It’s a brave, new world out there in the burgeoning cannabis industry. With more universities than ever offering specialist cannabis higher education, there’s never been a better time to consider a future in legal pot. Plus, at the moment, marijuana literacy courses cost a fraction of a traditional debt-ridden college diploma, and best of all, there’s a growing number of scholarship options available to help young ganjapreneurs on their way to a potentially lucrative career in cannabis.
CannaInsider Education Scholarship
Matt Kind is the host of the popular podcast CannaInsider, and the Boulder entrepreneur is putting his money where his mouth is by setting up a scholarship fund to encourage students to consider a future in cannabis. Available to students aged 18 to 25 who are currently enrolled in an accredited college in the US or Canada, like Oaksterdam University, for instance, or even online educators, like THC University. There’s a total of $3,000 on the table each year to split between one or two students with a burning desire to get into the cannabis industry.
MedReleaf And Niagara College
One of Canada’s top licensed cannabis producers, MedReleaf has paired with Ontario’s Niagara College to start a graduate certificate program, which provides financial assistance for students of Niagara’s Commercial Cannabis Production course. Offering entrance scholarships for students who demonstrate either academic excellence or a commitment to innovation, MedReleaf also aims to foster leadership by women in the cannabis industry. With Canada poised to fully legalize adult use this October, there has never been such an opportune time to enroll.
Oaksterdam University
America’s foremost cannabis educator has a long history, having provided on-site training in Northern California’s Oakland for more than a decade now. From cultivation to business and even law, Oaksterdam has every aspect of the industry covered, and its faculty is filled with some of the most recognized professionals and activists in cannabis today. In partnership with Big Rock, a San Francisco-based investment consultancy, Oaksterdam has launched a $25,000 scholarship open to minorities, with individual awards for Latinos, black Americans, veterans and seniors.
Image courtesy of @Oaksterdam on Instagram.
American Chemical Society
If science is more your thing, then look no further than the American Chemical Society, which is on a mission to bolster worldwide scientific research into cannabis. In 2015, the ACS set up the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision devoted to the scientific study of marijuana, and its biannual Scholarship for Excellence seeks to help those who can advance science’s understanding of the plant. Individual prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500 are on offer, with the recipients getting the opportunity to present their research at the ACS National Meeting & Expo, held twice each year. This scholarship is not just for serious academics, either; students, researchers and professionals are all encouraged to participate.
It’s also worth mentioning that each year a growing number of one-off scholarships are offered, like this scholarship and paid internship opportunity from 2017 by wholesale CVD distributor Entourage Nutritional Distributors. So, if you’re looking for a scholarship to kick-start your cannabis career, it’s definitely worth keeping your ear to the ground, especially in Colorado and California. And happy studies!