NEW: digital badge included

Cannabis 101: Marijuana Basics & Cannabis Education

A beginner's course on the whole subject: the plant, cannabinoids and terpenes, products and labels, how growing and infusing work, the industry and the law. This self-paced online course takes about 12.5 hours, works on any phone, and ends with the Cannabis 101 Certificate.

Early Black Friday Sale: or get all 7 for $199 — the Master of Cannabis includes this course and 6 more, through Cyber Monday (then $299).

Enroll Now — $149

4.7 on Google · 128 reviews

7-day money-back guarantee on individual purchases (Refund Policy) · Works on any phone · Progress saves automatically

Covers the plant, products, growing, cooking and the law
Beginner-friendly, no experience required
100% online and self-paced
1 year of access; renew for $49/year

Who’s taking this course? Just me — $149 Me and others / my team — buy seats for the people you enroll (friends, family, coworkers or staff). You’ll get a simple dashboard to add people, see who’s finished, and download their certificates.

How many people?

I’m taking it too (uses one seat)

People	Price
1–3	$149 each
4	$495 total (same as 5)
5–19	$99 each
20–24	up to $1,975 total (same as 25)
25–99	$79 each
100 or more	Request a quote

Continue to checkout

Team purchases: seats can be assigned for 12 months.

A Cannabis 101 Certificate lesson screen, Intro to Cannabis Basics, with the Cannabis 101 digital badge from Cannabis Training University

The Cannabis 101 Certificate is an online beginner's course covering the plant, cannabinoids and terpenes, products and labels, growing and infusing basics, the industry and the law.

Who this course is for

Complete beginnerswho want to understand cannabis properly, in plain words.

Adults in legal stateswho want to read a product label and know what they're buying.

People exploring the industrywho want the big picture before choosing a path: growing, retail, kitchens or business.

Professionals who need a groundingwriters, marketers, HR, landlords and educators.

Not medical or legal advice, and not a full growing or cooking course.

What Is Cannabis?

Cannabis is a flowering plant. "Marijuana" usually means cannabis grown for THC, while "hemp" means cannabis bred to contain very little THC.

"Indica", "sativa" and "hybrid" are traditional labels for a plant's shape and background. Shops use them loosely, so the course also teaches you to read cannabinoid and terpene content on the label.

Cannabis 101 covers the basics of growing, but it is not a full growing course.

What you'll be able to do

After this course you'll be able to:

Tell cannabis, marijuana and hemp apart, and explain what "indica", "sativa" and "hybrid" mean
Name the main cannabinoids and terpenes, and explain the entourage effect
Read a product label: potency, serving size, testing and batch details
Describe the main products: flower, concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals
Explain the stages of a grow, from seed or clone to harvest and cure
Explain how infusions and tinctures are made
Explain how medical and adult-use laws differ in the US and Canada

This training is educational, not medical advice.

Everything included for $149

6 modules, 20 lessons: about 12.5 hours of self-paced training
6 module quizzes and a final exam
Cannabis 101 Certificate with your name, the course hours and a verification code
Public verification page where anyone can check your certificate
1 year of access; renew for $49/year to keep course access. Your certificate never expires. Works on any phone, tablet or computer; your progress saves automatically

Full curriculum

6 modules, 20 lessons, about 12.5 hours. Open any module to see its lessons.

6 modules · 20 lessons · 6 module quizzes · final exam

Module 1 Intro to Cannabis Basics 3 lessons · quiz

What Is Cannabis?
Components of Cannabis
Cannabis Products
Module quiz

Module 2 Intro Fundamentals of Cannabis Cultivation 3 lessons · quiz

Before You Start Growing Cannabis
Setting Up Your Indoor Cannabis Grow Area
Getting Ready for Your Cannabis Plants
Module quiz

Module 3 Intro How to Grow Cannabis 4 lessons · quiz

Cannabis Clones and Seedlings
Vegetative and Flowering Stages of Cannabis
Harvesting, Curing, and Trimming Cannabis
Cannabis Garden Troubleshooting
Module quiz

Module 4 Intro Cannabis Cooking and Extraction Methods 5 lessons · quiz

Introduction to Cannabis Extraction
Preparing the Cannabis
Cannabis Infusion and Extraction
Straining, Filtering, and Purging
Cooking With Cannabis
Module quiz

Module 5 Intro Cannabis Careers 3 lessons · quiz

Cannabis Cultivation Careers
Cannabis Processing Careers
Cannabis Dispensary and Budtender Careers
Module quiz

Module 6 Intro Cannabis Laws and Regulations 2 lessons · quiz

Cannabis Laws in the United States
Cannabis Laws in Canada
Module quiz

Final exam · pass it to earn your certificate

How it works

Enroll for $149 and start right away.
Learn on any device, at your own pace. Your progress saves automatically.
Pass the final exam after the six modules.
Get your certificate: download the PDF and share its verification code.

What students say

JMJenifer Marks ★★★★★

Trustpilot, Aug 28, 2023

“It gives you everything from the basics to advanced information, which is helpful to all learning levels.”

SGSiddhartha Gupta ★★★★★

Trustpilot, Jan 29, 2024

“Currently still in the program, but absolutely loving it!”

DSDeAndrea S ★★★★★

Trustpilot, Aug 25, 2026

“Just finished the course for the 2nd time! Very very helpful with my business!”

