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Whether you come from the legacy market or are new to cannabis, getting a proper cannabis education will help you succeed in the industry.
Cannabis education is one of the most important sectors in cannabis. Whether you come from the legacy market or are new to cannabis, getting a cannabis education will help you succeed in the industry. Cannabis education in specific fields is mandatory such as quality assurance, cultivation, distribution, transportation, and regulatory compliance. Because cannabis is highly regulated, education is a mandatory part of any successful career in cannabis.
Education takes many forms, self-learning, apprenticeship, on-job training, certification, higher education, and professional development. Depending on the chosen field will determine how much education is required for job qualification and licensing requirements.
The unique cannabis industry requires in-depth education on the cultivation, manufacturing, processing, and distribution of cannabis but also the sales and marketing of cannabis which is also highly regulated.
In the United States, cannabis is regulated by the states which have their regulatory standards, policies and licensing requirements. In Canada, cannabis is regulated by the Cannabis Act 2018 and regulated in every province in Canada.
If you're looking for a career in cannabis or a new job in the cannabis industry, getting an education will set you up for success in this fast dynamic cannabis industry
Do you need to have a university or college degree to work in cannabis?
No, not every job in cannabis requires formal education. In lieu of formal education, jobs will require relevant experience gained outside of the cannabis industry. In addition to real-world working experience outside of cannabis, having a basic understanding of regulations, health & safety, and industry trends will help you adjust to the fast-moving cannabis industry.
Definition: Cannabis Education
Cannabis education is the facilitation of acquiring cannabis-related skills, knowledge, and vocational training. Education in cannabis includes higher education, training & development, certification, licensing, and academic research
Here are some examples of education companies and institutions.
Three Company Examples
eLearning
eLearning platforms are electronic-based education programs that deliver learning content, instructions, grading a certification online in virtual environments, via audio, text, video and animation. eLearning is projected to be a $457B industry by 2020 from the $250B industry today.
Green Flower
Green Flower is the world’s most comprehensive on-demand training platform, built specifically for cannabis professionals. Green Flower was founded in 2014 by Max Simon and has raised $20M in funding from Tuatara Capital, Poseidon Asset Management and Phyto Partners.
Green Flower provides certifications through their GF Institute, Ganjier and several University Partnerships.
University & College
University and college-based education from traditional educational institutions is an expanding field in Cannabis. Universities that provide studies in agriculture science, horticulture, botany, food science, and environmental studies are expanding thier course offering to include cannabis education and courses.
Universities and colleges provide a high level of research capabilities for private and public sector organizations on the development of cannabis science and cultivation, production, and processing.
McGill University
McGill University is a public research university located in beautiful Montreal, Quebec, Canada. McGill is a leading international university, founded in 1821 with a student population from over 150 countries.
McGill's Research Centre for Cannabis is part of the faculty of medicine and led by Dr. Carolyn J. Baglole.
McGill University provides post-secondary education in cannabis cultivation, post-harvest handling and processing, compound extraction, analysis & formulation, quality assurance and quality control.
Community Education
Community-based education is an organizational program to promote social development, learning, and personal development within communities for lifelong learning, community involvement, and resource utilization.
Uplift
Uplift National organization is a community education platform that prioritizes diversity and inclusion. Founded in Maryland by Kevin Ford, Uplift started as a patient education platform for residences of Maryland and is now a national platform for education.
Careers in Cannabis Education
Similar career paths in traditional education exist in the cannabis industry. Roles like a teacher, educator, instructor, associate professors and professors are in-demand jobs in cannabis education. Academic roles in research, administration, are also required in cannabis education.
Cannabis education to consumers, the community and the general public is also required for medical patients and recreational cannabis consumers.
- Responsible for course development, delivery and grading
- A post-graduate degree in education or recognized practical experience as an expert is required
- Responsible for chemical compound research, analysis, evaluation, co-authoring papers, long-term studies, clinical & laboratory work
- Science background and education in chemistry is required
- Responsible for qualitative research collection, evaluation and analysis, participant recruitment and screening
- Life sciences, chemistry, biology are preferred education paths
Six Cannabis Educators of 2021
- Oaksterdam University is one of the oldest cannabis colleges in the world, founded in 2007 in Oakland, California. Oaksterdam was founded by Richard Lee, Jeff Jones, and Dale Sky Jones. As the first cannabis college in North America, Oaksterdam has been a leading authority on cannabis horticulture and the cannabis business.
- Cloverleaf University is an accredited university founded in 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The university specializing in phytotechnology offers courses in cultivation, manufacturing, science & testing, and business law.
- Cannabis Training University is an online university founded in San Francisco, California, in 2009. Cannabis Training University offers online certifications in cultivation, medical cannabis, law & regulations, retail and delivery.
- Responsible Cannabis Use RCU is an education company that provides education products for consumers and patients to learn about cannabis regulations, laws and training. RCU was founded in 2018 by Afshin Mousavian and Karina Karassev. RCU's products include Canniknow, & CannaEd and innovative storage devise Stori.
- The University of Ottawa is a public bilingual research university located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The University had initially started as a Catholic college in 1848. The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law began offering Cannabis Law courses in English and French in 2018/2019.
- Universities - Maryland University, Delaware State University, Kentucky Sullivan University, Wisconsin University, University of Cincinnati, University of Illinois, Syracuse University, UConn, and Northern Michigan University