Majoring in Marijuana: Best Colleges for Studying Cannabis

1. Northern Michigan University

Bachelor’s Degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry

Northern Michigan University is one of only three regionally accredited universities offering a full four-year degree program centered on the chemistry of cannabis. Northern Michigan notes that the changing legal landscape and the growing legitimacy of the marijuana business has created an increased demand for qualified professionals with an educational background in cannabis entrepreneurship. Northern Michigan’s Medicinal Plant Chemistry undergraduate degree is a four-year program requiring the completion of 120 credits — 30 to 40 in General Education; 89–91 in Required Courses in the Major.

Students will learn the business and strategy surrounding medicinal plant production, analysis, and distribution.

According to Northern Michigan, this rigorous degree program will provide a foundation in chemistry and plant biology and includes a final-year capstone experience — CH 420 Medicinal Plant Chemistry I and CH 421 Medicinal Plant Chemistry II — with a focus on experimental horticulture and analysis of natural products. Students can choose between two areas of focus — an Entrepreneurial Track focusing on business and accounting; and a Bio-analytical Track focusing on advanced topics in chemistry and biology.

2. Minot State University

Bachelor’s Degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry

Minot State University is the second of three regionally accredited colleges to introduce a four-year undergraduate degree in cannabis. A concentration within the four-year Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Medicinal Plant Chemistry focuses on the extraction and analysis of botanical products.

As an undergraduate in this program, you’ll take challenging courses in chemistry, biology, physics, and calculus alongside a heavy emphasis on laboratory work. According to Minot State, you’ll be required to complete more than 600 hours of lab work in areas such as extraction, separation, and analysis of plant material chemicals and compounds.

Minot notes that you’ll learn the theory, skills, and techniques necessary to work in the medicinal cannabis, hops, botanical supplements, and food science industries.

3. Lake Superior State University

Bachelor’s Degree in Cannabis Chemistry/Cannabis Business

Lake Superior State University is the third of three accredited schools to introduce a bachelor’s degree in cannabis chemistry as well as four-year bachelor’s degree in the cannabis business.

Lake Superior describes its bachelor’s degree in cannabis chemistry as the first degree program in the United States focusing on the quantitative analysis of cannabis related compounds and contaminants including THC, CBD, terpenes, etc. Lake superior notes that students can actually pursue this degree as either an associate (2-year) degree or a baccalaureate (4-year) degree. According to Lake Superior, students in this program may qualify for an American Chemical Society (ACS) degree.

Lake Superior’s baccalaureate of science in cannabis business focuses on the entrepreneurial aspects of cannabis, and is geared toward the goals of future managers, supervisors, and business development leaders for commercial cannabis enterprises. The goal of the program is to instruct in basic business management principles with a specific orientation toward the cannabis business.

4. Stockton University

Minor in Cannabis Studies

With New Jersey residents recently voting to legalize marijuana, the Garden State is an emergent front for both the ongoing legal debate on how best to approach decriminalization and for a new boom in growing and dispensary operations.

Stockton’s interdisciplinary minor in Cannabis Studies provides a foundation for understanding the growing cannabis industry, and for evaluating employment opportunities within. The minor is composed of five required courses: Introduction to Medical Marijuana; Cannabis Law; Internship Preparation, including research and small business training; experiential learning internships in areas such as cultivation, retail, patient research, etc.; and an elective in an area such as Hydroponics, Social and Ethical Considerations of Business, or Economic Botany.

5. University of California, Davis

Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Physiology and Medicine

Every Spring quarter since 2017, UC Davis has offered undergraduates access to a 100-level course called Physiology of Cannabis, which explores the ways that cannabis and cannabinoids affect the body.

In Winter 2018, UC Davis also began offering a 400-level course called Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Physiology and Medicine. The course is aimed at students in the biological sciences with a focus on elucidating the physiological effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on human organ systems and on preparing students to communicate the benefits and drawbacks of medicinal marijuana in a medical context. The course examines the biology of cannabis, the history of its usage, possible therapeutic values, and the relative effectiveness of various medical applications.

UC Davis also offers a graduate level seminar-style course called Cannabis Sativa: The Plant and its Impact on People.

6. University of Vermont

Cannabis Science and Medicine Professional Certificate

The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont offers this certification for medical professionals, dispensary personnel, and regulators. Housed in the Medical College’s Department of Pharmacology, this is the nation’s first professional certificate in the therapeutic use of marijuana. The 7-week online program offers a comprehensive look at the subject matter, including units on the history, business, policy, biology, effect, production, safety, pharmacology, and clinical research surrounding cannabis.

The Larner College of Medicine also offers non-credit modules for independent completion on subjects such as Medico-Legal, Biology and Basic Science, Physiology and Pharmacology, Pain Syndromes, and Motor Disorders.

Other opportunities to study cannabis at UVM include:

• Professional Certificate in Cannabis Plant Biology, geared toward prospective dispensary personnel, growers, cultivators, extractors, and quality/compliance monitors, offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences;
• Online Cannabis Science and Medicine Modules, composed of focused briefings on important aspects of cannabis science and medicine, with webinars on cannabis chemistry, pharmacology, and plant biology;
• Cannabis Past, Present, and Future (Pharmacology 200): a 3-credit continuing education course offered through the Department of Pharmacology for students with an interest in understanding cannabis and its usage, as well as key concepts in the human physiology underlying the medicinal and general use of cannabis.

7. University of Washington

Medicinal Cannabis and Chronic Pain

An online training certification geared toward health professionals, the first module of this course serves as an introduction to cannabis and its medical uses, particularly in the context of Washington State law. A second module shifts the focus to the best clinical practices surrounding medicinal cannabis, ultimately providing students with the knowledge and background to effectively advise patients who are considering cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain. According to the University of Washington, course training may be completed for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.

Using other degrees for the cannabis industry

Of course, there are countless other pathways to a career in cannabis that don’t require you to major in marijuana. A bachelor’s degree in business administration could prepare you for a career managing a growing operation, dispensary, or supply chain. A legal studies degree could make you a powerful advocate for policy changes surrounding legalization and decriminalization. And studying chemistry and plant biology could make you an expert witness in cannabis court cases.

You could also pursue a certification through a wide range of career schools such as Oaksterdam University, Clover Leaf College, and THC college. However, be sure to do your due diligence before pursuing a non-accredited degree or certification. As the cannabis career sector grows, a number of for-profit education institutions have seized on the opportunity. Be sure that any degree or certification you pursue comes from a school with a strong public reputation and a track record of producing employable graduates. And approach with caution any certification or degree program without regional accreditation.

To learn more about accreditation, check out our College & University Accreditation Guide.