Nebraska’s Doane University Starts New Cannabis Science and Industries Course

Doane University has become the biggest institution to launch a course for students who hope to have a career in the cannabis industry.

This online course – Cannabis Science and Industries: Seeds to Need – will be self-paced, and students will be awarded a professional cannabis certificate upon completion.

Topics covered will be pertinent to those looking to take on a senior position within the growing legal marijuana trade. Study units will include cannabis science, cultivation, procession, the wellness aspects of cannabis trade, regulations, economic impacts, compliance, and safety.

Nebraska is one of the 14 states where cannabis is fully illegal. Many states have either decriminalized or legalized cannabis for recreational use, while 33 states have made medical marijuana legal.

However, Governor Pete Rickets signed the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act into law earlier in May this year, bringing Nebraska in line with federal law. This implies that hemp can be grown here and CBD extracted from it to create an array of wellness products.

Chemistry Professor Dr. Andrea Holmes created the cannabis course along with the associate dean of Health Sciences Amanda McKinney,

In 2018/19, Holmes took a yearlong sabbatical to work with AgriScience Labs, a Colorado testing facility. During this time, she tested edibles, concentrates, and topicals for terpenes, potency, residual solvents, and so on, to determine their viability and safety.

Holmes is now a passionate advocate of the cannabis industry and intends to share her knowledge with Nebraska’s young minds. The professional cannabis program is based on scientific advancement, innovation, and cutting edge pedagogy. According to Holmes, this will be expanded over time as the federal regulations change and as the industry grows.

Holmes is also the co-founder of Colorado-based Precision Plant Molecules that specializes in the extraction and creation of THC-free products for medical uses.

The cannabis course will be available through online platform DoaneX. This platform was created in a partnership with edX, a Harvard and MIT-founded platform. Doane University professors can add courses to the curriculum when needed.