Bay Area community college launches Zoom course on cultivating cannabis
Leaves of a mature marijuana plant are seenin a display at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo April 18, 2010 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's been about our ability to adapt. Part of the new normal has included working remotely over Zoom. For some, it's also been a time to learn a new skill or hobby.
Oakland's Merritt Community College is embracing all of the above with a new two-day course called 'Cultivating Cannabis for the Home Gardener'.
The curriculum focuses on the outdoor cultivation of a substance that was legalized in the State of California not too long ago and its strains. Students will also learn about plant propagation, pest and disease control, harvesting procedures and perhaps the most rewarding part; post-harvest processing, including topical and edible infusions.
"As far as we know, this is the first class of its kind as most cannabis instruction at accredited institutions has been geared to industry professionals," instructor Matthew Witemyre said in a press release.
With the passage of Proposition 64 in 2016, California adults over the age of 21 are allowed to cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
Witemyre, along with Lawrence Lee, will teach the weekend class held over two, six-hour Saturday sessions on November 14 and 21. The course costs $120.
The Landscape Horticulture Department says they will offer for-credit semester courses on this topic soon.
The department, part of the Peralta Community College District, says their focus here and in all of their classes is on ecologically friendly and organic practices.
With the cannabis industry being one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the overall economy, maybe it's time to use your pandemic time wisely and look into that career change or add a little spice to your home garden.