Cannabis 101: Canopy Growth class is in session in St. John's

Canopy Growth is back in St. John's for two days this weekgetting its retailers trained and preparedfor the Oct. 17 roll-out of legalized recreational marijuana in Canada.

Tweed, the brand and storefront divisionunder the Canopy Growth Corporation umbrella, will have eight retail locations across the province, plus a production facility located just outside of St. John's which will supply about 12,000 kilograms of cannabis a year when completed in 2019.

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"The training revolves around safe and responsible use, cannabis products themselves, customer service and anything related to the delivery of cannabis here in Newfoundland," Marc Provost, Canopy Growth Corporation's seniorcannabis subject matter experttold CBC News.

Provost said product education is important to ensure customers have a positive experience when consuming cannabis.

"This is a new product to the market and it's really important that people understand the different types of products that we offer and the varying effects that they can have,whether that be from different methods of consumption or the different plants that they're consuming."

Canopy has compiled anecdotal evidence over the last four years with their medical patients, according to Provost. He said the feedback from patients as to what products do different thingsis being passed along to Canopyretailers to help customers when buyingthe products.

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"It is quite uncommon. This is the first time this has ever been delivered," Provost said about the on-going training."The learning and development department of Canopy Growth Corporation was initially launched in January, but the preparation of the content that we're delivering today started over a year ago."

Teaching in St. John's

Provost said his experience teaching retailers about the company and the product has been "amazing" to this point, and his personal medical use of cannabis drives his passion after seeing the positive results that havecome with it.

"I regularly tell my team to stop and take a moment and pinch themselves, and realize what we're doing here; because it is an incredible opportunity and we're all really blessed to be here."

"Because of what it's done for me personally, it drives me to help others in the same way."

Six team members came to St. John's to deliver the training, while 47 people with various retailers from around the province were in attendance to learn about their future cash crop.

With files from Jeremy Eaton

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