University of Maryland Offering Medical Cannabis Master’s Degree Program

The first gathering of the inaugural cohort of 150 students. Photo courtesy University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he University of Maryland is making history as one of the first schools in the country to offer a master’s degree in medical cannabis. Specifically, the groundbreaking program is an MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics.

According to WBTW, the program currently takes two years to complete, and it’s part of the School of Pharmacy. So far, about 150 students are enrolled in the school’s cannabis master’s program. The program covers everything from drug policy to clinical care, as well as the science behind cannabis and what it means for the substance and the people who consume it.

“How CBD or THC or both are used in the treatment of certain disease states. And to know the drug-drug interactions that might take place,” said Dean Natalie Eddington of University of Maryland about what the program offers.

So far on campus, students won’t work directly with the cannabis plant, as it’s illegal to touch cannabis while in a place receiving federal funding. As of now, the program attendees meet just once a semester, and most of the coursework is done online.

Photo courtesy University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

Brandon Coleman, one of the students who is a part of the program, works at a dispensary, so he wants to learn more about the business part of cannabis. However, he is also a cannabis patient, as he uses cannabis for epilepsy.

“That’s a unique perspective because I can take what I use on a daily basis and apply it to other people’s conditions,” said Coleman, referring to what he gets from the program.

Unlike most of its neighbors in the mid-Atlantic region, Maryland has been ahead of the curve when it comes to legal cannabis. The state already boasts a booming medical cannabis industry that offers canna-tours, and Baltimore is considered a hub for medical cannabis in the state. Cannabis is off to a strong start in this state, and this legal cannabis program is making history.

Photo courtesy The Universities at Shady Grove (USG).