Panama Legalizes Medical Cannabis: Week in Review

A hands-on cannabis college focusing on industrial education, training, job placement, medical cannabis, and more has spread to central Florida.

Learn Sativa University (SATU) The hands-on program has been around for around four years. The university started out in a 1,000-square-foot building but recently expanded into a 5-acre cannabis farm and training facility in Apopka, Florida, said Patrick O’Brien, founder and CEO of SATU.

The primary purpose of the college is pretty “straight forward,” said O’Brien.

“We’re aiming two paths and looking for two types of people: Either a rewarding career in the industry or people who want to start a business. We can help with business plans, curricula, and anything top to bottom, ”he said.

He said the campus has air-conditioned indoor cultivation and a 50,000-square-foot outdoor greenhouse where students can learn through hands-on training. The college also offers online training for those who cannot attend in person.

SATU’s hands-on and online courses include Marijuana Cookbook, Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Careers, Marijuana History, Marijuana Growing, and Pharmacy Management.

Each course is a one-off 8-hour class, and students receive a certificate tailored to the subject upon completion, he said.

© Courtesy of Learn Sativa University

© Courtesy of Learn Sativa University

The university also provides the students on site with lunch, books, study materials, laboratory equipment and much more.

“We go top to bottom to make sure they’re prepared,” said O’Brien. “Typically a lot of people come here. They go on vacation with their family. They take the course and then they can fly home. And then some of them tend to” want to stay for the advanced courses, or others come back for it a month or two later. ” “

“A lot of people want to test the water first because it’s still very crazy to hear the idea that there is a real cannabis college where you can get that knowledge,” he added.

To date, SATU has over 50,000 students enrolled for either an online or hands-on course, and O’Brien said he has had students from countries like Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia and India.

While the courses prepare students for entry-level positions in the industry, according to O’Brien, several local and larger corporations have reached out to SATU to find qualified individuals to fill open positions.

“We now have billion dollar companies coming to us like Curaleaf,” he said. “[These] Companies come to us and ask for qualified and trained staff who have expertise in what we are preparing them for. These are not all companies, but those that are particularly local to us. “

“And we also see many companies in the [recreational] States currently require this, “he added.” The states themselves require you to have school support to get the license, and they use our school for that. It’s an amazing thing. “

© Courtesy of Learn Sativa University

In addition, SATU has a pharmacy that sells in-house products made by students.

“Some of the students who are making really incredible products are going to collaborate, work with them, and have a part in helping them actually get some of the products they sell through this program,” he said. “So we can allow students to try some of their products, and they change from time to time, but it just depends on who comes through the door.”

For example, a SATU student from Colombia with a background in chemistry developed a CBG oil, O’Brien said, and the college worked with him to bring this product to market.

“Essentially, we are giving our students a set of instructions,” he said. “You follow them; you get a bottom line. Sometimes it’s incredible. Sometimes it’s mediocre. It just depends on how much you put into it.”

“The nice thing about this program, in my opinion, is the networking,” he said. “If you’re just missing a tiny bit of tools, the little tool kit you need, or the skills, you may just need to develop them; we offer you that. So as long as you’re ready to swing the hammer, the sky’s the limit. “