Cannabis retail staff to undergo certification training
Government-mandated training for Ontario cannabis retailers will include a set of guidelines to assist clerks in the delicate task of spotting intoxicated customers and refusing to serve them.
The program, to be completed by every person working in Ontario’s private cannabis retail sector when it launches in April, provides a list of telltale signs, including “dry mouth,” “inappropriate sweating” and “inappropriate speech volume.”
“(Intoxicated people) fumble with things,” said Andrew Murie, chief executive at Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, which designed the training in partnership with the cannabis technology company Lift & Co. “As they’re putting their card in, and they have to put their pin number in, they’ll fumble with that . ... Speech is a real big thing ... There’s a delayed reaction when you ask them a question. They’re kind of looking off to the side.”
The new certification program, called Cannsell, is the only training program approved by Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission board of directors. The agreement does not include “any monetary transaction” between the government, MADD and Lift & Co., according to Lift.
All employees at Ontario’s first tranche of 25 private retail stores are required to complete the training — which costs $49.99 — before their first day of work. It will be available starting Monday.
Asked if the tips on identifying intoxicated customers might inadvertently see sober people turned away simply for being clumsy, Murie insisted that clerks are only advised to refuse service after noticing a combination of signs, not just one.
Once the training is finished, users have to get 80 per cent on the exam to get their certification. If they fail twice, they have to pay another $49.99 to take the course again.