As Ontario prepares to launch cannabis retail sales on April 1, Lift & Co. Corp. (OTCMKTS:LFCOF) said it has issued more than 600 CannSell certificates to the province’s cannabis retail employees since launching CannSell just over one month ago.

Lift & Co. is approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for training and communication to all cannabis retail employees. The company is developing data products and training modules in a bid to provide a compliant trade marketing solution for cannabis businesses that are otherwise severely restricted in their capacity to market their brands.

Cannabis retail employees are important in the cannabis business. A recent U.S. survey indicates that more than 90% of consumers strongly consider the retail employee’s recommendation when making a cannabis purchase.

In total, more than 1,500 Ontarians have created a CannSell profile, and nearly 800 have enrolled in the mandatory, accredited training program.

“CannSell is indisputably shaping the private retail experience in Canada’s largest market, and by extension, shaping the entire industry. We are thrilled with the overwhelming interest in the program and are excited to scale it through complementary branded training modules,” Lift & Co. CEO Matei Olaru said in a statement.

CannSell Training

CannSell launched in February as the only approved training program by the AGCO. CannSell was developed in a partnership with MADD Canada.

The training program consists of a self-guided eLearning certification program, delivered through a Lift & Co.-branded learning management system, offered in both English and French.

CannSell retails for C$49.99 + tax and is compatible across desktop, tablet and mobile. To obtain the certification, students are required to earn at least 80% on the final exam, administered digitally as part of the LMS at the conclusion of the training modules.

CannSell is designed to educate cannabis retail employees on the responsible sale of cannabis, as well as their legal and regulatory obligations. It also provides basic knowledge about cannabis to ensure that those who are selling it understand its various forms, effects and the potential risks and harms of cannabis use.

Lift & Co. said that its retail training is being utilized by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, the Prince Edward Island Cannabis Management Corporation and by numerous private retailers across the country.