MS in Medical Cannabis Science & Business

College

College of Health Professions, Institute of Emerging Health Professions

Degree

Master of Science

Format

Online

Credits

33

Duration

1.5 - 4 Years

Starting Term

Spring, Summer, Fall

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Leadership

Name: Ruth Charbonneau, JD, RN
Position: Program Director
Contact Number(s):
Name: Brooke Worster, MD
Positions:
  • Medical Advisor, Cannabis Programs
  • Associate Professor

Program Contact

Name: Institute of Emerging Health Professions
Contact Number(s):

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Curriculum

The MS in Medical Cannabis Science & Business program provides a unique and distinct combination of courses to prepare students to excel in the cannabis field as researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, or healthcare providers that can better support patients in need of alternative treatment options.

Sample Curricula

Students in the masters program have the flexibility to choose which course to take each semester and in what order to take them. Students may enroll into the program in fall, spring, or summer, and can choose between full-time and part-time options to complete the required 33 credits.

In order to complete the MS program in 4 semesters (16 months, 11 courses total) you will need to successfully complete 3 courses in each of the first 3 semesters and 2 courses in the 4th semesters. Down below is a sample curriculum for a Fall start, however it can easily translate to the curriculum for a Spring start (please notice that each course only runs in a specific semester).

FALL YEAR 1 (choose 3 out of these 4 courses)
CMD 503 Pathology Potentially Responsive to Cannabis 3
CSC 511 Botany & Chemistry of Cannabis 3
CBU 501 Emerging Issues in the Cannabis Industry  3
CSO 521 Cannabis & Public Health 3
SPRING YEAR 1 (choose 3 out of these 4 courses)
CMD 504
 Conventional & Cannabinoid Therapy of Disease 3
CSC 512 Forensic Analysis of Cannabis & Cannabis-Derived Products
3
CBU 506 Essentials of Cannabis Financial & Operations Analysis 3
CSO 522 Cannabis Policy, Politics, & Regulation 3
SUMMER YEAR 1 (take CRS 600 & choose 2 out of the 4 other courses)
CRS 600 Applied Research Design & Methods 3
CMD 505 Health Implications of Medical Cannabis 3
CSC 513 Cannabinoid Pharmacology 3
CSO 523 Cannabis Social Justice & Equity Policies: Evaluating Impact & Outcome 3
CCT 508 Quality Control & Quaity Assurance in Med. Cannabis Analysis & Dispensing  3
FALL YEAR 2 (take CRS 610 & choose 1 Fall course)
CRS 610 Cannabis Capstone Project 3
MBA 604 Business Model Innovation 3
CMD 503 Pathology Potentially Responsive to Cannabis 3
CSC 511 Botany & Chemistry of Cannabis 3
CBU 501 Emerging issues in the Cannabis Industry 3
CSO 521 Cannabis & Public Health 3

In order to complete the MS program in 6 semesters (2 years, 11 courses total) you will need to successfully complete 2 courses each semester­, except for last one during which you will only complete the capstone course. Down below is a sample curriculum for a Fall start, however it can easily translate to the curriculum for a Spring start (please notice that each course only runs in a specific semester).

FALL YEAR 1 (choose 2 out of these 4 courses)
CMD 503 Pathology Potentially Responsive to Cannabis 3
CSC 511 Botany & Chemistry of Cannabis 3
CBU 501 Emerging Issues in the Cannabis Industry 3
CSO 521 Cannabis & Public Health 3
SPRING YEAR 1 (choose 2 out of these 5 courses)
CMD 504 Conventional & Cannabinoid Therapy of Disease 3
CSC 512 Forensic Analysis of Cannabis & Cannabis-Derived Prodcuts 3
CBU 506 Essentials of Cannabis Financial & Operations Analysis  3
CSO 522 Cannabis Policy, Politics, & Regulation 3
CBU 506 Essentials of Cannabis Financial and Operations Analysis 3
MBA 604 Business Model Innovation 3
SUMMER YEAR 1 (choose 3 out of these 5 courses)
CMD 505 Health Implications of Medicinal Cannabis 3
CSC 513 Cannabinoid Pharmacology 3
CSO 523 Cannabis Social Justice & Equity Policies: Evaluating Impact & Outcome 3
CCT 508 Quality Control & Quality Assurance in Med. Cannabis Analysis & Dispensing  3
MBA 604 Business Model Innovation 3
FALL YEAR 2 (choose 2 Fall courses)
CMD 503 Pathology Potentially Responsive to Cannabis 3
CSC 511  Botany & Chemistry of Cannabis 3
CBU 501 Emerging Isues in the Cannabis Industry 3
CSO 521 Cannabis & Public Health 3
MBA 604 Business Model Innovation  3
SPRING YEAR 2 (take CRS 600 & choose 1 Spring course)
CRS 600 Applied Research Design & Methods 3
CMD 504 Conventional & Cannabinoid Therapy of Disease 3
CSC 512 Forensic Analysis of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products 3
CBU 506 Essentials of Cannabis Financial & Operations Analysis 3
CSO 522 Cannabis Policy, Politics, & Regulation  3
MBA 610 Business Model Innovation 3
SUMMER YEAR 2
CRS 610 Cannabis Capstone Project 3

In order to complete the MS program as a part-time student you will take one course per semester.

Cannabis Courses

The courses in the MS program are designed to accommodate and interest students with diverse academic background and career interests. Our cannabis courses are taught by faculty members who are recognized as national experts and leaders in the cannabis field. All cannabis courses are online and mostly asynchronous.

