The University of Guelph in Canada now offers an online cannabis cultivation course as part of its horticulture program. Finally! An education you can actually use.
This fall semester the university will officially launch it’s “Cannabis Production” course geared towards both commercial and home growers. According to a press release, the course will be taught by postgraduate student Brandon Yep:
He will teach growing basics, including lighting and irrigation systems, growing media, pest and disease management, and post-harvest curing and packaging. The course will also discuss aspects of botany, cannabis history, the growing Canadian industry and medical uses of the plant.
While the course might appeal most to people who already have an operation set up, it’s also designed to prepare people for the future. The Canadian cannabis market is booming and trained professionals are in high demand. According to U of G’s website, the course is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in the market:
With the legalization of cannabis in Canada for medicinal and recreational use, there will be an increased demand for professional workers trained in cannabis production techniques, operations and quality management. Entry-level workers could work with cannabis producers in roles such as:
Quality Assurance Associate
Production Technician
Cultivation Technician
Grower/Master Grower
Processing Technician
Packing Technician
Customer Service Representative
Retail Store Manager
The Cannabis Production course runs from 9 September through 1 December of 2019 and costs $545 – which seems like a bargain if it’s going to take your grow-game to the next level. But before you get your hopes up too high, you should know the course is already full (sign up for the wait list here).
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The University of Guelph will also offer an online course covering cannabis regulations and quality assurance starting in January, with signups slated to begin this month. Check out the program’s web page here to get notified when enrollment opens or for more information.
U of G isn’t the first school to offer a cannabis course, especially not in Canada where recreational consumption is legal for adults nationwide. But it’s one of the few to offer distance-learning classes, a trend that’s likely to continue as the US and other countries stand at the precipice of lifting prohibition as well.
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