As marijuana legalization widens and interest in the potential medical benefits of cannabis grows, Entrepreneur.com pointed out this week that the cannabis industry is set to provide thousands of science-based jobs. The post, authored by a guest writer, speculated that formal education geared toward supplying qualified employees for the industry, at traditional colleges and universities is inevitable, and already available at some schools.
Industry jobs in demand include master growers and extractors, as well as specialized positions in medical genomics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural sciences. While jobs like these have been available in the traditional agricultural and horticultural industries, with increased global cannabis legalization, it is now possible to specialize in marijuana.
The post pointed out that Northern Michigan University now offers a degree in Medical Plant Chemistry. As early as 2007, advanced marijuana education and certifications have been available at Oaksterdam University. The Oakland facility developed the first formal cannabis curriculum. Now, students attended classes at the Oakland, California, campus or online, to learn about indoor growing, seed-to-sale best practices, the history of cannabis, and more.
Since OU was founded ten years ago, other educational programs for cannabis industry training have expanded with legalization. Media sources listed salary potential for grow masters and extraction technicians at $75,000 to more than $100,000 annually. Other reportedly high-paying industry positions include dispensary owners and managers, and edible chefs. Also, as pointed out by Forbes, even an entry level position like flower trimmer is likely to earn $13 an hour; well above minimum wage in many legal states.
