In states where recreational marijuana use has been legalized, teens are less likely to smoke it, says a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Other recent studies have come to similar conclusions.
Licensed dispensaries are replacing drug dealers in these states, making it harder for teenagers who aren’t of legal age to get their hands on cannabis. However, the study did not find a decrease in teen use when only medical marijuana was legalized.
Not legalizing cannabis jeopardizes related jobs
Like most college students, I often ask myself: Will my education be worth it?
So with expanded medical and adult-use marijuana legalization in New Jersey becoming a possibility, I enrolled in Stockton University’s cannabis studies program. One of only a few in the country, it prepares students to navigate the legal, social justice, health and economic impacts of cannabis. I’m also president of the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency chapter on campus.
A new online certificate program at Stockton University in Galloway Township, New Jersey, could open doors for students anywhere in the United States who are interested in working in the fledgling cannabis industry.
The university's Office of Continuing Studies in late April 2019 launched a new certificate program in cannabis studies. School officials said it is intended to address a growing demand for information about and training for cannabis jobs.
New Jersey is another state on the cusp of adult-use legalization. With Governor Phil Murphy pushing hard for recreational approval, one state college is offering relevant classes to its students. This past semester, Stockton College began offering its students the opportunity to minor in cannabis studies. The move is believed to be the first in New Jersey and one of just a handful in the country. As of early October 2018, 30 students had been enrolled in the program.
Grace DeNoya is used to getting snickers when people learn she's majoring in marijuana.
"My friends make good-natured jokes about getting a degree in weed," said DeNoya, one of the first students in a new four-year degree program in medicinal plant chemistry at Northern Michigan University. "I say, 'No, it's a serious degree, a chemistry degree first and foremost. It's hard work. Organic chemistry is a bear.'"
Stockton University today announced new academic and non-academic partnerships that will enhance opportunities for students in its new Cannabis Studies program.
A partnership with Thomas Jefferson University will provide opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate with Jefferson’s Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp within The Institute of Emerging Health Professions.
Stockton University will partner with Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University’s Institute of Emerging Health Professions to enhance its cannabis studies program.
The partnership, announced Tuesday, will provide collaboration opportunities for staff and students with Jefferson’s Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp.
This fall, Stockton added a new minor in Cannabis Studies that addresses issues surrounding the use of medical marijuana in New Jersey and the proposed legalization of recreational marijuana.
The new minor addresses Stockton’s mission to prepare students for the complexities of the world in which they will live and work and the issues that are shaping the future of New Jersey and the nation.
Students enlisting in the minor will take Introduction to Medical Marijuana (GEN 2347), Cannabis Law (GSS 2198), Internship Preparation (GEN 3XXX) (including Cannabis research and a basic understanding of small business operations), and one elective course that can be chosen from a variety of select general education courses. The fifth course is an internship during which Stockton students can intern in a wide variety of disciplines in the field of Cannabis Studies, including energy efficiency, cultivation, retail, social media, and patient research.
"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.