Cannabis 101, offered at the University of Connecticut, is both successful and helpful
Recently, the University of Connecticut introduced a class called Cannabis 101. It is very popular with over 300 students already signed up. Many feel that this is a valuable subject to learn; I agree.
In this course, students will learn how to cultivate hemp and grow it in the most efficient and proper way possible, discussing things such as lighting, irrigation and nutrients to grow the best cannabis possible. One important thing to note in all of this is that hemp is extremely different from marijuana, although they are similar and are often mistaken for one another.
An important difference between marijuana and hemp is that marijuana has a chemical known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes a high when absorbed in the bloodstream. Hemp contains no THC but instead contains cannabidiol (CBD), which has numerous medical uses and is currently being studied as a popular form of medicine for many different ailments both of a physical and mental nature.
According to NPR, “Course instructor, Matthew DeBacco, said the goal is to dispel myths and information ‘that may have absolutely no scientific basis,’ about growing the plant. ‘For years, bad information may have passed between illicit growers,’ he said, and he wants to present a scientifically-backed way to grow.”
Anyone can have an opinion on anything they want, and it’s important to have an opinion as it was Alexander Hamilton who once stated, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” This also goes for cannabis, but it is important that people are educated on the actual facts of cannabis. So much misinformation is spread that it can be difficult to discern what is fact from what is completely fabricated.
This Cannabis 101 class is just the first step in providing a real and authentic form of education on such a controversial topic.
A Cannabis 101 class should be offered in more colleges because Cannabis has become much more than just a plant for smoking, whether medical or recreational. Cannabis is now used in clothing, beauty products, lotions, soaps, milk, protein powder and some special brands of water, among other things.
The use of Cannabis has spread into dozens of different markets, which makes it all the more important for people to be educated on the plant.
The second reason this course and subject matter should be encouraged across hundreds of other colleges is that the cannabis industry has grown immensely due to the recent legalization of the product in many parts of the U.S.
According to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, spending on legal cannabis worldwide is expected to hit $57 billion by 2027. And according to Forbes, “The largest group of cannabis buyers will be in North America, going from $9.2 billion in 2017 to $47.3 billion a decade later. The largest growth spread, however, is predicted within the rest-of-world markets, from $52 million spent in 2017 to a projected $2.5 billion in 2027.”
A large reason as to why cannabis will continue to grow is because of its legalization across North America. According to National Conference of State Legislatures, ten states including the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana. In addition, 23 states have legalized medical marijuana, which is what CBD is present in.
Because of this new wave of legalization, Cannabis is only going to become larger and more prevalent, so college students should have the option to learn about the cultivation of the product in an educational setting.
With the marijuana industry growing the way it is and the projections for the kind of money that the legal cannabis industry will make in the future, today’s collegiate students should take serious consideration into learning about this product and all of its uses. Cannabis has been proven to be much more than just a plant used to get high.
There are some serious opportunities in the Cannabis industry that today’s students can take advantage of. Cannabis 101 provides those students with the necessary knowledge to create a career out of cannabis and spread factual information about a plant that has been shrouded in controversy and negativity for decades.