You can now major (or minor) in cannabis in college.
Years ago, “I majored in cannabis” meant you smoked a lot of weed. Today it means something very different: colleges are training students to become professionals in a multi-billion-dollar, highly regulated industry.
The spark? Jobs. Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in America. Vangst, the country’s biggest weed jobs platform, teamed with Beau Whitney of Whitney Economics to track 444,455 full-time cannabis jobs by the end of 2024.
To put this in perspective, cannabis jobs now outnumber dentists, pharmacists, and bakers. That’s not smoke; that’s data.
Dentists and Dental Hygienists – 424,085
Pharmacists – 335,100
Physical Therapists – 267,200
Bakers – 231,890
Veterinarians – 130,415
Keep in mind that these numbers do not include cannabis ancillary or support jobs such as security camera installation, website design, and accounting. These industries often treat cannabis companies as just one client on a roster.
To meet demand, colleges first rolled out courses in cultivation, then science, then business. A few schools offer interdisciplinary degrees, too.
Here is a list of some institutions that were pioneers in granting cannabis degrees:
Northern Michigan University – Medicinal Plant Chemistry (2017)
Stockton University (NJ) – Minor in Cannabis Studies (2018)
Lake Superior State University – Cannabis Chemistry, Cannabis Business (2019)
Colorado State University (Pueblo) – Cannabis Biology & Chemistry (2020)
In Virginia, Roanoke College has joined the wave of cannabis education. The liberal arts school now offers two degree tracks—Cannabis Science and Social Justice and Policy Issues—along with a four-course minor.
D.B. Poli, Director of their Cannabis Studies Program, put it this way: “Creating an academic discipline shapes generations who never lived through prohibition. Academia makes sure cannabis history, law, and culture are recorded and re-examined. That’s the value.”
Although cannabis degrees vary in scope, the most common cannabis courses offered are:
Introduction to Medical Cannabis – the 101 of plant …
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Author: Rob Mejia / High Times
