With marijuana legalization coming in July, post-secondary institutions are rising to the challenge of providing education about the industry to Canadians.
New courses are popping up in Canadian universities and colleges that seek to provide industry-specific knowledge on the marijuana industry to prepare future employees. Many of these courses will be available to the public as well as to students.
Opening up these programs and courses is a great way to prepare for legalization and the jobs that’ll come with it, but it’s also important to note that in Ontario, these jobs will be restricted to a few government-regulated companies. There won’t be room within the province for innovation and entrepreneurial enterprise associated with legalization.
Despite this, having people properly trained in order to grow and market marijuana is vital. It’s important for those who want to engage with the industry to have credible information. Currently, a vast majority of the stigma attached to marijuana use comes about from a lack of education about it. There are a lot of myths surrounding marijuana use, and education is the only way to dispel them.
In addition to educating people about the growth and marketing of marijuana, the courses can do good by increasing knowledge about the new laws surrounding how it can be bought and sold.
When legalization comes into effect, there’s bound to be a lot of confusion over exactly what’s legal and what’s considered a crime. The legalization of recreational marijuana will still come with some regulations on its use, such as growing your own plants, public intoxication and buying from a government-regulated source. Having authoritative classes will help dispel the confusion that leads people to unknowingly break the law and put themselves medically in harm’s way.
The only issue with these classes is they’re currently few and far in between, with many accessible only through a fee. While not every citizen needs to be well-versed in growing and marketing marijuana, they do need to be informed on what’s really legal after legalization.
— Journal Editorial Board
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