California State University, East Bay and Green Flower Create Online Cannabis Education Certification Programs

In partnership with cannabis curriculum provider Green Flower, California State University, East Bay is now offering online, non-credit certificates in cannabis studies programs (1). The programs are each six months long, are open to anyone over the age 18, and no prior education or enrollment in Cal State University, East Bay is required (2). Prior experience in the cannabis industry is also not required (2).

Green Flower is a California-based creator of cannabis education platforms and has two dozen partnerships with educational institutions in the US, as well as local governments and businesses (3). “Northern California has been the literal mecca for forever, and to have a state institution in Northern California deciding to offer cannabis education really tells us how far the industry has come and how much more legitimate this is as a career path,” said Max Simon, CEO and co-founder of Green Flower (1). The platform also recently partnered with Ganjier to create a cannabis sommelier certification (4).

Taught by “top experts in the industry,” the four available certificates are in Cannabis Healthcare & Medicine, Cannabis Agriculture & Horticulture, The Business of Cannabis, and Cannabis Compliance & Risk Management. The university offers payment plans for the $2950 programs (2). Scholarships and federal aid are not currently available, but there is a veteran discount offered (1).

According to a recent job report, during a nation-wide hiring pause in 2022, California lost over 12,000 jobs, and the legal cannabis industry currently supports about 83,000 jobs in the state (1).

The first set of students enrolled in the programs earlier this month, and the next enrollment period for all programs begins January 8th, 2024 (1).

Read more of our news coverage on cannabis education opportunities.

References

1. Garcia, K. Cal State East Bay offers cannabis online training certification programs, and registration is still open https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-10/cal-state-east-bay-offers-cannabis-online-training-certification-programs-and-registration-is-still-open (accessed Nov 14, 2023).
2. Cannabis studies – California State University, East Bay – California State University, east bay cannabis programs https://cannabiseducation.ce.csueastbay.edu/ (accessed Nov 14, 2023).
3. Home https://green-flower.com/ (accessed Nov 14, 2023).
4. Colli, M. Ganjier’s cannabis sommelier certification program elevates the art of cannabis appreciation and quality https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/ganjiers-cannabis-sommelier-certification-program-elevates-the-art-of-cannabis-appreciation-and-quality (accessed Nov 14, 2023).