University of Cincinnati Offering Cannabis Studies Certificate Program

Ohio’s University of Cincinnati is launching a cannabis studies certificate which includes history, culture, society, and regulatory topics, the News Record reports.

Sue Trusty, a horticulture program professor in the College of Design, Art, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), had already been teaching Introduction to Hemp and Medical Cannabis when school officials approached her about expanding the offerings to a certificate program.

“It really was these other UC professors saying, ‘I have a class that if you were to offer this as a certificate, that would work,’” she said in the report. “That was the stimulus to put this certificate together.”

She explained that false information on the Internet was a driving force behind launching the program. Trusty’s class already includes UC professors from a variety of departments serving as guest speakers.

“Because it is illegal, a lot of the information on it is just garbage and faux. There is not a lot of research-based information. The government and universities have avoided doing that kind of research because it’s illegal.” – Trusty to the News Record

The two-year program includes five 3-credit courses, according to the university website, including Trusty’s hemp and medical cannabis course, a hands-on Hops and Hemp Field Experience course, and three courses chosen “from a menu of possible classes based on the student’s interest or job preference.”

“For example, a student who is interested in cultivation will focus on the horticulture and biology classes,” the program description states. “One who would work at a dispensary will be most interested in the classes related to public health, substance abuse, and public policy. A student interested in cannabis processing would be likely to choose plant chemistry classes as well as those dealing with the effects of cannabis on the body.”

Last year, the Cincinnati City Council voted to decriminalize cannabis possession up to 100 grams within the city limits. Medical cannabis is legal in the state.