More US Colleges Adding Marijuana to Their Study Programs

 

College student Grace DeNoya is used to people laughing when they learn what she is studying. Her degree centers on the marijuana plant -- an intoxicating¹ drug that is illegal in many parts of the world.

“I say, ‘No, it’s a serious degree, a chemistry degree first and foremost. It’s hard work. Organic chemistry is a bear,” the 27 year old told the Associated Press.

DeNoya is one of the first students in a new four-year degree program in medicinal plant chemistry at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. The school, known as NMU, is one of an increasing number of colleges and universities that are preparing graduates for careers growing, researching and selling the plants.

Schools are answering changes related to the legalization of marijuana in the United States. It is legal for medical purposes in 33 states, and for non-medical use in 10. Lawmakers in other states are considering making marijuana legal.

At the same time, industries supporting legal marijuana are expanding across North America. As a result, research shows the future is bright for all kinds of careers in cannabis – the family of plants that includes marijuana and its non-drug relative, hemp².

Jobs include growers and store operators, and even producers of cannabis-based foods. People can also work as sales specialists, laboratory directors and pharmaceutical³ researchers.

Arcview Market Research reports on the cannabis industry. The organization estimates the industry will support 467,000 jobs by 2022.

A ‘fast track’ to the cannabis industry

Brandon Canfield is a chemistry professor at NMU, where Grace DeNoya goes to school. Two years ago, he proposed a new degree program in medicinal plant chemistry. The idea came after he attended a cannabis industry conference. There, industry representatives spoke⁴ of an urgent need for chemists to produce quality tests for cannabis products.

“We’re providing a fast track to get into the industry,” said Canfield.

NMU’s four-year degree is the closest thing to a degree in marijuana at an accredited⁵ university in the United States. It has drawn⁶ nearly 300 students from 48 states, Canfield said.

Students will not grow marijuana, which Michigan voters only recently legalized for non-medical use. But Canfield said students will learn to measure and produce medicinal substances from plants such as St. John’s Wort and ginseng. They can then use that knowledge with marijuana.

A similar program is being launched at Minot State University in North Dakota this spring. The college said students will learn laboratory skills related to medical marijuana.

NMU professor Brandon Canfield noted⁷ that students who study marijuana could find jobs paying $70,000 right out of school. Those wishing to start their own businesses can add classes in accounting⁸, legal issues and marketing⁹.

“I came in planning to … maybe go work in a [laboratory],” said Grace DeNoya. She noted she was first considering nursing school when she heard about the NMU program. “I just switched to the entrepreneurial track. I figured that would better position me, as the industry is still expanding and changing and growing so much.”

Other schools are getting in on the action

Colleges are creating many different offerings to answer the expected growth in cannabis-related jobs. Colorado State University offers a cannabis studies program centering on social, legal, political and health effects. Ohio State University, Harvard, the University of Denver and Vanderbilt University offer classes on marijuana policy and law.

The University of California Los Angeles has launched a Cannabis Research Initiative. The school claims it is one of the first academic programs in the world centering on the study of cannabis. Researchers there are currently looking at issues such as medical treatments and economic effects.

Agricultural schools are also getting in on the action. The University of Connecticut is launching a cannabis growing program this spring.

Jennifer Gilbert Jenkins is an assistant professor at the State University of New York in Morrisville. The central New York school is launching a new program in cannabis studies this year. Students work with hemp and other plants rather than marijuana. But they can do internships at medical marijuana companies, Jenkins said.

Colton Welch is an agriculture business student going through Morrisville’s cannabis program. He points out how many uses the plant has.

“I see a lot more farmers reaching out and trying to find people who know about this new crop,” he said.

New York legislators are moving to legalize non-medical use of marijuana. The state’s first legal hemp production was collected in 2016 under a Morrisville research permit, which gave rise to the new cannabis program.

Karson Humiston is the head of Vangst, an employment agency specializing in cannabis jobs. She said the future looks good for students in this area.

“More jobs are being created in this space than in any other space in North America, with salaries sometimes more competitive than other industries,” Humiston said. “With every new state that legalizes, tons of jobs are opening up.”

I’m Dorothy Gundy. And I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

intoxicating – adj. causing someone to be unable to think and behave normally

degree – n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university

graduate(s) – n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

pharmaceutical – adj. of or relating to the production and sale of drugs and medicine

fast track – n. a process or way of proceeding¹⁰ that produces a desired result quickly

accredited – adj. proven good enough to be given official approval

entrepreneurial – adj. of or relating to starting a business and being willing to risk loss in order to make money

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education

internship(s) – n. a position as a student or recent graduate who works for a period of time at a job in order to get experience

salaries – n. amount of money that employees are paid each year

1 intoxicating   

a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的

参考例句：

• Power can be intoxicating. 权力能让人得意忘形。
• On summer evenings the flowers gave forth an almost intoxicating scent. 夏日的傍晚，鲜花散发出醉人的芳香。

2 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。

3 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 accredited   

adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于

参考例句：

• The discovery of distillation is usually accredited to the Arabs of the 11th century. 通常认为，蒸馏法是阿拉伯人在11世纪发明的。
• Only accredited journalists were allowed entry. 只有正式认可的记者才获准入内。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。