SCSU Readies First Cohort in Cannabis Education Certificate Progr

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - Last week, St. Cloud State University announced a first-in-the-state certificate program in Cannabis Education.

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Since then, P.A.C.E., the Department of Professional and Continuing Education at SCSU, has seen a substantial uptick in calls from prospective students interested in the program.

Executive Director Abram Hedtke says the program will help prepare students for the potential explosion in jobs in the cannabis industry.

If we look at what other states have done as they've moved into the legal recreational side of marijuana, this is where the industry explodes. The industry predicts that in about five years it's going to look completely different.

There are four programs of study, all offered online and at your own pace.

Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine
Cannabis Agriculture and Horticulture
The Business of Cannabis
Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management

Hedtke says a student has the opportunity to take one, or all, of the programs.

By no means would a student be required to take all four. A person who's looking to get into the industry quite heavily might take the business and compliance one. If a farmer is looking to get into the horticulture side, understanding the risk management and the farming will go hand in hand. So we can see a lot of students taking multiple programs.

The programs are entirely online and at your own pace.

The classes are administered by Green Flower, a company that claims to provide the most comprehensive cannabis training program in the world.

Hedtke says Green Flower was a good fit for the university.

Green Flower was unique to us because they are completely online and they offer us the certificate program. One other piece that was really important was that they offer financial support. Too often you have to pay upfront and that can be a roadblock of learning. This was also a great reason why Green Flower was the right partner for us.