ESTERO, Fla. — A new certification program offered through Florida Gulf Coast University aims to help people find jobs in the medical marijuana industry.
Professor Martha Rosenthal was already teaching classes on medical marijuana in a college classroom when she decided to create the certificate program for people serious about medical cannabis as a career.
"For people in the community who want to enter the field, or are already in the field and want to increase their education," Rosenthal said.
She said medical marijuana is the fastest-growing industry in the U.S. Her 38-hour course, the Cannabis Professional Certificate Program, covers everything from the physiology of the marijuana plant, to how to get into the business side of medical cannabis.
"We talk about taxes and laws and business, so it's a lot of different aspects," she said.
The first course ended last week. Rosenthal said that the certificate has already helped give one graduate of the program an edge in finding a job in the medical cannabis industry.
"Someone has already told me that they were up for an interview against somebody else who didn't have a certificate, and (the certificate holder) got the interview," Rosenthal said.
Michelle Hilmes, who earned her certificate in the course, said that she would eventually like to explore a business in edible medical marijuana, if it becomes legalized.
"I'd like to find a way for people that don't necessarily want to smoke it, but can ingest it safely," Hilmes said.
Rosenthal said she is planning another certificate course to begin in August.
