What used to be a favorite pastime for hippies and debate topic for politicians is now becoming a college major.
More liberal-leaning colleges have been known to offer peculiar majors. Take Northwestern University’s lesbian dance theory, for example. Colorado State University-Pueblo gained state approval for their new “Cannabis, Biology and Chemistry” major on Friday, Feb. 7. This major will begin in the fall of the next academic year and is designed to educate students on the biology and chemistry of the drug.
But with the expansion of the marijuana industry over the past few years, giving students the opportunity to study the drug might not be a bad idea.
Studying cannabis in college might seem bizarre with the controversy it’s caused. While most Americans support legalization, a Buzzfeed study said “they don’t want to get too close to the drug.”
Giving students the opportunity to study marijuana isn’t bringing society closer to the drug. Rather, it reflects how close cannabis already is to the American people.
According to the Washington Post, nearly 55 million American adults use marijuana, with around 83% of Americans in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. Marijuana is fully illegal in only 8 states with the rest having legalized weed in some form or another. And 22.3% of high school seniors report using the drug in the past month.
Clearly, America is already very familiar with cannabis. Denying this fact is delaying the inevitable. Protesting the existence of a marijuana major when weed is already an accepted staple of our society is ridiculous.
Colorado State has an obligation to teach its students useful knowledge and skills. In Colorado, the cannabis industry has generated more than $1 billion dollars of revenue, with projected sales skyrocketing as America becomes more familiar with marijuana use. Teaching students how to navigate the growing industry and be effective business workers within it is not only a wise idea but also a big attraction for the college.
From a student’s perspective, learning how to make money in a budding field is a big reason for attending college and shouldn’t be suppressed because of controversy.
“It’s a rigorous degree geared toward the increasing demand coming about because of the cannabis industry,” David Lehmpuhl, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, told the Denver Post.
Colorado has allowed the recreational use of weed since 2014. Even if an individual sees marijuana as potentially harmful or immoral, the major still provides students with the opportunity to learn about the economics of the marijuana industry, which could be beneficial in an increasingly cannabis-friendly future.
According to the school, students won’t only study the sale of the drug, but also spend time learning about its cognitive effects and how it should be regulated.
“Hemp and marijuana has really come to the forefront in a lot of economic sectors in the country,” Lehmpuhl said. “We’re not pro-cannabis or anti-cannabis. What we’re about will be the science, and training students to look at that science.”
Like it or not, many Americans use marijuana, and whatever states decide to do regarding the drug’s legalization, the public should know with what they’re dealing. Drug education allows the public to investigate and understand the costs and benefits of legalizing drugs on public health.
An entire major focused on this isn’t a bad thing for people who don’t want weed to be legal because, if they are right about the dangers of marijuana, more research could potentially reinforce their concerns. Gregory Frye, the executive editor of cannabis education group Green Flower said, “The more access we have to credible cannabis education, the easier it will be for us to discuss cannabis, exchange ideas, and to make informed decisions at the policy level as well as in our personal lives.”
A major in marijuana has less to do with the political fight for marijuana legalization and more to do with where public interest leads. If the United States wants to go green, then cannabis majors will become an increasingly common option for a major at universities — and that is a reality non-users will just have to accept.
Quin Colhour is a freshman studying rhetoric and public address.
