Want To Get A Cannabis Master’s Degree? Now You Can!

Students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) will soon have some interesting studying to do as the university has recently announced a cannabis master’s degree program. That’s right … you can earn a master’s in sticky reefer! We break down all the details of this exciting new program. We also ponder what’s in store for the future of cannabis.

Puff, Puff, Pass That Homework: Cannabis Master’s Degree

According to CBS Baltimore, The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy announced that they have established a two-year master’s program for cannabis. It will be the first program of its kind in the nation.

“We had meetings with the attorney general of the state to ensure that the content of our program was aligned with the appropriateness of what we could educate on,” UMSOP Dean Natalie Eddington said in a statement. “There are no laboratories or other activities where the plant is available to students because we can’t do that.”

The cannabis department will be located at Shady Grove, a UMSOP campus in Rockville, Maryland. This is not far from Green Health Docs’s Rockville clinic.

Touching Cannabis Is Off-Limits

While students will be able to study cannabis, being able to touch the plant isn’t on the list of activities. Because cannabis is still illegal under federal law, students will not be able to interact with the plant during this program. Until the federal prohibition of cannabis ends, the program will remain in this state.

Rather, students will have to rely on high resolution photographs of cannabis, to study the leaves, trichomes and other surface components of the cannabis plant

Online Classes, Mostly

Another drawback is that this master’s degree is mostly online. There is also an in-person symposium at the end of the semester. This may be enticing for those more introverted students. Sadly, the ability to work together and interact in person will be lost with this program.

The benefits of online classes is that students from all over the nation can enroll in the program. “We wanted this to be an accessible program and we want it to be able to tap into students where they are,” Eddington said in a statement.

This means that anyone in the nation can sign up for these classes. While some may still prefer smaller institutions like the Cleveland School of Cannabis, this master’s program will likely entice thousands of advocates, industry professionals, medical professionals and possibly even patients to sign up. It puts an awesome master’s degree within reach for most people, and that is excellent news!

Who is the Cannabis Master’s Degree For Exactly?

It seems only natural to assume that the cannabis master’s degree will cater directly to scientists and medical professionals looking to broaden their understanding of medical cannabis. 

Thankfully, the program isn’t designed to cater to just scientists and medical professionals. The program will also feature a history component. History courses will walk students through the ancient historical origins of the cannabis plant as medicine. 

There will also be classes that focus on the negatives of cannabis, treating ailments and more. Students can mix and match these classes, tailoring them to their own personal goals and requirements.

Cannabis Education Is The Future

Hopefully now that UMD has opened their doors to a cannabis master’s degree, more universities will hop on the bandwagon and launch their own programs. At the end of the day, it’s going to boil down to numbers. 

If the UMSOP cannabis program has a high attendance (no pun intended) and is therefore enormously profitable, then other schools should swiftly follow suit. This would also place more pressure on the U.S. federal government to loosen their cannabis restrictions. 

Education is key to understanding how cannabis works within the body. And the more research that’s conducted, or theories are explored, like the endocannabinoid deficiency theory, the more patients and advocates understand how medical cannabis saves lives.

Further master’s programs could lead to better research, more scientific studies and analysis. All could lead to better treatment options for medical cannabis patients. It’s a win-win for everyone. But it all starts with the success or failure of UMD’s master’s program. No pressure!

Maryland’s Medical Marijuana Program

Students who qualify for medical marijuana will be the only ones technically allowed by law to observe the plant in any true fashion. Thankfully, Maryland has a medical marijuana program. This makes it easy for those who are local. Students may even be able to visit cultivation centers as well, with proper authorization.

If you have any questions about getting a medical marijuana card, or any questions about medical cannabis, feel free to give our friendly support team a call at 1-877-242-0362. We have clinics all throughout Maryland, so give us a ring today!