Online courses in cannabis growing in Canada

The University of Guelph in Canada now offers an online cannabis cultivation course as part of its horticulture program. An education you can actually use. This fall semester the university will officially launch it’s “Cannabis Production” course geared towards both commercial and home growers.

According to a press release, the postgraduate student Brandon Yep will be a teacher for this course. He will teach growing basics, including lighting and irrigation systems, growing media, pest and disease management, and post-harvest curing and packaging. Furthermore, the course will also discuss aspects of botany, cannabis history, the growing Canadian industry and medical uses of the plant.

This course is to prepare people for the future

While the course might appeal most to people who already have an operation set up, it’s also to prepare people for the future. The Canadian cannabis market is booming and good professionals are in high demand. According to their website, the course is to prepare students for entry-level positions in the market.

With the legalization of cannabis in Canada for medicinal and recreational use, there will be great demand for professional workers in cannabis production techniques, operations and, quality management. Entry-level workers could work with cannabis producers in roles such as:

• Quality Assurance Associate
• Production Technician
• Cultivation Technician
• Grower/Master Grower
• Processing Technician
• Packing Technician
• Customer Service Representative
• Retail Store Manager

The Cannabis Production course runs from 9 September through December of 2019 and costs $545. It seems like a bargain if it’s going to take your growing experience to the next level. But before you get your hopes up too high, you should know the course is usually full.

The University of Guelph will also offer an online course covering cannabis regulations and quality assurance starting in January.

Not the first to offer this program

The University of Guelph isn’t the first school to offer a cannabis course, especially not in Canada where recreational consumption is legal for adults nationwide. However, it’s one of the few to offer distance-learning classes. A trend that’s likely to continue as the US and other countries stand at the precipice of lifting prohibition as well.

Quality control is important to the production of cannabis. Furthermore, in this course, students will delve into the history, regulations, management challenges and emerging techniques of producing commercial cannabis. Also, students will discuss all aspects of quality control including strategies to comply with government regulations. Moreover, they will explore production practices and discuss the application of current regulations to promote best practices in growing a quality product.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify key rules and regulations including the process of applying for a producer license and compliance procedures
• Interpret standard operating procedures (SOPs) and relate these SOP’s to the maintenance of product quality and consistency
• Develop production protocols and records, and discuss the challenges with maintaining these protocols in real life
• Define tasks in the growing process—including seeding, cloning, transplanting, feeding plants, defoliation, super cropping, topping, flushing, foliar sprays, and waste disposal to establish a workflow and document the steps for developing an SOP
• Furthermore, students will compare and contrast new techniques in the production of cannabis and discuss the application of growing quality products

Additional Requirements

• This course is for adult learners who are at least 18 years of age.
• You can expect to spend 8 – 12 hours per week to complete the course content, readings, activities, discussions, and assignments.
• Before registering in this course, we recommend you to complete Cannabis Production or another course on growing plants.

Cannabis Production and Cannabis Regulations and Quality Management complete an area of focus in Cannabis Production.

Assessment

Students should complete online quizzes and submit assignments throughout the course.

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