Cannabis Dispensary Operations

The Cannabis Dispensary Operations program provides managerial knowledge and assists with dispensary operations in alignment with state and federal laws that regulate cannabis distribution to clients. The program prepares students to work to oversee a licensed cannabis dispensary. Students should acquire skills to interact with and educate cannabis clients in a regulated environment and the foundational knowledge to pursue additional careers in the cannabis industry. Students seeking employment in this field must be 21 years or older and comply with regulations regarding a criminal background check. Dispensary employees will need to meet State Department of Financial & Professional Regulations requirements to acquire an Agent Keyholder Card. In addition, the program could prepare students for employment in the transportation, logistics and supply chain management for the cannabis industry. This program should prepare transporters to apply state laws and regulations to securely transport and track cannabis between business licenses. To be employed as a cannabis transporter, employees must be 21 years of age, meet the requirements to obtain a Department of Agriculture identification card, and pass a federal fingerprint test.

In addition to attendance in all courses, students will be required to complete out-of-class assignments. These assignments include but are not limited to reading, exercises and problem solving, projects, research, papers, and presentations. A student can anticipate out-of-class activities that equal to about two (2) hours for everyone (1) hour of lecture. Upon successful completion of the program (see graduation requirements section of the catalog), students could seek or obtain entry-level employment as a cannabis dispensary employee and/or cannabis dispensary transportation administration position. *The instruction is intended solely for lawful, state-compliant cannabis activities and not for any illegal purpose.

Program Outcomes. Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate the importance of cannabis advocacy.
• Understand the cannabis laws in your state.
• Understand how to sell cannabis to consumers.
• Demonstrate and understand how to manage cultural diversity.

All students must demonstrate completion of a high school diploma, a recognized equivalency certificate (GED), a State-authorized examination recognized as the equivalent of a high school diploma (such as HiSET or TASC), a qualifying home-school diploma, or official transcripts of a conferred Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree from an accredited postsecondary institution. All students must also pass a Digital Learning Readiness Assessment (DLRA) with a technical competency score of 70 or higher, must be at least seventeen (17) years of age, and must be interviewed by an admissions advisor prior to enrollment.

Students applying for this program must successfully pass the Wonderlic entrance examination with a minimum score of 17. An applicant who does not achieve the required score may be given a second attempt after a minimum 24-hour waiting period; if unsuccessful, the waiting period increases to 14 days, and failure on the third attempt will result in the inability to enroll at the College.

Enrollments in all Cannabis programs are restricted to current residents, with appropriate proof, of Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, or Ohio at the time of enrollment. Student enrollment in all Cannabis programs is capped at a total of 200 students per year; once enrollment limits for the year have been met, interested candidates will be placed on a wait list for the following year’s enrollment cycle.

This program is delivered online. Stautzenberger College courses are not self-paced and must be completed as prescribed in the course syllabus. Students taking courses online must complete the online orientation prior to the first day of the first course and need a computer with high-speed Internet access; the platform for online courses is Moodle.

Each modular program term meets for ten (10) weeks and each term consists of two (2) five (5) week modules. Full-time students take a minimum of twelve (12) and a maximum of nineteen (19) quarter credit hours per term, typically two (2) courses each five (5) week module.

The school’s program page does not list the next start date; contact admissions for upcoming starts.

Estimated tuition for this program is $16,280 (based on the current term rate; tuition rates are subject to change for future terms), with estimated fees of $1,800 and estimated books of $550. Estimated first-term costs are $6,527.

Fees include a $200 Administrative Fee, a $150 Academic Success Fee, and a $200 Technology Fee for each and every 10-week term, and a $150 Graduation Fee. A one-time $225 Fee is applied to programs with an externship or clinical component.

Students are billed each quarter based on the number of credit hours in which they are enrolled for the quarter and the cost per credit hour for their program. Tuition payments are billed on a quarterly basis and are due at the beginning of each term unless alternative arrangements have been approved; you’re only charged for the quarters in which you are enrolled.

Financial aid is available for those who qualify; contact the Financial Aid Office for financial aid details for this program. The catalog notes that this program is not approved for the training of Veterans.

Stautzenberger College assists the student and their family in developing a payment plan to enable the student to complete their program. The College also makes available a Retail Installment Contract financing option for students who have not been able to obtain sufficient financing through federal, state, or alternative financial aid options.

In honor of the College’s Centennial, prospective students may apply for a $250 Stautzenberger 100th Anniversary Scholarship by submitting an essay or video; see an admissions advisor for procedures and deadlines.

Estimate your costs with the Stautzenberger Net Price Calculator: https://sctoday.clearcostcalculator.com/student/

Most recent graduation and employment rates reported to ACCSC (published January 2026) for this program: graduation rate 69% and employment rate 7% (cohort time frame Dec 2023 – Nov 2024).