Cultivators and Innexo join forces for a new section in the cannabis education sector. Together, they offer a hands-on cannabis training model that, according to the companies, is unique in the European cannabis industry. "We have been receiving a lot of requests from cannabis companies that want us to train their new staff. Unfortunately, that is not possible until they are up and running and have living plants in their facility. Now, we can do it here in the greenhouses at Innexo." That is how the new Operational Excellence Training was presented by Dominique van Gruisen (Innexo) and Sonny Moerenhout (Cultivators) at the first Acceleration Day held for Innexo's Acceleration Platform for Innovation (API).
A tour of Innexo's greenhouse as part of the Acceleration Day, July 2023 
Dominique van Gruisen giving an explanation about the first round of the API, July 2023
Need for practical knowledge
According to Dominique and Sonny, the medical cannabis industry has many similarities to the pharmaceutical industry, having some of the same stringent requirements. "We thought: How does the pharmaceutical industry train its personnel?" If a pharmaceutical company hires anyone, they get a basic third-party training at specialized training institutes such as the Biotech Training Facility in Leiden (NL). "There, they will learn everything about GMP standards. Not just the theory, but the practical application as well." Such practical knowledge is exactly what should be improved in the medical cannabis industry, Dominique and Sonny say. "Few people really know what it is like to work under a GMP certification and to work in clean rooms. In a GMP environment, there is a lot of risk involved when it comes to training personnel. In the worst-case scenario, the company could lose a batch due to improper handling of the plants or contamination. With our Operational Excellence Training, new staff only comes into the facility after they already have some basic theoretical and practical knowledge. We help to derisk other companies' operations by training their staff for them, and there is no better way to learn than through hands-on experience."
The training
The interactive, hands-on trainings cover a wide range of topics related to cannabis cultivation: from propagation to post-harvest quality control and more. Interested parties can participate in standard basic training, apply for advanced and customized training, or combine training and research during Innexo's API. "This also makes the Operational Excellence Training ideally suited for suppliers to the legal medical cannabis industry. They can improve their advice and put themselves, as well as their products or technology, in real practical perspective when it comes to the cultivation of this medically important plant."
Science-based theoretical classes will be taught by Cultivators. Then, what has been learned can be taken into practice immediately. Attendees will learn hands-on how to trim, prune, and clone, for example. "In this safe learning environment, we can even test out new ideas participants have and challenge ourselves and each other to come up with better protocols, which we then can validate through research."
Interested?
"Our training can be the starting point for your team whether you are working as a cultivator, researcher, or supplier. We enable the training of cultivators, processors, pharmacists, sales personnel, and more. These trainings are useful for new or experienced staff looking to upgrade their knowledge of cannabis cultivation. Companies with running operations might be interested in testing out new products or protocols. Implement new ideas and learn by doing, without disrupting current processes," Dominique and Sonny add.
The first training will start in September and have limited capacity. "If you are interested in following a training or simply want more information, feel free to contact us using the details below. Let's work together to develop the cannabis industry."
For more information:
Innexo BV
www.innexo.nl
Cultivators
www.cultivators.nl