Interested in making cannabis your career? While cannabis programs are few and far between, progressive universities have begun to develop cannabis curriculums.
From growing and horticulture to biochemistry and entrepreneurship, the potential for job growth in the legal marijuana landscape is only increasing.
Want to get involved? Here’s where you can study cannabis in college:
Niagara College
After graduating, students are able to apply for an additional certificate program in cannabis horticulture from Niagara College. This program teaches students how to effectively grow cannabis in Canada’s rapidly changing legal environment.
“The program is a post-graduate certificate,” says Al Unwin, who is the associate dean of the college’s School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies.
“Students will need an undergraduate program or degree. It will focus largely on the specifics of growing cannabis in a controlled environment, and almost as important if not more important, the regulations, the legal requirements that govern the legal production of marijuana in Canada right now.”
Seattle Central College
Seattle Central College offers another type of certification program, in compliance with Washington State Law. This online program certifies medical cannabis consultants. These consultants are then able to work advice medical cannabis patients on different products that may be beneficial for them.
To maintain their certificate status, students will need to demonstrate 10 hours of continued education each year prior to completing the program.
These medical cannabis consultants can then work with patients directly in medical dispensaries around the state, providing more detailed information to patients who often lack support from their physicians.
Northern Michigan University
Now here’s one for the science geeks.
Northern Michigan University at Marquette now offers a degree program in “Medicinal Plant Chemistry.”
While this program is sure to be popular, it certainly won’t be easy. The Medicinal Plant Sciences program primes students for Michigans burgeoning marijuana industry through rigorous courses in biostatistics, soils, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and so much more.
In an effort to prepare students for either bioanalytical fields or entrepreneurial ones, students must choose between classes geared toward botanical medicine making or financial and marketing fields.
The University of California at Davis
California has long been known as one of the most progressive health and wellness states in the U.S.
The medical department at the University of California at Davis doesn’t disappoint. UC Davis offers a class on the Physiology of Cannabis to raise awareness about how cannabinoids interact with the human body.
“This course is one of the few taught on an American college campus with a dedicated theme on the biology, physiology and medicinal effects of cannabis and cannabinoids,” says Professor Yu-Fung Lin, who teaches on physiology and membrane biology at UC Davis School of Medicine.
Interested in pursuing a cannabis and health career? This class might be for you.
Ohio State University Law School’s Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform Seminar
Interested in pursuing the legal side of cannabis? Ohio State University offers a course on just that.
The course description is as follows:
“In the United States, the control and regulation of marijuana use has been a recurring legal and social problem, commanding significant political attention and public resources. Contemporary state-level reforms of marijuana laws has raised significant new constitutional, legal, political and practical issues; policy concerns relating to states rights, local government law, race, gender, public health, …”
Of course, you’ll need a Bachelor’s Degree before you can enter the course. Still, if you’re a cannabis-loving pre-law student, perhaps Ohio State is in your future.
University of Washington
The University of Washington biology department offers a course on cannabinoids. This 400 level course goes over the biochemistry of the plant and dives into how the plant interacts with human physiology.
A progressive institution, UW also offers a continuing education course for health professionals on “Medical Cannabis and Chronic Pain.” This program informs doctors and other healthcare providers about the endocannabinoid system and how to properly use cannabis for the clinical treatment of chronic pain.
THC University
The THC University is Colorado’s first professional marijuana cultivation training program.
It offers online courses with 24/7 access per $50 month or $420 year, and you can choose between 7 certification programs and courses. Budtender Basics Certification, Grow Basics Certification, Horticulture Specialist Certification or Cannabis Business Certification are some of them.
So, if you’re looking for a course on how to properly grow marijuana, the Colorado-based THC University may be your best option.
Cannabis Training University
Another Colorado-based university that operates online. It was formed in 2009 and is well-known for its CTU Master of Medical Marijuana Certificate Program. A 200 hours course considered the best medical marijuana program offered online.
The Cannabis Training University also offers six courses about marijuana jobs and medical marijuana education and training. With these courses, students can learn about all facets of the marijuana industry and get an online certification.
The University of Vermont
“Cannabis Science and Medicine” is the name of the course offered at The University of Vermont, which is the first university to offer this sort of cannabis science programs.
This seven-week program is an online professional certificate designed for physicians, dispensary personnel, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physician assistants, edible creators, regulators, and budtenders. In the course, you may learn about cannabis history, business, law and policy, plant biology, biological effects on humans, production and safety, pharmacology, and clinical research.
The University of California in Los Angeles
The University of California in Los Angeles is supporting cannabis industry in the best way possible: having courses and investing in research.
UCLA has one of the first academic programmes dedicated to studying marijuana. This research initiative, called UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative (or UCLA-CRI), was founded in 2017 and is supported by the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the UCLA Brain Research Institut
They’re currently studying the effects in the lungs of smoking marijuana and the effects of cannabis in depression and anxiety; and, on their own words, its priority is to study ‘the therapeutic potential and health risk of cannabis, our mission is the interdisciplinary study of all facets of cannabis’ effect on society, including legal, economic, and social impact.’
The Community College of New Brunswick
In Canada, they have a lot of cannabis courses due to its legalization, because there’s ‘a need for qualified workers.’ One of the courses offered in the country is the ‘Medical Cannabis Cultivation’ program of The Community College of New Brunswick.
This 12 weeks program for graduates is focused on teaching how to grow weed in the Canadian government’s standards. Specialized training in which the students will be trained in a controlled environment that will start in November with 25 learners.
Durham College
Near Toronto, Ontario, is located the Durham College, a university that has partnered with GroWise Health to develop a weed business certificate.
This course, which starts this fall (2018), is a part-time studies program about weed business called ‘Cannabis Industry Specialization.’ It’s the first of its kind in Toronto and it will cover various aspects of the cannabis industry via interactive online simulcast and in class.
Although they already have other course called ‘Medical Cannabis Fundamentals For Business Professionals,’ an introductory-level course of two days for those specialized in marketing or finance who want to learn about regulatory and legal considerations, ethical issues or basic clinical concepts, among other things.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
In British Columbian, we can find other Canadian University investing in cannabis education. The Kwantlen Polytechnic University offers three cannabis career training for future cannabis professionals: Plant Production & Facility Management, Marketing, Sales & Drug Development and Financing a Cannabis Enterprise in Canada. The three courses are online and cost $1499 + GST for each one. If you want more info about these courses, enter here.
The University of Denver
This private college has added one more course to its cannabis course list for undergraduate and graduate students.
The University of Denver has some of the most varied coursework and this spring they have started to offer a brand new program. ‘Bussines of Marijuana’ is the name of this course, a ten-week-long program centered on the cannabis industry regulations and business implications surrounding it. But if you aren’t interested in business, don’t worry, you can apply for its ‘Cannabis Journalism’ or ‘Representing the Marijuana Client’ programs.
Besides, the university has stated that ‘due to the success of the marijuana programs’ more will follow in the future.
It’s a good thing that there are colleges that are now offering the cannabis course. It may be a sensitive topic but an interesting one. Teaching this course can educate the students the good effect and the benefits of cannabis.
It’s a good thing that there are colleges that are now offering the cannabis course. It may be a sensitive topic but an interesting one. Teaching this course can educate the students the good effect and the benefits of cannabis.
Great!! We’re very fortunate to have colleges offering cannabis courses now. The subject is sensitive, but it is also interesting. Students can learn how cannabis can have a positive effect on their lives by taking this course.