We were thrilled to welcome special guests Brian, Jillian, Sydney, Vicky, and Yancy – graduates from Cookies University’s class of 2024! Inspired by the glaring need for plant-touching education and created as an equitable access point into the cannabis industry, Cookies Impact offers free, highly immersive hands-on training for those who have been historically marginalized and negatively impacted by the War on Drugs. For the 2nd year, AROYA is proud to sponsor Cookies University and offer instruction that helps students understand how to use data to grow quality cannabis consistently and repeatedly at scale. Visit their website to learn more about the program and to apply for the 2025 cohort (applications open until August 18).
Here are some of our favorite quotes from the show:
“We've met countless growers and movers and shakers in the industry, like things you wouldn't have had access to or seen had you not been in Humboldt. So since I returned, I've also been offered an opportunity to get on a social equity license as a veteran in Minnesota,...Somebody saw that I was at Cookies U and thought I'd be a good candidate. So just immense opportunities that you wouldn't have had had you not been there. I'm extremely grateful.” – Brian M.
“I already kind of had a vision for what I wanted to do beforehand: cultivation, and research behind the positive effects cannabis can have on our mental health as an alternative to pharmaceutical pills. Now, having come from the program…[and] personally being able to see…a type of roadmap for how I can market my products, how I can grow my products, the type of products that I can make. It just gave me a full visual of what work lies ahead of me…They're pointing me in the right direction.” – Jillian A.
“Since I've graduated Cookies U, I've been able to land a job at Cookies One Log where Cookies U was held as a Cultivation Tech. I never would have thought that I would even be doing this, because when I came here, I really didn't have any interest in cultivation. It was just marketing, content creation, which I still want to do that, but I feel like I want to combine the two…just getting more content of the plant and how it's come about and everything. My end goal really would be to go back to Texas and come out with something, but right now I just want to keep learning.” – Sydney R.
“I came to Cookies U with an idea, a vision, a brand. I think that being there helped me realize what made me special and what I could really offer to other people in cannabis through my brand…It also gave me a lot of resources and connections so I want to make certain moves – I know I can hit up this person, they can give me a resource or they can give me advice. So that makes me feel more confident and [it’s] also motivating me to keep going and keep pushing because being in this industry is really hard…Overall it just pushed me to keep growing.” – Vicky J.
“Since I've been back, pretty much opportunities [include] getting on some microbusiness licenses and actually running one of the dispensaries out here in Niagara Falls. Opportunities have been given to me, but I'm still working on what I wanted to do as far as the infusions and stuff. My main goal is just pretty much…get the funding for what I really want to do. So, yeah, it's been great. Cookies has definitely helped out a lot.” – Yancy M.