Roanoke College to Offer Cannabis Studies Major

Beginning next semester Roanoke College will offer a cannabis studies major, The College Fix reports. DorothyBelle Poli, the program director at the private Virgnia college, told the College Fox that majors can “go directly into the industry as growing/analysis scientists” or “as business owners with more knowledge” noting that some students would “most likely” double major in business “at this time.” 

Students who complete the program could also consider fields including law, social work, education, accounting, or politics, Poli said.  

Roanoke College first announced the program in January, noting that it would be the first in the state to offer a four-year degree in the cannabis field. In a press release, Kathy Wolfe, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, commended “faculty for developing a transdisciplinary academic program that fills a significant educational gap.”    

“With this program, Roanoke College continues to lead in science, policy, business and community engagement.” — Wolfe in a press release  

The core curriculum for the program will include the botany and history of cannabis, in addition to the policy issues surrounding the industry. Students may choose one of the two major bachelor’s degree program tracks: cannabis science and social justice. The science track will focus on botany, biology and chemistry, while the social justice track will cover government policies around cannabis legislation, the history of the plant, and its regulation and prohibition in the U.S. and internationally, and the consequences to different population groups. The college will also offer a minor in cannabis studies.