Reviews are from CTU students and are quoted as written; not every review names this course. Read all reviews on Trustpilot · Google · our reviews page.

Your certificate

When you pass the final exam you get the Cannabis 101 Certificate, with your name, the course hours (12.5) and a verification code. Anyone can check it on our certificate verification page.

Your certificate is permanent and never expires. Course access lasts 1 year; the optional $49/year renewal keeps your course access.

Cannabis Training University is an IACET Accredited Provider. A certificate of completion is not a state license, permit or agent card, and it is not a medical card. Each state sets its own requirements.

Cannabis 101 digital badge, Cannabis Training University

Earn your digital badge

Pass the final exam and you get the Cannabis 101 Certificate and a matching digital badge. Your certificate and badge never expire, and anyone can verify them.

What your badge shows

Identifying cannabis plant types
Explaining cannabinoids and terpenes
Comparing cannabis product types
Reading cannabis product labels
Planning a small indoor grow
Harvesting, drying and curing flower
Making basic oil infusions
Explaining US and Canadian cannabis law

How you share it

Add it to LinkedIn in one click. The button fills in Licenses & certifications for you: the certificate name, Cannabis Training University, the issue date, your credential ID and the link.
Post it. Share your badge as a LinkedIn post, or on Facebook or X, from the Certificates tab or your pass screen.
Anyone can verify it. Your public credential page shows the badge, the course, the hours and a live "Verified" check. You choose whether it is public.

See everything that's new at CTU →

Train your team

Buy one seat per person: choose Me and others / my team under the Enroll button at the top of this page. Each person gets the full Cannabis 101 Certificate course and their own certificate, and you get a simple dashboard to add people and see who has finished.

Seat prices: $149 each for 1–4 seats, $99 each for 5–24 seats, $79 each for 25–99 seats. A smaller team never pays more than a larger one. For example, 4 seats cost the same $495 as 5. For 100 or more people, request a quote. Seats can be assigned for 12 months. All business prices

How Cannabis Works in the Body

Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a regulatory system involved in maintaining balance within the body.

The course explains what cannabinoids such as THC and CBD and aromatic terpenes are, and how they interact with that system.

Cannabis education focuses on how these interactions occur. This course does not provide medical advice or treatment recommendations.

Cannabis 101 FAQs

How long does the course take?

About 12.5 hours of lessons. It's self-paced, so most people spread it over a few weeks. Your progress saves on any device.

How much does it cost?

$149, one payment. That includes all 6 modules, the quizzes, the final exam and your certificate.

Do I need any cannabis experience?

No. The course starts with the plant itself and builds up to products, growing, infusing and the law.

What is the Cannabis 101 certification?

Cannabis 101 is CTU’s foundational course, designed to give you a strong understanding of the cannabis plant, its classifications, cannabinoids and terpenes, cannabis products, product labels, and different consumption methods. No prior cannabis knowledge is required.

What's the difference between indica and sativa?

You’ve probably heard cannabis described as indica, sativa, or hybrid, but those labels may not tell you as much as you think. Learn why cannabinoid and terpene profiles can offer a better understanding of a cannabis product and its potential experience.

What are terpenes and why do they matter?

Terpenes are aromatic compounds that shape the character of a cannabis experience. Myrcene, limonene, pinene, linalool, caryophyllene and humulene are among the major ones. They can do as much to shape how a product feels as the THC percentage.

Does it cover edibles, concentrates and topicals as well as flower?

Yes. Explore the full range of cannabis products, including flower, concentrates and their different consistencies, edibles, beverages, tinctures, capsules, topicals, transdermals, and specialty products, along with how each is used.

Is it online and self-paced?

Yes. It's fully online and self-paced, with no scheduled sessions.

How does this differ from the Budtender certification?

Cannabis 101 is focused on the consumer, helping you understand the cannabis plant, different products, and how to read labels so you can make more informed choices. The Budtender Certification builds on that product knowledge while adding dispensary operations, compliance, point-of-sale systems, and the skills needed to work in cannabis retail. If you took Budtender, most of Modules 1–3 will be familiar; Cannabis 101 adds intro modules on cooking and extraction, careers in the industry, and US and Canadian law.

Is this medical advice?

No. Cannabis 101 is education only and does not teach medical use; that is covered in the separate Medical Cannabis Education course. Talk to a doctor about any health question.

Is this a license?

No. It's a certificate of completion from an IACET Accredited Provider. It is not a state license, permit or medical card.

Is CTU accredited?

Cannabis Training University is an IACET Accredited Provider.

How does the final exam work?

It has 50 questions and you need 70% to pass. It unlocks after the six module quizzes. You can retake it until you pass.

Does my certificate expire?

No. Your certificate is permanent and never expires. Course access lasts 1 year; the optional $49/year renewal keeps your course access.

How can someone check my certificate?

Each certificate has a verification code. Anyone can enter it on our certificate verification page.

Can I do it on my phone?

Yes. Lessons, quizzes and your certificate all work on a phone, and your progress saves automatically.

What if it's not for me?

You're covered by our 7-day money-back guarantee. Ask within 7 days of purchase for a full refund, as long as your certificate hasn't been issued and you've completed less than 25% of the course. See our Refund Policy.

Ready to learn cannabis from the ground up?