Schools around the country now offer courses, certificates, and degree programs focusing on the cannabis industry.
As the cannabis industry continues to flourish and new medical and recreational marijuana programs spread across the U.S., more and more people are looking for a way to break into this booming industry.
Available are many entry-level jobs that are tied to the retail of the cannabis plant, including trimmers, budtenders, and security. However, more specialized positions exist that demand highly trained professionals with specific skill sets, such as:
- Chemists
- Doctors
- Horticulturists
- Lawyers
You can learn more about getting a job in the cannabis industry HERE.
As a response to this increasing demand for skilled workers in the cannabis industry, universities in the U.S. like Harvard, the University of Denver, Vanderbilt University, and Ohio State University have begun offering single classes focusing on cannabis law and policy, the plant’s biology and chemistry, and marijuana business and marketing.
However, Northern Michigan University is unique. It now offers a four-year Medicinal Plant Chemistry degree that mixes chemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, and marketing and finance, which began this current fall semester as a four-year program.
The idea for the degree program first came to associate chemistry professor Brandon Canfield last year when he attended an American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Diego. There, Canfield learned of the need for analytical chemists in the cannabis industry, motivating him to pursue the creation of the new degree program.
Students won’t be growing or working with the cannabis plant as long as it remains federally illegal. Yet, Canfield said there are plenty of ways to transfer the knowledge from growing other medicinal plants to marijuana. The students will learn how to measure and extract the compounds in plants that can be used for medicinal purposes and then be able to transfer that knowledge to marijuana.
People looking to join the cannabis industry can also receive certificates in a variety of disciplines related to cannabis. These come from marijuana-centric schools like:
- Oaksterdam University
- Humboldt Cannabis College
- THC University
- Clover Leaf University.
A simple Google search brings up dozens more small schools also offering certificate programs. Because these schools are primarily located in legal marijuana states, students there can receive hands on experience with the cannabis plant from industry experts.
Online classes are also available to those looking to learn more about the cannabis industry but don’t live nearby to a school offering the courses they want. The Cannabis Training University features online certification courses in topics including cannabis cultivation, laws, medical use, and cooking. Students have twelve months of access to all the schools materials and can complete as many certificate programs as they wish. Instructors and course creators include industry professionals like renowned master grower Ed Rosenthal.
Other online schools, like Green Cultured, THC University, and the Cannabis Training Institute also offer certificate programs. Costs for these online programs range from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars.
When choosing a school, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you want to attend an accredited university?
- Or is attending a non-accredited cannabis college sufficient?
- Do you prefer on campus or online courses?
- How much you are willing to spend for your training?
Once you’ve determined your individual needs, basic research will help reveal which school or program is right for you.
Discover more about the rapidly expanding cannabis industry on our news feed.
