only increasing.

“I think a lot of people at this point that are active in the business learned a lot of things on the fly and definitely learned some hard lessons” early on, Paquette said.

“Everyone knows there’s going to be failures and there’s going to be successes,” he said, but the cannabis industry faces challenges that many others don’t.

Business owners have limited access to banking, pay steep tax bills and can’t write off normal business expenses.

Additional education could give prospective entrepreneurs a leg up and help them build more sustainable businesses. Plus, attention from well-regarded educational institutions could help improve public perception and bring attention to some of the industry’s challenges, Paquette said.