Cannabis courses offered at CSU East Bay in Hayward

HAYWARD, Calif. - If you're a student looking to get certified, Friday is the last day to enroll in this session for the cannabis education program at Cal State East Bay.

The university started this program about two months ago.

In six months, students will have a better understanding of how to own and operate a legal cannabis business.

All the courses are online and mostly done on your own time.

You don't even need to be a CSU student to sign up; it's offered to any adult.

The courses are designed by a company called Green Flower, headquartered in Southern California.

Its CEO Max Simon says the company partners with universities across the country to offer these courses as a team of people with a passion for cannabis and education backgrounds create the curriculum.

Simon said his goal is to help legitimize the industry, as well as take the market share away from the illegal side of cannabis.

"Hopefully, with education, that's what allows more people to get informed and understand what they can lobby for, what they can speak out against and what they can support more deeply in this legal industry," Simon said. 

The growing illegal market of cannabis continues to be a challenge for the industry and it's led to crimes targeting cannabis shops and farms.

State data shows the number of cannabis break-ins from 2021 to 2022 doubled.

In Oakland, a police officer was shot and killed before the new year after responding to a burglary at a cannabis farm.

There are four types of certifications within this program, which offers courses from owning a business, to growing cannabis, to learning the rules and laws.

If you miss Friday's deadline to enroll, the next sign-up period is in March.