"This is a growing industry and we want to prepare our students from a variety of academic viewpoints," Ekaterina Sedia, a biology professor and the program coordinator for cannabis studies, said in a statement.
Stockton Spokeswoman Diane D'Amico said the 25 students participating in the program will take a cannabis law course this fall, followed by a class on medical marijuana in New Jersey in the spring.
Students at Stockton University will soon be able to minor in marijuana.
The south Jersey school rolls out its new “Cannabis Studies” minor program next week. While several schools around the state offer courses in cannabis as part of their science programs, Stockton may be the first higher education institution in the Garden State to launch a program designed to prepare students for the rapidly expanding weed industry in New Jersey — and across the nation.
Stockton University will be the first in New Jersey to offer an academic program on marijuana — a minor in cannabis studies.
The new program comes as Gov. Phil Murphy wants to legalize recreational marijuana and expand the state’s medicinal program, which now has 30,000 enrollees.
If state legislators decide to put the decision in the hands of voters via a ballot initiative, the recent Stockton poll may indicate how much of a nail-biter a potential referendum could be.
“The issue really has the New Jersey electorate split — almost down the middle,” said Michael Klein, interim executive director of the Hughes Center. “There’s a lot of advocacy that needs to be done on both sides to win the day.”
A Stockton University poll released Wednesday found 49 percent of New Jerseyans said they were on board with expanding marijuana sales to adults 21 and older, while 44 percent opposed it and 5 percent said they were undecided.
"These poll results suggest there is not a consensus in New Jersey on whether marijuana should be made legal," said Michael W. Klein, interim executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton.