Green View Magazine | December 2019

56 GREEN VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 Cannabis Courses Offered In Canada Overall, each Canadian province has a different approach regarding cannabis. Although the plant is now federally legal, all provinces have the right to decide whether they want to offer cannabis courses or programs at various colleges and universities. Below is a breakdown of cannabis courses, programs, and/or certifications that are offered by various Canadian schools. Ontario A small college in Ontario called Durham College launched their own “Cannabis Industry Specialization Program” in Autumn 2018. Additionally, Bill MacDonald, an Ontario-based science professor decided to create a “Commercial Cannabis Production program” at Niagara College in Sept. 2018 and more than 300 people applied for it. MacDonald released the following statement about the program’s growing demand: “I had licensed producers come to the college and say, ‘We need highly trained personnel.’ The demand is just huge.” Furthermore, Ontario Loyalist College has a partnership with a British Columbia university called Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). The Ontario-based college employs KPU’s class material through distance education. Then, Boreal College in Toronto offers a cannabis cultivation course to students. They also debuted their own cannabis production technician program. Lastly, the University of Ottawa debuted their two-week long crash course in cannabis laws in Jan. 2019. Alberta Alberta is involved in a process to train cannabis workers; receiving an application from a private Canadian career college. Mount Royal University in Calgary started offering three online cannabis classes in Sept. 2018. Quebec In January of 2020, McGill University in Montreal will officially launch a graduate degree program in the area of cannabis production. However, this program will only be available to students who possess a background in botany and/or hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field. New Brunswick Although New Brunswick isn’t as far along with cannabis cultivation and employment opportunities as other provinces are, they’re moving towards offering cannabis cultivation technician programs. Specifically, the New Brunswick government is in the process of partnering with Dieppe Community College as well as Moncton-based Organigram to launch a 12-week long cannabis program. Currently though, the Community College of New Brunswick offers a twelve-week long medical cannabis cultivation course. Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is also moving forward with launching cannabis courses and programs. One example is St. Francis Xavier University, which signed a three- year agreement with THC Dispensaries Canada Inc. Roughly 20-30 students will be able to eventually work at the facility of THC Dispensaries Canada Inc. for college credit. British Columbia In Vancouver, British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) offers students the opportunity to attain a “Retail Cannabis Consultant” certificate. The university also debuted their own cannabis career training program, which consists of various non-credit online classes that EDUCATION