Should Mid Michigan College be offering degrees in the Cannabis industry? There are several different parts of cannabis education that aren’t easily accessible to an individual such as; law, business, medical, science and cultivation. If Mid Michigan College were to offer courses teaching cannabis then it would help bridge the gap of accessibility to knowledge and ultimately bring in new students who want to explore this new industry.
It is understood that there is a lot of controversy over cannabis cultivation as the states are legalizing but the federal has yet to do so. The federal government hasn’t legalized cannabis, it is true that there are risks of repercussions from the feds when it comes to handling cannabis. Another fact that in order to offer these new classes there would have to be some sort of funding that pays for new lab equipment and new staff.
Each individual here at Mid Michigan College strives to provide more adequate and up-to-date education for students by offering degrees and certificates that are currently in demand to help progress the economy of the community. Mary Esch wrote an article in the Detroit News about cannabis classes …” ahead for all kinds of careers in cannabis , ranging from greenhouse and dispensary operators to edible product developers, marketing specialists, quality assurance lab directors and pharmaceutical researchers. Arcview Market Research, which focuses on cannabis industry trends, projects the industry will support 467,000 jobs by 2022.” (Para 4). That means that over 450,000 individuals will need to fill the roles of educated cannabis employees. The employers will be looking for individuals who specialize in the cannabis industry such as cultivation and agriculture for cannabis industrialization and mass production. Employers will need individuals that have knowledge of cannabis related laws at a state and federal level. In addition this select group must stay up-to-date with relevant laws regarding cannabis as they change at anytime. Cannabis medicine is also a job field that needs individuals with the knowledge to get the most efficient medical value and information regarding the beneficial usages for a wide variety of disease and viruses. There will also be a need for scientists specializing in the science and research of cannabis.
If the cannabis plant is never actually present at the school than the federal government has no reason to come to raid the school. If the school were to allow videos or internet streaming as several of school course are via Moodle, then the school shouldn’t have anything to fear. As for the real world application and usage of said courses, there are other species of plants with similar properties in which to use as a viable substitute for cannabis. Esch talks in her article about Northern Michigan University using other plants as a substitute for cannabis. “ Students won’t be growing marijuana, which was recently legalized by Michigan voters for recreational use. But Canfield said students will learn to measure and extract medicinal compounds from plants such as St. John’s Wort and ginseng and transfer that knowledge to marijuana.” (Para 7) She later in her article continues with ““We’re following the market,” said Jennifer Gilbert Jenkins, an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Morrisville. At this particular college in rural central New York, that’s launching a new minor in cannabis studies in its horticulture department this year. Students work with hemp and other plants rather than marijuana, but can take internships at medical marijuana facilities…” (Para 14). Both quotes talk about how the schools that are teaching cannabis education without having the dangers of the federal government’s laws and consequences.
Given this information it would be beneficial to both Mid Michigan College and to the community if cannabis classes were to be offered at Mid.
Works Cited
Esch, Mary, Higher Education: Colleges Add Cannabis To Curriculum, The Detroit News.
4 March 2019 https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/04/majoring-marijuana-college-programs/39148441/ accessed on 3 December 2019
