The eagerly awaited undergraduate course is finally here at Colorado State University. It comes at a time when the cannabis industry is booming and legalization is increasing access to the drug across the country in the world. The University now offers the country’s first official undergraduate degree studying cannabis in its new Cannabis Biology and Chemistry program.
These program has been described as similar to a double major in biology and chemistry and features a lab licensed to grow industrial hemp so students may work with cannabidiol (CBD) derived from the plants, now availed to undergraduates wishing to study the science needed to succeed in the cannabis industry.
“Hemp and marijuana have really come to the forefront in a lot of economic sectors in the country. We’re not pro-cannabis or anti-cannabis. What we’re about will be the science, and training students to look at that science. This degree is geared towards increasing demand coming about because of the cannabis industry,” said the College of Science and Mathematics dean.
The course will emphasize on natural products, including the study of genetics for cannabis and other plants, supplemented with additional courses in neurobiology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry. Colorado was an early adopter of recreational weed, becoming one of the first two states to legalize its use for a non-medical purpose, in 2019 only, the state earned more than $1 billion in income from the trade, which has shown no signs of slowing down.
Being the first undergraduate program in the US to put cannabis in its name has attracted a lot of attention from the media and prospective students and since the university won state approval its officials are anticipating high demand for the program.
