By: Sierra Willis
Bellarmine University officially launched a one-of-a-kind cannabis educational program in Kentucky in December 2023 and began offering classes in January 2024.
Each certificate program is 6 months long and is asynchronous. The 6-month program consists of three 8-week long courses: Cannabis 101 followed by two more in the focus a student chooses according to Bellarmine University’s website. Each certification costs an average of $2,750, but students can also choose to pay $499 per month. Scholarships are not offered.
Instructors are selected by Green Flower, a company that provides education and training and has been working with cannabis industry leaders since 2014.
Daniel Kalef, Green Flower’s chief growth officer, said the company’s goal was to educate people about what legal cannabis is. “We created four programs from the input of the industry of people,” he said.
Starting January 1, 2025, state law allows Kentuckians with severe medical conditions to use prescribed medical marijuana.
Bellarmine’s cannabis certificate courses are open to anyone but are designed for those in agriculture, business, healthcare and legal professionals. The five courses offered are:
Agriculture and Cultivation
Healthcare and Medicine
Cannabis Business
Compliance and Risk Management
Product Development and Design
Dr. Mark Weigand, the vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the certifications could have wide-ranging applications and significantly enhance the educational landscape within the industry.
“These individuals can earn a certificate for our programs rather than a full degree to make the programs more flexible for their schedules.” Weigand said. “Students who may have never attended a university are also included in these programs.
Director of the Center of Professional Education Abigail Walsh said it is important for Bellarmine to advocate for this program.
“This is going to happen, and if we train doctors, nurses, people in HR, people in compliance roles, and business roles and manufacturing, this is going to boom the job industry. We are educating people on how to do this,” she said.
Walsh said she is hopes this program educates rather than advocates for the cannabis industry.
Bellarmine is the only university in Kentucky that offers these programs.
Prospective students can apply to the certificate programs at https://cannabiseducation.bellarmine.edu/faq/.
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