Founded 2026 ANSI/ISO 17024-aligned methodology IACET accreditation in progress Aligned with DCC, CDPH, CDTFA & Cal/OSHA frameworks
For Cannabis Workers · Portable Credentials

Your credential belongs to you.

CCOI designations follow the worker, not the employer. You earn it, it goes on your record, and it stays there whether you change dispensaries, move to manufacturing, or take two years off the floor. Your competence is yours to document.

Choose your credential →
What You Get

Three things the designation actually does.

Most cannabis “certifications” are employer-issued participation trophies. CCOI is an examination-based designation issued by an independent body, held to published standards, and publicly verifiable in perpetuity. The difference is material.

I

It’s yours, not theirs.

The credential belongs to the designee. Your employer can enroll you, but they cannot revoke your designation. It follows you to your next employer, your next role, or your next license type. It is the first credential in California cannabis architected for labor mobility.

II

Employers ask for it.

CCOI designations appear in the public registry. Hiring managers running Skill Verify screens see whether a candidate already holds a designation — and candidates who do go to the front of the queue. The credential is increasingly a differentiator at the point of hire.

III

It documents what you already know.

Most experienced California cannabis workers have real operational knowledge that no paper record reflects. The CCOI exam gives that knowledge a verifiable form — a scored, role-specific examination result attached to your name and publicly searchable for life.

The Catalog

Pick the one that fits your role.

Eight credentials. Each covers one operational role with a published exam blueprint, cut score, and 24-month recertification cycle. You can hold more than one.

01

CCOI-BUD — Certified Budtender.

120 items · 73% cut score · 24-month recert · 12 CEU. Covers product knowledge, guest counsel, cash and transaction integrity, METRC sale recording, age verification, and inventory adjacency.

02

CCOI-CO — Certified Compliance Officer.

180 items · 75% cut score · 24-month recert · 20 CEU. Covers DCC regulatory framework, METRC audit, SOP development, reporting obligations, and enforcement response.

03

CCOI-MO — Certified METRC Operator.

140 items · 76% cut score · 24-month recert · 16 CEU. Covers package creation, plant tracking, manifests, reconciliation, and audit-response procedures.

04

CCOI-CM — Certified Cultivation Manager.

160 items · 74% cut score · 24-month recert · 18 CEU. Covers plant lifecycle management, batch documentation, pesticide and water use compliance, and harvest recording.

05

CCOI-ML — Certified Manufacturing Lead.

160 items · 74% cut score · 24-month recert · 18 CEU. Covers SOP execution, GMP basics, packaging and labeling compliance, extraction safety, and QC documentation.

06

CCOI-IC — Certified Inventory Controller.

130 items · 73% cut score · 24-month recert · 14 CEU. Covers receiving, reconciliation, shrinkage documentation, cycle counts, and METRC inventory procedures.

07

CCOI-DRP — Designated Responsible Party.

200 items · 78% cut score · 24-month recert · 24 CEU. Covers full regulatory framework, license maintenance, employee training obligations, enforcement response, and multi-agency coordination. Proctored delivery required.

08

CCOI-DC — Distribution Coordinator.

140 items · 74% cut score · 24-month recert · 16 CEU. Covers manifest creation and closure, route documentation, transporter licensing requirements, and distribution compliance.

The Process

Study. Sit. Receive. Maintain.

The path from deciding to getting credentialed takes 30 to 45 days for most workers, depending on existing knowledge and available prep time.

1

Choose your credential and register.

Select the designation that fits your current role or target role. Individual workers register directly. If your employer has an enterprise account, they may initiate enrollment on your behalf — you still receive the credential in your own name.

2

Study with the CE catalog.

Every CCOI registration includes access to the CE catalog covering your exam domain. Study at your own pace, on your phone, on your schedule. The catalog is mapped directly to the exam blueprint — you know exactly what you’re preparing for.

3

Sit the exam.

Most credentials deliver via a secured digital platform with webcam-based remote proctoring. DRP and Compliance Officer credentials require scheduled proctored delivery at an approved testing site. Results post within 24 hours of exam completion.

4

Maintain with continuing education.

Your designation is valid for 24 months. Recertification requires completion of the published CEU requirement and, in some credentials, a re-examination. CEU hours from any IACET-accredited provider count. CCOI CE catalog hours count automatically.

Your Credential

What it looks like on your record.

On passing, a signed, publicly verifiable credential issues within 24 hours. It carries your name, designation, issue and expiration date, and a permanent ID that employers and regulators can verify at any time.

CCOI-BUD · Certified Budtender
Jorge Mendez · Issued 2026-04-18 · Expires 2028-04-18
C
2026
DesignationCertified Budtender (CCOI-BUD)
Credential IDCCOI-BUD-2026-31197
Examination score81% (exceeds 73% cut score)
StandingIn good standing
CEU current4 / 12
Verify atgreenstategroup.com/learn/verify
Credential belongs to the designee. Employer cannot revoke. Public verification available in perpetuity.
Labor Mobility

What happens when you move on.

Nothing changes. The credential is registered to you, not to your employer. Your designation, your CE hours, and your examination record travel with you. Your new employer can verify your standing from the public registry without involving your previous employer in any way.

What you keep.

  • Your full credential with original issue date
  • Your examination score on record
  • Your CE hour bank
  • Your designation on the public registry
  • Access to your candidate account and CE catalog
  • The ability to add new credentials at the worker-direct rate

What your previous employer had.

  • Access to your standing on their operator dashboard while you were employed there
  • The ability to list you as a credentialed team member
  • No ownership of the credential itself — it was always yours
Get Started

The exam is 120 questions. The credential is permanent.

California cannabis workers with CCOI designations are more hireable, harder to replace, and better documented when the DCC shows up. The credential costs less than one unplanned training session and is valid for two years.

View exam blueprints → Browse the CE catalog → Verify a credential →