Universities in the USA and Canada are increasingly enrolling students in Cannabis classes. Students are now being given the option to learn key skills in cultivating the Cannabis plant, as well as the legal and medical implications of Cannabis, as the industry continues to grow.
As Cannabis use has been legalised, for medical and recreational purposes, in Canada and in some US states, demand for formal learning in the area has risen. An increasing number of educational institutions, in both countries, are stepping up to meet this demand.
The Cannabis industry is continuing to grow, and as a result, more people are finding employment in Cannabis. However, there has been a rising concern over the lack of qualified individuals. This is down to there being few official training programs in the area, prior to legalisation.
With encouragement from the Cannabis and Hemp sectors, universities and colleges are beginning to offer both classes and courses in the area. Among the most recent to offer classes is Vermont Technical College in Utah. It’s new CBD & Greenhouse Cash Crop Certificate will allow 12 students to enroll, as a test run for the class.
Christine Motyka, a Professor who will teach the class, said:
“As an educational institution that works to make sure that we provide for those entrepreneurs going into agriculture, we felt that we should be offering training in the production of hemp/CBD.”
Vermont Technical College’s class does not currently offer course credit for the class, due to concerns over the school’s federal funding. However, students will receive a certificate, and the College hopes to offer credit for the course by next year. The University of Vermont also offers a Cannabis course: “Cannabis Science and Medicine Program”.
Other US colleges offering access to training in the Hemp, Cannabis, and CBD sectors include Denver’s business and Law colleges and the University of Denver, in Colorado; Ohio State University; Stockton University, in New Jersey; the University of Washington; the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
In Canada, positions for workers in Cannabis sectors have reportedly tripled in the last year. In an attempt to supply qualified candidates for the jobs, a multitude of educational institutes has begun offering Cannabis classes:
Durham College in Ontario offers the “Cannabis Industry Specialisation Program; Niagara College received applications for over 300 students hoping to enroll in the “Commercial Cannabis Production Program”;
In addition, Ontario Loyalist College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Toronto’s Boreal College, and the University of Ottowa all offer courses. Outside of Ontario, courses are also available in Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and British Colombia.
The courses range from the law and medical implications of Cannabis to the cultivation and processing of the plant.
