If you want to learn more about medical cannabis (i.e., marijuana) and hemp-derived CBD, then this specialization is for you! A patient or their loved one who wants to understand the potential risks and benefits. A health care provider who wants to communicate with patients about cannabis. Someone who wants to work in the cannabis industry. Why do people want to know more about cannabis? The legalization of cannabis (i.e., marijuana) and the recent federal legalization of cannabidiol (CBD) has led to unprecedented access to cannabinoids (e.g. THC and CBD), a projected 60 billion dollar industry (cannabis and hemp) by 2025, and the fastest growing jobs sector in the economy according to recent reports in the media. Despite all of this, there is very little evidence-based information about the health effects of cannabis or about how to maximize the potential benefits while minimizing harm. Parents of children with seizure disorders, veterans with PTSD and chronic pain, cancer patients, and our aging parents deserve better.

People WANT evidence-based information about the potential risks and benefits of cannabis products so that they can weigh the pros and cons of cannabis and CBD versus other options. They also want to know how to maximize the positive effects of cannabis while minimizing the side effects. This specialization is designed to provide that information. Assignments are experiential in nature and designed to provide students with specific skills regardless of their age or their reasons for taking the specialization (to be an educated patient, continuing education for health care providers, or to obtain a job in the industry). Students will engage with dispensaries, healthcare providers, and/or patients on important questions related to the safety and health effects of cannabis and CBD. For example, students might visit two dispensaries, ask questions about the safety and health effects of products, and compare answers across the dispensaries. Students might also discuss cannabis with their doctor and compare answers. Students will also consolidate learning with the creation of infographics. Creating evidence-based infographics is not only a great learning tool, it also provides a skill that is highly desirable among job applicants in the cannabis industry and in public health and public policy positions.

If you're dipping your toes into the infused beverage space, these businesses can help you get started. As cannabis regulation continues to evolve across the United States and around the world, please be mindful of your local laws and regulations. Alcoholism runs deep in both sides of my family. To prevent possibly continuing those patterns as I get older, I’ve become more interested in exploring other options for social drinking; Alcohol-free wines and spirits have become significantly more accessible in recent years, and cannabis-based mocktails is one of the most interesting trends in this space. Picture a zero-proof drink with all the layers of flavor we’ve come to love in a cocktail, but with a THC and/or CBD mixture that can be customized for the exact high you’d like to experience. While this trend is spreading, conversations around race and cannabis need to remain at the forefront of this movement.

With Black cannabis entrepreneurs accounting for less than 2% of businesses in this multi-billion dollar industry, Highline Wellness Wellness the politics around all things cannabis still live in the shadow of the effects of DARE (an anti-drug program that was very popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s that also helped to push the criminalization and Highline Wellness Brand stigmatization of recreational cannabis to children), the Reagan-era’s war on drugs, as well as a longer legacy of racism in the United States. The first cannabis mocktail I ever tried was in Rose Mary Jane, a Black woman-owned, equity-owned canna-bar and lounge in Oakland, California. This location is also a community event center and a dispensary for cannabis products, with a focus on local producers such as Maat Apothecary (their spiced honey is a favorite of mine) and New Life, a flower hybrid that’s ideal for being social and adventurous. In the near future, Rose Mary Jane’s team plans to host classes for people interested in all things cannabis.