There are nearly 1,000 credit-bearing cannabis courses offered by accredited colleges and universities across the United States, illustrating the growing presence of cannabis education in higher education, according to a new study.
The study, published September 17 in Natural Sciences Education, identified 980 courses across 67 accredited institutions in 23 states. Researchers Brenda King, Karla L. Gage, Steven Still and Jose F. Da Cunha Leme Filho are affiliated with Southern Illinois University, with multiple authors also affiliated with the university’s Cannabis Science Center.
Researchers conducted a state-by-state examination of institutional catalogs covering 3,362 regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The 67 schools offering qualifying programs represented about 2% of the institutions examined.
Cannabis education was not distributed evenly across the country. Illinois, Colorado and California had the largest concentrations of programs identified in the study.
Agriculture was the most common academic focus, followed by multidisciplinary programs, business and health professions. Courses and programs also covered subjects including chemistry and law.
Short-term certificate programs were the predominant credential offered, while bachelor’s degree and graduate-level pathways remained comparatively limited. Researchers also found that most institutions concentrated their cannabis education within individual academic disciplines rather than combining multiple areas of study.
Despite programs developing independently across different states and institutions, required credit hours were relatively consistent among comparable credential types. Researchers said the pattern suggests cannabis education may be moving toward informal, field-wide standards even without a standardized national curriculum.
The study did not count certain programs developed through partnerships between universities and private companies. Researchers noted that some colleges formally house cannabis programs while outside organizations provide portions of the instructional content, meaning the broader universe of cannabis-related college education may extend beyond the programs included in the inventory.
The authors said legalization across much of the United States has increased demand for workers with specialized training in areas including agriculture, health care, business and public policy.
Before the study, researchers said there was no standardized nationwide inventory of accredited, credit-bearing cannabis programs. They said the new dataset could serve as a baseline for tracking the growth of cannabis education and identifying gaps in training as the marijuana and hemp industries continue to develop.
The study’s authors reported no conflicts of interest.
