Cannabis Degrees and Courses at US Universities Sign of the Times
Harvard, Vanderbilt, and Ohio State Among Those Offering Cannabis-Focused Education – LPC
Cannabis degrees and courses are beginning to pop up around the United States. This is despite the fact that cannabis is yet to be legalized at the federal level in the US. Topics cover a wide range of cannabis-related subjects including cannabis law, medicine, business, and of course the science of growing cannabis.
Northern Michigan University offers a four-year undergraduate major cannabis degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry. The University of California – Davis offers an undergrad course called “Physiology of Cannabis”. The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver had one on the “Business of Marijuana.” In 2017, Harvard offered a master class in cannabis business.
There are also cannabis-focused schools such as Oaksterdam University and Clover Leaf University. Cannabis Training University (CTU) is another example. “The cannabis industry is the largest job creation machine in the country,” said CTU’s CEO Jeffrey Zorn. CTU doesn’t offer a cannabis degree, but provides training and a certificate for those who want to enter the cannabis workforce. “Last year alone, the cannabis workforce (in the US) grew by 44 per cent, creating more than 64,000 jobs.”
Cannabis Degrees Not Common, But Growing in Popularity – LPC
Cannabis degrees are caught in the grey area between what’s legal and what is not in the United States. In Canada, it’s a lot clearer since cannabis was legalized in October 2018. However, it takes time to develop cannabis degree programs and courses.
But there is demand. Doctors say they want to learn more about cannabis because their patients are coming to them with cannabis-related medical questions.
Elsewhere in Canada, skilled labour shortages may be in part responsible for the cannabis supply chain issues. As a result, students who are taking cannabis degree or diploma programs are often headhunted before they even graduate. McGill University plans to offer a graduate program starting in January 2020.
It may be slow to come, but it’s clear that demand for cannabis degrees will only grow more.
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