Check out our FAQ on the state of Virginia's cannabis laws.
Roanoke College will launch a cannabis research program this fall. The University of Lynchburg has joined in the trend, recently announcing a specialty credential in cannabis healthcare and medicine.
Nate Miller. Courtesy of Mr. Miller.
But neither of these schools are the first in Virginia to do it. Nate Miller, an adjunct professor of horticulture at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, claims he was the first federal higher education cannabis credential. He launched it in the fall of 2022.
Courses like Miller's serve as an entry-level introduction to cannabis biology and use, which he sees as the next step in breaking down the stigma surrounding cannabis.
“Educational programs like ours legitimize the industry,” Miller said. “That means there are a lot of teachers who are experts in this growing emerging market and industry.”
Except that emerging markets were hurt when Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have legalized retail adult-use cannabis sales in the state.
Miller's class was held at the request of a colleague in 2021, when recreational marijuana possession became legal in Virginia. His curriculum also explores the legal, business, and political landscape of factories as the industry continues to navigate a volatile political climate.
Virginia Piedmont became the first state in the state to offer a cannabis credential, while Virginia Tech surpassed community colleges by one semester in offering courses on the subject. Established in spring 2022, the Virginia Tech Cannabis class will be taught in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and will cover the science, industry, and culture of cannabis. It doesn't lead to any specific credentials.
These classes were preceded by several cannabis education opportunities, according to data provided by the Virginia Council on Higher Education. This included two independent studies focused on cannabinoid research in rats conducted at Radford University in 2019-20 and a seminar conducted at Washington and Lee University in 2020-21. Included.
Miller said he didn't receive much backlash even though he created a course on a hot topic. In fact, his first batch in fall 2022 attracted 22 students. That's nearly double the school's normal enrollment in horticulture courses, Miller said. Since the course's inception, that number has declined, so Miller expects between five and 15 students to come to the next course, which begins in May.
Some of the students want to pursue careers in the cannabis industry, Miller said, and he coordinates field trips to local growers, dispensaries and other industry contacts to foster connections in the community. They are trying to help by doing this.
The second part of Miller's course, which looks more deeply at the same topics, is also on its way to Piedmont, Virginia.
Statewide expansion
The University of Lynchburg's Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine certificate, announced last month and starting this fall, is a partnership with Greenflower, a national company that helps universities develop curricula and study programs that create a cannabis workforce. This was brought about by the partnership. Greenflower CEO Max Simon said the plant and its uses are “hugely misunderstood”.
“Not only can people benefit a lot from having the right information, but society can also really benefit from it,” Simon said. “This is an effective, natural and safe medicine or product that could help a lot of people.”
Lynchburg offers a six-month certification program that includes three eight-week courses. The first will be similar to the one in Piedmont, Virginia, and will cover cannabis history, botany, and a “basic understanding” of the industry and government regulation of cannabis, Simon said.
The other two focus on how cannabis is used in medicine. Describes its history as a treatment, how cannabis should be used, the body's endocannabinoid system that processes the plant, the various medical cannabis products, and how they should be used and provided to patients. I am.
For now, universities are carefully following government and campus regulations, even though Virginia legalized cannabis for personal use in 2021 and is pushing for more education on the subject. Both Simon and Miller said their courses do not encourage recreational marijuana use. He said Miller brought marijuana plants to class as “props,” in accordance with university regulations that prohibit “possession, use, sale, or distribution of illegal or controlled substances as defined by Virginia law.” That's what it means. Simon said Lynchburg's certificates are 100% online, so he doesn't run into that problem.
“We're literally playing an educational role, showing people, 'This is how it's made.' This is how it grows. That's it,” Miller said. . “So, no, we're not bringing drug paraphernalia onto campus. We're bringing in plant and machinery, some processes, but we follow school guidelines.”
Cannabis faces an uncertain future in Virginia. Miller said efforts to legalize the business continue, but no progress is likely to be made during Youngkin's term. He calls this the “trickle-down effect,” meaning that while lawmakers and lobbyists will continue to push for legislation, it will take some time before it actually passes. . Miller predicts these vetoes will set Virginia about a year behind “where it should be.”
Late last year, Miller joined the Virginia Hemp Coalition as a board member, which advocates for “righting the injustice of hemp and cannabis prohibition,” according to its website. He occasionally travels to Richmond to lobby with the group, and said that as the board's only educator, he can provide lawmakers with a more fact-based and educated view of potential legislation. .
“We have an educator here who… is trying to find a way to get the bill passed, and is also trying to suggest that the educational aspect might be able to quell some of the controversy.” said Miller.
The political climate in Virginia surrounding the topic also influences what he teaches. As Miller prepares her students for the workforce, she always needs to know what's legal, both statewide and locally.
“There's going to be a trickle-down effect on what's going on in the state capitol and what's going on with businesses,” Miller said. “So that's how I teach the course.”
