University Of Connecticut Offering Course On The Marijuana Industry

Justin Calvino prunes some of his growing marijuana crops at one of his properties in Mendocino County, California

The University Of Connecticut is offering a class on growing marijuana in the upcoming spring semester and the class filled up before most students even had a chance to register. The new class is called “Horticulture of Cannabis: From Seed to Harvest” and will teach students about growing the plant.

“There’s such a need for people with horticulture degrees, biochemical degrees, engineering degrees,” Professor Gerard Berkowitz told the Hartford Courant. “We are talking about having scholarship and science and rigor infused into a world that had been folklore and in the basement.”

Berkowitz said that there has been a tremendous demand from students, especially after the state legalized medicinal marijuana in 2012. He explained that currently, people interested in growing marijuana can find classes online, but they are not accredited and are usually taught by amateur growers. 

“When you read about best practices for cannabis horticulture, you discover that the information provided isn’t substantiated by refereed science or subjected to rigorous review. That’s a problem,” Berkowitz told UConn Today

Berkowitz said that students will not be able to get high from growing cannabis in his class because they will use plants that contain a low level of THC, the active ingredient in the marijuana that produces a high. 

He hopes that in the future, students at the college will be able to pursue a minor in the marijuana field. 

Photo: Getty Images


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