In 2017, the marijuana market grew 33 percent and ended the year worth a little shy of $10 billion. With the career and investment opportunities that come along with a thriving industry, many are looking to cannabis formal education. Available programs range from $20 online subscriptions to full-fledged college courses. With the market dictating that higher education become a lot more literal, many are asking: Are formal cannabis cultivation classes really necessary?
A very brief history of cannabis
Humans have cultivated marijuana for thousands of years. In recent history, our societal relationship with the herb became strained (no pun intended), as governments regulated, banned and criminalized it. American marijuana sale became a black market industry during the 1920s and moved deeper underground with the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.
In the era of modern science, marijuana knowledge became informal, relying on trial and error and word of mouth.
Why formal cultivation classes exist in the first place
After California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, cannabis gradually entered the limelight. Since then, 29 states have legalized medical marijuana and more will do so in 2018. This means that the entire discourse around weed has grown and shifted. We now have more (legal) room to explore different ways to grow, sell, and consume the herb. What was once under wraps became a huge business—permeating many markets—that is still far from established.
As our access to weed has grown significantly, so has the availability of weed knowledge. Cannabis education has also become a huge industry. One can receive a certification that validates caregiver, managerial, edibles manufacturing, and other, qualifications.
Additionally, well-regarded universities such as the University of Vermont, Ohio State and the University of California Davis