TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lift Co Ltd. (“Lift”) is pleased to announce the first retail training certification program for frontline staff in Canada’s upcoming cannabis retail outlets, with several modules being created in partnership with MADD Canada (“MADD”).

Leveraging over three years of operational experience, Lift is customizing up to 240 hours of modular online and in-class content to each province’s cannabis retail distribution model (the “Lift Certification”). The Lift Certification will equip retail staff with the necessary knowledge to dispense cannabis safely and give each subscribing retailer access to Lift’s proprietary product-level data during training and at the point of sale.

"Provinces want to ensure that retail staff are trained in product-specific knowledge while providing standardized guidance to consumers about cannabis and each product’s effects. The standardization of such novel knowledge, expanding at this rate and at this scale, is impossible without a proven solution,” says Lift CEO Matei Olaru.

With ten cannabis education centres across Canada and Lift.co - the country’s only database of  legal cannabis products and their consumer-reported effects and usages - Lift is a leader in cannabis education. Unlike similar services that publish anonymous information on generic cannabis genetics, Lift validates its data by working directly with licensed producers, allowing Lift to place authoritative content and product insights at the fingertips of retailers and staff.

Supported by MADD, the Lift Certification is a turnkey solution for retailers looking to operate in July 2018. “Our experience with alcohol sales has shown that having comprehensive training and responsible service guidelines for front-line staff is crucial to reducing alcohol-related harms, including impaired driving,” says MADD Canada CEO Andrew Murie. “The same will be true of cannabis retail sales. MADD Canada is pleased to partner with a leader like Lift and support this program, which will ensure that all those involved in the retail sales of cannabis are well-trained about the products, about safe usage guidelines and about social responsibility principles.”

Lift is currently taking customization requests from provinces and retailers with training ready to begin Spring 2018. The program takes between 1 – 3 months to customize and is priced on a case-by-case basis. Interested parties are asked to contact Lift directly for more information.

About Lift
Lift is Canada's leading cannabis media and technology platform. Through its cross-national events and cannabis clinic network, the industry's leading publications, and lift.co - the largest database of legal cannabis products, reviews and consumers in Canada - Lift is the voice of Canadian cannabis.

About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.