Canadian College Prepares a New Generation of Pot Growers

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Two days ago, Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana, and lines of eager buyers are practically spilling into the U.S.

People just can’t get enough.

Tweed, a major Canadian cannabis company, had sales last year worth only CAD$77 million, or $66 million. Overall, the company lost CAD$70 million, or $53.5 million.

Now, the top 12 Canadian cannabis companies are worth nearly CAD$55 billion, or $42 billion, and mega brands like Coca-Cola and Constellation Brands, the makers of Corona, Modelo, Svedka and more, are ready to get involved.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a strong proponent of the legalization.

“It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana — and for criminals to reap the profits,” he tweeted in June. “Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate.”

But the industry is so new, and people are so high on the law, that producers can’t keep up.

And now, a university wants to change that.

In response to a need for skilled workers, Niagara College in Ontario, Canada, introduced a graduate certificate program in commercial cannabis production.

The program prepares post-graduate students to work in the licensed production of cannabis.

“We’re a pre-emptive college, and one of our key strengths is our ability to anticipate and respond to emerging industries, trends and labour-market needs,” Dan Patterson, the president of Niagara College, said in a statement.

“The Commercial Cannabis Production program reflects the College’s mandate to develop responsive applied learning programs that address industry needs — much like our Commercial Beekeeping, Culinary Innovation, Renewable Energy Technician and other programs,” he continued.

 

Although legal, the production of cannabis is a very highly regulated process by the government.

The program will teach students all of the procedures, requirements, standards and regulations of the cannabis industry. By the time they have completed the one-year course, they will be skilled, knowledgeable greenhouse and controlled environment technicians.

“There is a tremendous demand for knowledgeable, skilled workers in this highly technical industry,” Roger Ferrreira, CEO of Beleave, Inc., in Hamilton, Ontario, said in a statement. “Niagara College having the vision to fill this knowledge gap is commendable.”

Partially due to its popularity, the program is extremely competitive and difficult to get into.

Students applying for the program must have an accredited college or university degree in the fields of agribusiness, agricultural sciences, environmental science/resource studies, horticulture or natural sciences, or they must have an “acceptable combination of education and experience,” according to Niagara College’s press release.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001, but extending the market to all consumers has caused huge financial gains.

With the industry booming and growing, the program at Niagara College is there to make sure the country doesn’t sell out.

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