Onondaga Community College announced Monday it will offer a new program to help students enter the burgeoning cannabis industry.
The new cannabis education program is offered in partnership with the Ohio-based Cleveland School of Cannabis, which offers online courses.
Students can earn a certificate in cannabis cultivation science, cannabis dispensary training and cannabis extractions.
All programs are virtual and can be completed at the students own pace with no set start and end date.
The cannabis industry is expected to generate around 60,000 jobs in New York by 2027, according to figures released by OCC.
"The cannabis industry is going to be enormous and well-educated employees are going to fuel the growth. We are honored to play such a significant role and help to deliver academic service where a need has been identified," said Tyrone Russell, president of Cleveland School of Cannabis.
The state approved its first group of licenses last fall, with the first legal adult-use cannabis store opening in Manhattan in late December and the second slated to open this week. Currently, 36 dispensaries are licensed.
OCC is not the only school in the state to offer certificates in cannabis.
In July, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $5 million in funding will go toward SUNY and CUNY schools to create or improve course options that will help students enter the cannabis industry.
SUNY Morrisville also has a specialty crops and cannabis production certificate program and a cannabis industry minor. It’s one of a few schools in the state to offer a minor in this area of study.
Syracuse University also has an online Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management Certificate that is a timed course.