Higher Education | Marijuana Growing Schools & Colleges
This is the part of an ongoing series on how to grow marijuana where going to go over some of the higher-ed opportunities — schools for marijuana growing.
If you are super serious about a career in growing marijuana and you have some cash to invest, consider going to cannabis school. Yes, this is a thing these days. And if you think you might want to actually make a living growing marijuana, then attending a marijuana-growing school not only provides you with a deeper understanding of the cannabis industry at large, it also provides opportunities for networking with potential employers. Moreover, having a certificate from a school that focuses on cannabis cultivation gives you a leg up when applying for grower jobs.
If you’re not the type to sign up for a full curriculum, there are also marijuana-growing workshops and walk-in seminars all over the country. Some cannabis schools offer only online video courses.
Here are nine of the leading educational resources for learning how to grow marijuana.
Green CulturED
Green CulturED is offering a complete, comprehensive education for both fledgling growers and established entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. This burgeoning industry is currently supporting tens of thousands of employees in addition to billions of dollars in both tax revenue and economic activity in the U.S.
Green CulturED is fully accredited by the National Cannabis Industry Association. They are well equipped and prepared to train existing and future cannabis companies in the finer points of regulations as dictated by the rigorous standards set by the industry.
This highly regarded institution is dedicated to offering courses that are accessible, affordable, and reputable. Furthermore, their highly experienced instructors will give students the necessary encouragement, expertise, and tools to flourish in the emerging industry.
THC University
THC University offers precise training in 14 areas of qualification. The most popular courses to date are Budtending certification and Associates Degree. The University has a solid reputation for its flexible class hours, affordability, positive environment, and helpful career services.
The average time to complete the course is two weeks, although training completion can range anywhere from 1 hour to 6 months, depending on the qualification.
Clover Leaf University
Clover Leaf University is a Denver-based institution founded in 2009. CLU was the first accredited university focusing on phytotechnology to gain approval from the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Private Occupational School Board.
Clover Leaf University provides a cutting-edge curriculum taught by high-level attorneys, instructors, executives, manufacturers, industry pioneers, manufacturers, and cultivators from every corner of the planet.
CLU offers a multi-faceted education while simultaneously setting a high industry bar in the areas of business practices, ethics, technological innovation, and professionalism. This top-of-the-line facility provides courses in Business, Compliance, Medical, and Legal practices. They also provide educational workshops and seminars in horticulture, business, science, and manufacturing.
420 College
420 College is considered to be California’s number one medical marijuana business school. They have assisted thousands of individuals in achieving success in the medical cannabis industry since 2009.
This respected institution offers a multitude of courses to suit everyone’s specific needs. They regularly provide instructional seminars and comprehensive consultations across many U.S. locations such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, Ft. Lauderdale, and many more.
In addition to seminars, 420 College also offers live 1-On-1 Consulting courses on how to start and operate your own grow rooms and non-profit marijuana collectives.
If you’re interested in learning how to start your own marijuana collective but can’t make it to a live seminar, 420 College also provides online video seminars.
Northern Michigan University (NMU)
Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, MI, offers students a degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry. Graduates of the course will learn how to fully operate their own grow operations and dispensaries from the ground up. This rigorous four-year undergraduate degree program combines hands-on analysis and intensive research in addition to coursework in chemistry and biology.
NMU has a strong focus on laboratory accreditation standards as well as entrepreneurship. Graduates will be qualified to perform instrumental analysis in their own testing laboratory.
Trichome Institute (TI)
Trichome Institute, founded in 2014, offers online education for those seeking both consumer education and professional certification with access to the best information available. TI is approved and certified by The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and the Marijuana Enforcement Division.
TI offers an array of training materials including curricula-approved workbooks and textbooks. The information is well researched, accurate, credible, and extremely relevant to many individuals including medical patients, dispensaries, growers, and recreational users
Their highly informative courses will cover such topics as species and strains, cannabis anatomy, tolerance and side-effects, gauging flower quality, the endocannabinoid system, the entourage effect, and the different types of concentrates and how they’re made, and much more.
Niagra College & Canopy Growth Corporation
Niagara College Canada offers the country’s first post-secondary credential in Commercial Cannabis Production, Horticultural Technician, Greenhouse Technician, as well as Cannabis Business programs.
Recently, Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED) announced a partnership with Niagara College to develop new “experience-based learning” and job placement opportunities for college students and graduates including internships and co-op opportunities. The school offers hands-on education in cultivation at Canopy’s Tweed Farms facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake and 12 other facilities across the country.
Oaksterdam University (OU)
Oaksterdam University has been offering certificate programs in both the cannabis industry and cannabis growing since 2007. “America’s first cannabis college,” has taught more than 30,000 alumni. Students at Oaksterdam study with cannabis industry academics, attorneys, cultivators, and entrepreneurs.
The school offers courses on campus in Oakland, California and also online. Students can get hands-on experience in the school’s growing facility. OU also offers internships and job search help.
Cannabis Career Institute (CCI)
The Cannabis Career Institute is mobile! CCI offers certification in several areas of the cannabis industry. The school conducts eight-hour classes across the country. In addition to learning how to grow marijuana, CCI helps students learn how to start their own marijuana dispensary or delivery service, as well as how to start a marijuana edibles company. Like OU, CCI also runs its own medical marijuana growing facility.
CCI offers courses in Cultivation Management, Cannabis Business Management, Edibles Operation, Budtending, and Dispensary Management. Regulatory compliance is also taught.
Cannabis Training University
Cannabis Training University master of marijuana certification program was originally formed in 2009. Students at CTI get insight from the world’s top growers, budtenders, extraction technicians, and doctors from industry-leading cannabis businesses.
Cannabis Training University is affordable with the entire program often on sale for around $200. The program has seen major upgrades over the years, and now is home to over 200 cannabis videos, 5000 pages of cannabis ebooks, online quizzes, and a 250 question online certification exam.
The Grow School
The Grow School has been teaching legal indoor and residential organic cannabis cultivation since 2010. The school offers private and public 1-day GROW-101 “Hands-On” indoor cannabis growing classes, as well as online self-paced courses that students can attend from home.
According to the school’s website, the growing techniques taught by The Grow School can be scaled up and used in large professional legal grow operations. All classes come with free 24/7 garden support and a 140-page Student Grow Guide ebook.
