Merely talking about cannabis on a college campus used to be something you only did on the down low. Today, however, not only are there campuses where you can legally consume, but there are also colleges and classes specifically focused on cannabis education.
In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the top universities where you can receive an elevated education surrounding this miraculous plant that is becoming widely accepted across the nation and around the world.
THC University
THC University is located in Colorado but offers all classes online for convenience and easy access by students globally. Their current course offerings include Marijuana 101 (an intro to cannabis), Budtender Basics, Terpenes Basics, Grow Basics, Horticulture Specialist, Cannabis Business and Safety Regulations for the state of Colorado and Washington.
Unlimited access to all of their professional courses can be obtained for $50 monthly or as low as $420 for annual access. Most students can complete their certifications within 3-6 months working at their own pace. While students can’t visit a physical campus, their subscription to THC University includes chat support Monday-Friday, resume assistance, access to monthly expert webinars and much more. Learn more or enroll today here!
Northern Michigan University
At the Northern Michigan University, students can partake in the one and only 4-year undergraduate degree that is focused explicitly on medicinal plants such as cannabis. The undergraduate program is known as Medicinal Plant Chemistry, and it offers students the opportunity to receive the training and skills they need for success in the emerging cannabis industry worldwide.
Medicinal Plant Chemistry is a program that gives students the option of choosing between an entrepreneurial track focused on business and accounting or a bio-analytical path that focuses on advanced topics in biology and chemistry. To learn more about this program and it’s requirement check out the NMU website here.
Cannabis Training University
The Cannabis Training University also known as CTU offers various certifications covering all aspects of the emerging cannabis industry. CTU was founded in San Francisco California in 2009. Their headquarters, however, is now located in Denver Colorado, and all courses are offered online.
Their course tracks include certifications in growing, cooking, and trimming cannabis, as well as budtending, business and career certifications, medical cannabis certifications and certification in cannabis laws. They also offer a Master of Marijuana Certification which you can receive online for only $249. The master of marijuana certification includes all 9 of CTU’s certification courses in one! Learn more or enroll today here.
CloverLeaf University
CloverLeaf University was founded in Denver Colorado in 2009 and was the first ever accredited cannabis phytotech university to be licensed, regulated, and approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education Private Occupational School Board. CloverLeaf University also known as CLU offers classes on campus as well as workshops, live training, online course certifications, and on-site business training.
CLU currently has the approval to provide 25 stand-alone course certifications in addition to five program certifications that are all specifically tailored to the cannabis industry. CLU offers a campus in Denver Colorado but also holds training in various locations around the world. From courses on opening a cannabis business all the way to vendor safety, cannabis laws, cannabis cultivation, budtending, and much more. To see their full course offering check out there 2018 school catalog here.
Oaksterdam University
Oaksterdam University is the United States’ first-ever cannabis college. OU was founded in Oakland California in 2007. The university has formally educated more than 30,000 individuals from around the globe in cannabis specific courses and currently has more than 150 faculty members including leading industry professionals and industry pioneers.
Oaksterdam University offers a wide range of courses for legal and business professionals, cultivators, entrepreneurs, activists, budtenders and many more. Whether you are new to the cannabis scene or have been consuming for decades and possess extensive knowledge of this plant, Oaksterdam University has a course for you! To learn more about their massive course offering or to enroll, check out their website today!
The Trichome Institute
The Trichome Institute which was founded in 2014 has a specialized award-winning curriculum with a focus on the highest standards for education and certifications surrounding the science of cannabis. Their curricula are certified by the Marijuana Enforcement Division as well as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Trichome Institute also offers two different programs that are designed to help to create a higher class of cannabis expert and a standardized quality judging system. This is with the hope that it will bring the industry in line with other consumer goods such as coffee, cheese, and wine. These programs include TAG which is the Trichome Institute’s cannabis quality certification system and the world’s only cannabis sommelier program known as Interpening which is offered exclusively through The Trichome Institute. To learn more or to enroll in one of The Trichome Institutes’ many online courses check out their website today here.
Green CulturED
Green CulturED isn’t precisely a cannabis college, but it is a cannabis e-learning solution 4 anyone and everyone working in the Cannabis sector. Green CulturED was explicitly designed to provide an e-learning solution that would fit the needs of team leads, directors, VPs, business owners, founders, CEOs and employees in the cannabis space. Green CulturED offers streamlined, and personalized online lesson plans designed to help businesses improve the knowledge of their existing teams, automate the training process for onboarding new employees and improve their employee retention.
Some of the learning plans currently offered by Green CulturED include plans for employee onboarding, supervisor training, OSHA compliance, medical training, cannabis cultivation training, training for dispensary text, point-of-sale training, franchisee training and training surrounding chemistry and Analysis of cannabis products. To learn more or enlist the services and solutions offered by Green CulturED check out their website here today.
The Cannabis Career Institute
The Cannabis Career Institute was founded in March of 2009 with a focus on business techniques. They have since created a step by step method and curriculum that incorporates the lifetime experience of experts in many different fields of the cannabis sector. The Cannabis Career Institute offers staff with extensive knowledge in dispensary management, marketing and advertising in the cannabis space, marijuana cultivation, cooking with cannabis as well as the delivery of cannabis in legal states.
CCI offers a plethora of different classes and certifications for cannabis professionals. Their courses include focuses on cannabis business, cannabis cultivation management, budtending, running marijuana dispensaries, cannabis consulting, concentrate processing, and much more. To learn more about the CCI or how to partake in their courses check out their website today!
The University of Vermont
Cannabis is medicine, and that is why it may come as no surprise to many that one of the oldest universities in the United States is offering a cannabis certification program under the umbrella of its College of Medicine. The University of Vermont which was founded in 1791 is considered to have one of the best colleges of medicine in the country. In recent years they have begun to offer the Cannabis Science and Medicine certificate program.
This program covers a variety of topics including but not limited to the history of cannabis and cannabis laws all the way to plant biology, the biological effects of cannabis on the body, pharmacology, clinical research and production of cannabis. To learn more about how you can enroll in the UVM Cannabis Science and Medicine certificate program or to learn more about the program itself check out the University of Vermont website here.
The University of Washington
The University of Washington currently offers a training program for health professionals looking to increase their knowledge of medicinal cannabis. The program provides 1 module with a specific focus on how medicinal cannabis should be recommended while the other module focuses on Washington state cannabis law and specific medicinal uses of cannabis.
The University of Washington which many consider to be one of the leading research universities worldwide offers this program through its Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute. To learn more about this program or to enroll today visit the University of Washington’s website here.
