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Photo: Fabrizio Costantini for The New York Times

This may come as a surprise, but marijuana is no longer an after school activity done in the alley behind the gym.  States with new medical marijuana laws are permitting schools oriented towards the growth and preparation of medical marijuana.  The New York Times has recently published an article about this phenomenon, specifically about a new school that, surprisingly, is not located in California. Med Grow Cannabis College is a Michigan-based medical marijuana trade school that teaches courses about cannabis horticulture, history, legal issues, cooking, politics, and advocacy.

The Michigan medical marijuana program, unlike California’s big business program with hundreds of dispensaries in Los Angeles alone, is more representative of what is happening in other states that have legalized medical marijuana.  Under the new law, doctors can certify patients for medical reasons to grow up to 12 cannabis plants themselves or name a “caregiver” who will grow the plants and sell the product.  Anyone over 21 with no felony drug convictions can be a caregiver for up to five patients.  Since the law recently passed in April, the Department of Community Health has registered about 5,800 patients and 2,400 caregivers.

Med Grow began offering courses in September, with new classes starting every month. The six-week program costs $485 and covers everything from the growing cycle, nutrients and light requirements to recipes for consuming plants, including crock-pot cannabutter, chocolate canna-ganache and greenies (the cannabis alternative to brownies).

Photo: Fabrizio Costantini for The New York Times

Here are just a few of the courses that are taught at MGCC:

• Legal 1010

In legal 101 you will learn many of the different areas of the law, taught to you by an attorney whose expertise is in medical marijuana. The curriculum for this class includes a legal history of cannabis, overviews of Michigan and federal law, dealing with the law, and many other aspects of how cannabis laws affect patients, caregivers, businesses, and society as a whole. One-on-one consultations with a legal professor are also offered.

• Cooking and Concentrates 1010

Learn how to cook with cannabis! This class covers methods of ingestion, dosages, making butter and oil, making tinctures, hash making, making drinks, cannabis infused alcohol, over 200 recipes for cooking meals treats and snacks, and a whole lot more!

• Cannabis History 1010

Learn the history of this sacred plant. From 3000 B.C. until today, learn how it has developed and evolved. This class covers the use of cannabis in colonial times, the importance of hemp to the early economy, the elections of 1912, the roaring 20’s, the Mexican drug war, and much more!

It does not seem like anyone will be offering a Master of Science in Cannabis Growing any time soon, but it is a big step in legitimizing the industry and practice.  There are similar courses though…

References | New York Times, Med Grow Cannabis College