Nebraska Tribal College Partners with University for Cannabis Courses

The Winnebago, Nebraska-based Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC) is partnering with Doane University to offer seven online cannabis courses, the North Platte Bulletin reports. The courses will be part of the new Cannabis Studies associate degree program.

Dr. Andrea Holmes, a Doane professor of chemistry and the director of cannabis studies who will teach four of the classes at the tribal college said the partnership “is critical for educating the future workforce, and for giving students the experience and credentials to enter a booming job market that provides opportunities to earn income for families and communities.”

Loretta Broberg, LPTC’s vice president of teaching and learning, called the program “a great and exciting opportunity” for the college’s students “as they enter an era of new horizons by gaining knowledge and marketable skills in a growing industry.”

“Students will be able to apply the newly acquired skills, as future jobs within the Tribal community develop and to support Ho-Chunk Farms hemp production. By partnering with Doane University for the Cannabis Studies program, we will work to ensure that not only will Ho-Chunk Farms be successful hemp producers but that we can become leaders in the hemp industry in Nebraska and nationwide.”—Broberg, in a statement, via the Bulletin

Ho-Chunk Farms is owned by the Winnebago Tribe’s Economic Development Corporation. It was selected in 2019 to cultivate hemp following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Doane first launched its Professional Cannabis Certificate Program in 2019 and was the first institution in the state to open an ISO-certified cannabis testing lab, which has since been sold to a private company.