The University of Maryland will be offering a graduate degree in medical cannabis, making it the first university and learning institution to do so.
Students can take the two-year Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics if they want to learn how to treat medical cannabis patients and to work on research in the field. This program will give them the opportunity to help shape medical cannabis policy going forward.
Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, dean and professor at UMSOP, notes that medical cannabis has been legalized in the state of Maryland and in 32 oter states. According to her, this number is expected to go up in the future and fuel the demand for an educated workforce. This workforce will have to be well-trained in science and therapeutic effects that are associated with cannabis.
Eddington points out that their MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics has been “critically designed” to prepare graduate students so they can meet the demand. Throughout the curriculum, there are innovations in instructional design that will provide the students with the knowledge and skills necessary to create a positive impact on communities across the country.
This unique program will be the first graduate program in the U.S. to be focused specifically on medical marijuana. The program plans to cater to those who have an undergraduate degree and who want to work in the cannabis industry. This program is ideal for growers and industry professionals, as well as health care professionals.
According to Leah Sera, assistant professor at the UMSOP Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and the director of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program, the faculty from the School of Pharmacy leads the courses for the program. The members of the faculty are experts in basic and clinical sciences related to the study of medications.
The course is going to be held predominately online. This is a setup that the university hopes will accommodate those students who might already have other commitments or have jobs that would make attending on-campus classes difficult. The coursework for the program is designed to be understandable for those with or without a background in medicine or science.
There will, however, be an in-person symposium to be held once every semester. This will provide students with opportunities to network with their peers, as well as meet and interact with the experts in the therapeutics, science, and the policy of medical cannabis.
Sera says that students who complete the program will have an unparalleled competitive advantage in terms of advancing or pursuing a career in the medical cannabis industry.
These students, she adds, will be well-prepared to support the medical cannabis industry and the patients with the skills and knowledge they have gained from their coursework. Moreover, they will be able to add to existing scientific and clinical research on medical cannabis, as well as contribute to well-informed policies in the field.
You can find out more the program from the University of Maryland’s website here.