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SLU’s School for Professional Studies Launches Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutic Management Certificate Program

by Maggie Rotermund on 12/16/2021
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Maggie Rotermund
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12/16/2021

ST. LOUIS, MO – Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies (SPS), which offers busy adults flexible and affordable online degree and certificate programs, is launching a new Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutic Management certificate program in January 2022.

This follows the 2020 launch of a Cannabis Science and Operations certificate program, which has proven to be the most successful program in SPS’s history. SLU’s cannabis certificate program is the first of its kind in Missouri. In its first year in operation, the program enrolled more than 300 students from 35 states and Puerto Rico.

“It is important to note that students are already being hired within the industry and credited their hiring to the fact that they are students in the Cannabis Science and Operations program,” said Stacy Godlewski, Cannabis Science program director. “The education they are receiving by industry experts has set them up for success in interviews and networking, giving them a leg up on the competition. Educating the workforce for this industry is already proving to be successful.”

The Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutic Management program is aimed at people who care for other people, by providing science-based education on cannabis-based therapy options. The program is geared toward physicians, school counselors and educators, pharmacists, law enforcement officials, nurses and those in social service professions. 

“The graduate certificate in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutic Management was developed because of feedback received from our advisory board,” said John Buerck, Ph.D., interim dean of the School for Professional Studies. “There is a great need for healthcare professionals, social workers, care givers, law enforcement, etc. to have a better understanding of how cannabis affects the human body.”

The Medical Cannabis program prepares healthcare professionals to accurately inform their patients about the benefits of medical cannabis. It also aims to educate those who regularly interact with people who use medical cannabis to understand its effects and therapeutic benefits. An undergraduate degree in any discipline is required for enrollment.

In 2018, Missourians voted to legalize marijuana for medical use. Since then, medical cannabis manufacturing and dispensary licenses have been awarded across the state.

The new SPS certificate program is the first of its kind in the St. Louis region and will be taught by industry professionals. Faculty include Chase Cookson, DBA, a cannabis policy advocate; Hemant Kumar Bid, Ph.D., a researcher in pharmacogenomics; and Kayla Brown, J.D., an expert in cannabis law and regulatory compliance.

The program will address all aspects of the medical cannabis industry, including:

The certificate takes 12 credit hours to complete. The School for Professional Studies is currently accepting applications through Jan. 7. Classes begin Jan. 18, 2022. To learn more, visit online.slu.edu/cannabis.

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.