Growing Options For a Cannabis Education

Last Updated on Jan 18, 2018

With the cannabis industry on the rise, many new initiatives are making marijuana-related subjects increasingly mainstream. Normalization of cannabis’ use, both medical as well as recreational, has been on its proponent’s agenda for decades.

What is different now is that, through legalization in several states, legitimate occupations are emerging to service the fledgling cannabis industry. With employment growing rapidly in the field, it should not be surprising that many cannabis courses are becoming available. Ready to get started with your cannabis education?

Marijuana Horticulture

Non-accredited educational sources have been available for those interested in marijuana horticulture for nearly a decade. But only a few schools offered classes at a physical location. California Schools such as Oaksterdam University, founded in 2007, as well as Clover Leaf University, have ongoing programs. Americans for Safe Access offers their Patient Focused Certification Program in all states that have a medical marijuana program. This program provides comprehensive training on how to operate a safe and responsible medical cannabis business while putting patients first. Others, such as Cannabis Career Institute and 420 College offer brief seminars.

Online programs vary in both duration, cost, and quality. Cannabis Training University, for example, offers video-based course material while others use a PowerPoint-based learning platform.

Recently, however, more traditional establishments are offering actual accredited bachelor’s degrees in marijuana-related subjects. Northern Michigan University is spearheading cannabis degrees by offering a four-year Medicinal Plants bachelor of science. In this program, students study biochemistry, organic chemistry, soil, and biology. But business-related subjects, like accounting and management, are also included in the curriculum.

While legalization promises to normalize relationships between users, businesses, and society, the state-by-state approach is creating a complex legal framework. Marijuana Law is now a recognized specialty. Accordingly, some major educational institutions are offering classes on cannabis policy. These include Harvard, University of Denver, Vanderbilt University, and Ohio State University.

In the healthcare field, UC Davis offers a class on “Physiology of Cannabis”, while the University of Washington provides classes on “Medicinal Cannabis and Chronic Pain”. Other universities such as Vermont Larner College of Medicine offer online classes for physicians. The University of Vermont offered their first “Medical Cannabis” graduate course in 2016.

As with any business, a more knowledgeable industry benefits everyone, from consumers to investors. With cannabis businesses gaining momentum, and marijuana becoming an accepted part of the social fabric, more educational opportunities will undoubtedly follow.