But given the wild success of the cannabis industry, universities and colleges are now evolving their curricula to make room for such a thing.

And with good reason. Cannabis is one of the country’s quickest-growing industries and employers are on the lookout for candidates that have a foundational cannabis knowledge that goes beyond regular midnight toking.

Cannabis Bachelors Degrees

Back when we began our cannabis marketing firm, there was barely an educational cannabis program to be found. But that’s all changed.

Whether you’re seeking a physical university or a virtual program, you’re bound to find a degree program that works for you. A growing number of colleges offer associates degrees in various cannabis related disciplines. And you can even take individual courses in some cases. For the sake of brevity, however, we’re going to focus on some of the universities with bachelors degrees programs.

Northern Michigan University

Back in 2017, if you wanted a four-year undergraduate program dedicated to cannabis, you had one option. You had to head to Marquette’s Northern Michigan University. They blazed the trail when they offered a Medicinal Plant Chemistry degree. Five years later, the school even has a Medicinal Plant Chemistry Club – which probably looks a lot different from your chemistry club in high school.

Johnson & Wales University

If you’d like to experience living in the smallest state in the country, you can head to Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Touting one of the best entrepreneurship-based cannabis degrees on the east coast, the four-year Cannabis Entrepreneurship degree at JWU prepares students to become industry leaders with a focus on equitable business practices.

Colorado State University-Pueblo

CSU-Pueblo offers students who wish to pursue a laboratory-based career an immersive Bachelor of the Sciences in Cannabis Biology and Chemistry. There is also the possibility of gaining a degree in another discipline, then adding a 22-credit minor in Cannabis Studies (with classes in Sociology, Psychology, and Chemistry).

York College of Pennsylvania

Until York College started offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Cannabinoid Chemistry, there was no other cannabinoid chemistry degree in the state or mid-Atlantic region. Fortunately, with such a demand for trained chemists in the industry, they stepped up to the plate.

Medgar Evers College

Located in Brooklyn, New York, Medgar Evers College is part of the City College of New York (CUNY) system. While they don’t offer a full bachelors, there is the option to add a Cannabis Studies Minor. The college is also unique in that it has an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) designation.

Lake Superior State University

Heading back to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Lake Superior State University is home to two undergraduate degrees. Located in Sault Ste. Marie, LSSU has offerings for both the science-minded and those with an entrepreneurial bent. They offer a Cannabis Chemistry program as well as a Cannabis Business program.

Minot State University

If living in North Dakota has been a longtime dream, then you’ll be right at home at Minot State University. What’s more, if your dream includes acquiring a four-year Medicinal Plant Chemistry degree, then you’ve clearly found your holy grail.

Beal University

It doesn’t matter where you are if you want to pursue a degree from Beal University. They offer a detailed 34-month Bachelors in Medicinal Plant Sciences. And it’s entirely virtual.

Are There Graduate Level Studies?

Yes!!

Thomas Jefferson University in New Jersey, University of Maryland, Pacific College of Health and Science (strangely, in Chicago), St. Louis University (not strangely, in St. Louis) and the American International College in Massachusetts are among those offering graduate level studies. And LIM College in New York City offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Surely, it’s just a matter of time before there’s a doctorate…

Are You Schooled in Marijuana?

Of course, you don’t need cannabis bachelors degrees to start a business and thrive. But it certainly helps. Especially as the market becomes saturated.

Another thing that helps is to have expert marketing and public relations working for you. So if you already have a cannabis business and need to improve your optics, contact us today.

We’re well-connected and we know what works.

The post Where Are Cannabis Bachelors Degrees Offered? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Because, come on. Students serious about studying cannabis aren’t descended from a Cheech and Chong lineage.

They understand the countless opportunities this industry has to offer. And they’re serious about being players in it.

That’s why colleges are adding cannabis to the curriculum – with a couple of Michigan universities offering cannabis courses.

One even offers a full-on degree.

It’s intelligent planning – as more and more graduates gear up for careers in cultivating, analyzing, researching, and marketing cannabis.

Head to Marquette

Market research that focuses on cannabis industry trends projects the industry will support 467,000 jobs by 2022.

On the scientific side, there is an urgent need for analytical chemists who are able to perform quality assessment and assurance for products. So in 2017 – even before marijuana was legal in Michigan – Northern Michigan University in Marquette began offering a four-year degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry in 2017.

A chemistry professor at the school sees it as a fast track for scientists who are interested in cannabis to get into this highly competitive industry.

At this point, NMU’s four-year degree has drawn nearly 300 students from 48 states.

Other Michigan Universities Offering Cannabis Courses

NMU doesn’t get all of the attention in the Upper Peninsula though.

Across the peninsula, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie launched a Cannabis Chemistry major in the fall of 2019 where students can earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in the chemistry program.

For students not as drawn to science, they also launched a Cannabis Business major – where students earn a bachelor’s degree in the business program.

This is incredibly needed. The cannabis market has been parachuting into various states, but there’s just no education in how to work within that  marketplace.

Meanwhile at the University of Michigan…

Smack dab in the town known for its decades celebration of Hash Bash each year on April 20th, the University of Michigan now offers a course in marijuana.

It covered the underlying biology, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, epidemiology, and pharmacokinetics of cannabis. The course it aptly titled PharmSci 420.

All joking aside though, this is not the stoner’s version of Rocks for Jocks. It’s a serious course.

An example of what you might see on the syllabus for a single class is “Study the secondary metabolism, biosynthesis, and CBD and THC assembly from cannabis.”

It’s heavy-duty.

The professor of the course has a firm belief in building science around marijuana. He hopes this his course will help students better understand cannabis and how it can be used as medicine.

The Success of PharmSci 420

PharmSci 420 is chock full of lectures from experts in the industry including doctors, psychologists, pharmacoepidemiologists, lawyers, social policy experts, and dispensary operators.

The professor is feeling really encouraged.

He says that the student engagement for a typical pharmacy course he teaches is usually around 25%. For this course though, it’s closer to 90%.

There’s no doubt it’s generated a lot of interest. While half of the students in the course are studying pharmacy, the other half represent myriad disciplines including business, nursing, kinesiology, and even computer science.

Yet because training in medical cannabis hasn’t yet become part of standard medical practice, there are no students studying medicine in the course.

Ultimately, the professor hopes that one day it will be part of the medical school curriculum. Especially given marijuana’s effectiveness as an alternative to toxic and lethal drugs like opioids for relieving pain from cancer and other diseases.

The Newest Trend in Higher Education?

Hopefully these Michigan universities offering cannabis courses will inspire other major universities in the state to follow their lead.

There’s a wide open market just waiting to be filled with enthusiastic and educated people.

Game on.

And for more of the latest news on cannabis in Michigan and beyond, keep checking back with our blog!

The post Michigan Universities Offering Cannabis Courses appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.