RENO, Nevada — Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno has partnered with Green Flower to offer four first-of-their-kind noncredit certificates in cannabis education in the state. Each certificate program includes three, eight-week online courses.
Programs cover the business of cannabis, agriculture and horticulture, law and policy, and healthcare and medicine.
These certificates complement existing credentials and advance the knowledge and practice of cannabis for professionals across multiple sectors.
“The University of Nevada, Reno is proud to partner with Green Flower to offer four, new online cannabis certificate programs,” said Jodi Herzik, interim vice provost for Extended Studies. “Nevada was the third state to approve cannabis for medical use with the adoption of the Nevada Medical Marijuana Act in 1998. We were once again trailblazers when Nevadans voted to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use in 2016.
“With the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis in two-thirds of the country, the University of Nevada, Reno Extended Studies team naturally wants to ensure Nevada also is at the forefront of cannabis education,” Herzik said.
The expanding cannabis industry is creating a demand for qualified workers with a broad range of skills. According to Business Wire, cannabis is the fastest growing industry in America. Leafy 2021 Jobs Reports states that in 2021, legal cannabis supports 321,000 full-time jobs, growing faster than any other industry.
“Since 2016 when voters in Nevada voted for legal adult use cannabis and then-Governor Sandoval signed the law into effect, the cannabis industry in the state has seen unprecedented growth and continues to show no signs of slowing down,” said Daniel Kalef, Green Flower’s vice president of Higher Education. “Such growth has created a large and growing job market, and a tremendous opportunity for people in Nevada to find rewarding careers.
“As the leading cannabis education company in the country, we set out to find the perfect university in the state with whom to partner and offer our programs to help prepare people for jobs in the industry,” Kalef said. “The University of Nevada, Reno checks all those boxes for us, and we could not be more thrilled work with them on this.”
Courses are designed using online learning best practices and are scheduled to accommodate working professionals. Students will develop a portfolio of case studies and projects that can be used to demonstrate sector-specific cannabis knowledge.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will earn a certificate of completion from the University of Nevada, Reno.
There are six start dates a year. The first cohort begins Nov. 15, and enrollment is open at https://cannabiseducation.unr.edu.
The cost is $2,950 per certificate, but the University is offering a special one-time $500 discount for students who enroll in the November cohort. Payment plans are available.
