Sommeliers Of Cannabis: Learn More About Ohios First Ganjier

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — A new breed of experts is emerging within the world of cannabis.

Ganjiers, the sommeliers of their industry, are cannabis experts who have completed a rigorous certification program to assess the quality of cannabis products. And while there are few people who hold this credential nationwide, Ohio is home to one of the first.

Zach Simcoe, a 31-year-old Columbus area native, was the first ganjier in Ohio and among the first 60 to receive his certification from a California-based training program known as The Ganjier. After earning his certification in 2021, he brought his newfound expertise back to the Cleveland School of Cannabis in Independence, where he teaches classes about horticulture and cannabis cultivation.

But growing the plants is just one facet of the world of cannabis that the ganjier program covers. From botany and sales to how to stay current on the latest technologies, the program was designed to train students on every aspect of product assessment.

“It helps ganjiers set a standard of quality when it comes to assessment of flower, which is really important,” Simcoe told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. “Whether it’s judging competitions, curating lists or making a menu, everything is graded on and based around that.”

Simcoe’s passion for cannabis started long before he earned his certification. Although he has been cultivating cannabis for 17 years, his interest began even earlier and is rooted in his family history.

“My grandpa taught my stepdad and then my stepdad taught me,” Simcoe said. “It’s been in my family for a long time and brought us together.”

Simcoe’s desire to turn his interest in cannabis into a career path and establish himself as a leading expert in the industry brought him to the one-of-a-kind cannabis education program.

“I found it really compelling to not only stick with cannabis, but to find a way to vindicate it in a professional way,” Simcoe said. “Anytime I can validate my choices in a better light, that’s what I’m all about.”

Ganjier certification

The Ganjier school’s program is led by the Ganjier Council, a group of 18 industry experts with more than 600 combined years of cannabis experience. Together, they created the certification course with the goal of producing experts who can acutely assess the overall quality of cannabis products.

The self-paced program includes more than 40 hours of online learning, as well as in-person training and exams at the Humboldt County, California campus.

“I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the first 60 people in the program,” Simcoe said. “I was fortunate, and I think my history with cannabis helped me to be picked for the third round. But it took a little bit of tenacity to make it happen.”

Testing is done in three parts: a 100-question multiple choice exam; a role-play scenario to demonstrate ability to use the skills learned in class in practical application; and a cannabis assessment.

Simcoe said that the assessment was one of the most difficult parts. For that exam, students are given a sample flower that has been pre-assessed by ganjier instructors. Using the school’s “systematic assessment protocol,” students assess the product using four categories – aroma, appearance, flavor and overall experience of using the product. Students may only miss one assessment determination in each category.

While Simcoe was Ohio’s first certified ganjier, two more Ohioans have earned the distinction in the last few years. Worldwide, there are nearly 300 certified ganjiers.

Cleveland School of Cannabis

Simcoe has used his education to establish credibility and take on new career paths in the industry.

“I’ve increased my network and gotten out of my comfort zone in ways that I never would have without it,” Simcoe said. “It’s been a really validating thing that I’ve done on my career path, because it makes it very easy, without saying a single word, to let people know that I know what I’m talking about.”

Five years ago, Simcoe joined the teaching staff at Cleveland School of Cannabis in Independence. There, he serves on the curriculum development team and teaches horticulture and cultivation.

Kevin Roche, student success coordinator for the school, said that the knowledge Simcoe brings to the students is invaluable — especially the work he’s done creating new educational materials and refining the curriculum.

“Zach brings a new level of specialization that’s tremendous,” Roche said. “We’re glad to have him on the roster to pass that knowledge on to our students.”

When recreational marijuana was legalized in Ohio, Simcoe helped to develop the My First Plant program, which teaches aspiring new growers how to begin a home cultivation system.

“The positive impact that I had with people was exactly what I was hoping to get out of it,” Simcoe said of his experience teaching that class. “To see people go from asking me so many questions to having pure confidence was amazing.”

The introductory course has since been discontinued, as Cleveland School of Cannabis revises its course model. But Simcoe said he plans to create his own version of the course to offer independently.

What lies ahead

Looking to the future, Simcoe hopes to focus on organizing cannabis events, offering consultations and curating reviews, while teaching at the school and attempting to revive the introductory growing class on his own.

He also recently purchased a hydroponics store in Athens that will help him to launch the course and serve as a source of revenue.

With recreational marijuana soon becoming available to consumers, Simcoe looks forward to seeing how attitudes about the product continue to evolve, and he plans to be active in pushing the cannabis conversation forward. He hopes that the existence of a respected certification program, like The Ganjier, helps demonstrate that cannabis isn’t much different from wine and alcohol.

“When it comes to perspectives and stigmas, definitely, there are some things that I hope to see change,” Simcoe said. “Yes, I am seeing people open up. But there are still people who, I hope, will take the cannabis industry — and those who work in the industry – seriously.”

He adds: “But not too seriously.”