Higher Education: Here’s How You Could Study Cannabis in College | GreenState

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Do you consider yourself a cannabis connoisseur? Now you can get a degree to prove it.

As more states legalize cannabis across the country, more and more academic institutions are adding cannabis to their courses so that students can take courses related to the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry.

It all started at Northern Michigan University (NMU). In 2017, after the administration asked for “innovative ideas” from its faculty, the NMU announced a new course called “Medicinal Plant Chemistry”. The program was designed to “prepare students for success in emerging industries related to the production, analysis and distribution of medicinal plants” and was the first program to teach the study of cannabis at the college level.

According to NMU spokesman Derek Hall, the major began with 20-30 students. Within two years that number rose to 400.

“Medical cannabis was legal in Michigan and no one had offered such a degree before. We were in the right place at the right time, ”Hall told GreenState.

Don’t let the subject fool you: this is a rigorous program. The major falls in chemistry, and the programs require intensive research and a lot of laboratory work. Cannabis is just one of many medicinal plants that students will learn.

Hall said the department’s goal is to train more skilled technical staff to help cannabis and other herbal medicine companies thrive.

“On one side of the industry there are breeders, on the other side users and in between chemists who answer what’s in it – especially the effectiveness of the compounds,” said Hall. “We train these laboratory doctors at the center.”

There are also options for those less interested in the research side of the industry. NMU has added an entrepreneurial pathway focused on the cannabis business to its Medicinal Plant Chemistry major, and the college offers certificates in cannabis health, politics, and agriculture.

Despite the negative stigma that still affects the cannabis industry, Hall said the general attitude of majoring students was extremely optimistic thanks to the increasing normalization of drug as a medicine in Michigan.

“NBC National News came to town to do a story about the major when it first opened, and they asked our students why they were interested in the program,” Hall said. “Many of the students told them that their mother or father suggested they take part in the program because of the great job opportunities in the industry. The stigma that was there 10 years ago is really not to be found in our students. “

Since introducing the Medicinal Plant Chemistry degree program at NMU, over a dozen colleges across the country have followed suit, offering fully accredited academic programs in cannabis farming, chemistry, economics, and medicine.

Colorado State University (CSU) is one such institution. The college began majoring in cannabis biology and chemistry in the fall of 2020 with 15 students in the program. Within one academic year, the number of students in the major grew to 55.

“Our program is neither pro-cannabis nor anti-cannabis,” said David Lehmpuhl, interim dean of the College of MINT at the CSU could train these scientists to work in this field. ”

Lehmpul said the college expects students on this degree to be well employed because Colorado has a strong hemp farming industry.

Cannabis has even found its way into graduate school. This spring, the University of Maryland celebrated the first graduation of its MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics – a program designed to “provide students with the knowledge they need to support patients and the medical cannabis industry, existing ones To complement and develop research ”. well-informed medical cannabis policy. ”It is the first master’s degree entirely focused on medical marijuana.

Although medical marijuana has been legal in the state of Maryland since 2013, the latest statistics show that fewer than 10% of doctors in the state prescribe medical marijuana for their patients. This program, led by Dr. Leah Sera, an associate professor in the University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy, seeks to increase that percentage by removing old stigma and promoting awareness.

“Patients come to their health care providers with questions about medical cannabis, but for most clinicians, medical cannabis was not part of their training,” Sera told GreenState. “At the same time, medical cannabis programs in the United States are expanding and requiring a well-trained workforce to optimize patient care. We thought we could fill these gaps with our Masters program. “

According to Dr. Leigh Vinocur, a practicing cannabis clinician and one of the youngest graduates of the MA in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics, has “expanded” the program to their practice.

“I was a practicing doctor for over 20 years before I heard the word ‘endocannabinoid’ for the first time,” said Vinocur. “I spent the next few years learning as much as possible on my own and eventually started my own cannabis clinic. But I applied for this program even though my practice was already doing well because I really wanted the most evidence-based and most up-to-date guidelines on recommending cannabis to patients. It’s actually hard for healthcare providers to get – that’s a big part of the problem. Health care providers don’t understand that. “

While the program is primarily aimed at medical professionals, elective courses in government cannabis policy and medical cannabis history are also offered.

“Working in the Baltimore emergency room and downtown areas for years saw the ravages of substance abuse and we were taught about the dangers of drugs in medical school,” Vinocur said. “One of the main reasons I wanted a more formal education in cannabis was because I felt guilty for unknowingly contributing to the opioid crisis all these years and seeing patients suffer the medical benefits of the politicization of cannabis. Understanding the history of the war on drugs and how states deal with it really rounded off my practice. “

According to a University of Maryland survey of 132 graduates of the program, 70% said they would use the degree to embark on a new career path in the cannabis field. Sera said she believed this program could set a new standard for what it is to be a professional in the field.

“Our students are committed to professionalizing the medical cannabis field and are passionate about helping patients,” said Sera. “At this point it is difficult to say what academic qualifications will be required for those who will work in different areas of the medical cannabis industry in the future. However, I think successful completion of such a rigorous formal academic program as ours shows courage, determination and a real passion for the field and I expect this to be increasingly viewed as a valuable part of the resume. “

Elissa Esher is Assistant Editor at GreenState. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Guardian, Brooklyn Paper, Religion Unplugged, and Iridescent Women. Send inquiries and tips to elli.esher@hearst.com.