More and more colleges across America are readying students for the future of the cannabis industry. Associated Press reports that there's been a growing number of schools who've included cannabis courses as part of their curriculum in anticipation for future "graduates for careers cultivating, researching, analyzing and marketing the herb."
New research reveals that there will be more and more careers in the cannabis industry in the future, from greenhouse and dispensary operators to edible product developers, marketing specialists, quality assurance lab directors, and pharmaceutical researchers. Arcview Marketing Research predicts the industry will have 467,000 jobs by 2022.
Despite legalities in certain states towards recreational use of the plant such as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, colleges are plotting on cannabis to be legalized in the future with the courses. They also are preparing students who plan on leaving the state to pursue their careers.
Northern Michigan University offers medicinal plant chemistry which is possibly the closest thing to a cannabis degree one could obtain. The school has brought in roughly 300 students from 48 different states.
Minot State University in North Dakota is set to launch a similar course in the spring which will focus on "lab skills applicable to medical marijuana, hops, botanical supplements, and food science industries."
Additionally, the rise in cannabis courses at colleges have prompted other courses focusing on the legal and health impact of the plant.