CBU 501 Emerging Issues in the Cannabis Industry (3 credits)
Students will learn about and engage in course activities related to the history of cannabis and the rapidly developing trends in cannabis business, laws, regulations, and ethics. In particular, students will examine emerging practices, concepts, and issues in the cannabis industry relating to regulatory framework, illicit cannabis market, operating in cash, taxation, quality of human resources, and social justice and equity.
CBU 506 Essentials of Cannabis Financial and Operations Analysis (3 credits)
This course introduces the use of accounting information as a basis for planning, control, and managerial decisions. In particular, students will gain an understanding of core accounting concepts, financial statements, and how to make financing, investing, and operating decisions that will create value for organizations. The course also discusses the role of inventory management in supply chain and logistics

CBU 509 Industrial Hemp, Process, and Products (3 credits)                                      In this course, we will explore the industrial hemp agricultural and manufacturing industry by focusing on the materials, processes, products, and economics in the industrial hemp supply chain. Specifically, we will examine the:  Agricultural processes used in growing industrial hemp plants; Material science of the hemp plant as an industrial raw material; Engineering processes needed to transform hemp biomass into new material forms; Products and markets that utilize hemp-derived materials; Business models and supply chains used by industrial hemp businesses; Sustainability in the hemp industry at a holistic, systems level (technically, environmentally, economically, and socially;) Supporting infrastructure necessary to sustain a growing industrial hemp industry. 
MBA 604 Business Model Innovation (3 credits)
In this course students fully explore how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value through a customer-centric approach to business model innovation. The impact of industry disruption through business model innovation will be explored as students analyze and evaluate existing models. Using creative thinking and specific patterns, students will gain experience in planning and executing new models to address the complex challenges facing businesses from a variety of industries in the marketplace today.
CCT 508 Quality Control & Quality Assurances in Medical Cannabis Analysis & Dispensing (3 credits)
The main focus of this course will be on quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) in the cannabis testing laboratory. The course will explain the different tests performed on cannabis (e.g. potency/cannabinoid concentration, terpenes, etc.), best practices, method development and validation, laboratory accreditation, and how to build and implement a good quality management program.

CMD 503 Pathology Potentially Responsive to Cannabis (3 credits)
This course will review the current knowledge base of pathology and pathophysiology for disease states and symptoms for which the endocannabinoid system and its components may have a biologically plausible role. The discussion will include primarily neurologic, psychiatric and behavioral, gastrointestinal and hepatic, gynecologic, musculoskeletal, hematologic, and oncologic conditions, as well as overlapping and blended diagnoses.
CMD 504 Conventional & Cannabinoid Therapy of Disease (3 credits)
This course will review the current knowledge base of conventional treatment for disease states and symptoms for which cannabinoids may have a biologically plausible role. The course will also cover the use of cannabinoids in the stated conditions. The discussion will include neurologic, psychiatric and behavioral, gastrointestinal and hepatic, gynecologic, musculoskeletal, hematologic, and oncologic conditions, as well as overlapping and blended diagnoses.
CMD 505 Health Implications of Medicinal Cannabis (3 credits)
The purpose of this course is to review potential adverse effects of cannabinoids that may be related to route of exposure/administration, drug-drug interactions, individual physiology, and other factors that require full exploration if students are eventually to advise patients on how best to use available cannabinoid therapy safely. The course will take a systems-based approach, characterizing effects on function in the areas sensorimotor, cognition and affect, hepatic and cardiovascular, to name a few.

CSC 511 Botany and Chemistry of Cannabis (3 credits)
The Botany and Chemistry of Cannabis course covers the history of cannabis as a medicinal plant from ancient times until today, taxonomy, macro and microscopic characterization, cultivation, storage, tissue culture and cryopreservation of genetic material. The different chemical classes in cannabis, including the cannabinoids and terpenes and their biosynthesis, and the chemovars of cannabis and the trends in potency changes in the illicit market over time in the USA, are described. Students will learn the morphological and histological characteristics of the different organs of cannabis such as flowers, leaves, roots, stems, isolated elements and powders, and the microscopic examination of the cannabis plant and chemical tests to identify the plant are described. The course will require students to critically review and present publications in small groups and complete assignments.
CSC 512 Forensic Analysis of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products  (3 credits)
This course will review and apply practical concepts important to successful chemical analysis of cannabis plant materials, products, and other samples relevant and pertaining to cannabis. The course will open with a focus on the importance of sample preparation and the various strategies employed for samples, which range from plant materials to oils, edibles, drinks, etc. This topic will be followed by the concepts of chromatography, including capillary gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with various detectors. Importantly, mass spectrometer (MS) detectors will be discussed in considerable detail for a full understanding and appreciation for the merits of GC/MS and LC/MS, including tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS and LC/MS/MS). Student will gain an understanding and appreciation of the analytical techniques associated with modern chemical analysis of cannabis and cannabis-related samples.
CSC 513 Cannabinoid Pharmacology (3 credits)
This course will review the endogenous cannabinoid system consisting of the endocannabinoid neurotransmitters, the cannabinoid receptors, synthetic pathways for the endogenous neurotransmitters and enzymes that degrade the neurotransmitters stopping signal propagation. The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates multiple other neurotransmitter system functions, placing this system into an important regulatory role. The pharmacology of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabigerol (CBG), three of more than 109 natural cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, are explored. The onset, peak, and duration of cannabinoid pharmacokinetics of THC, its active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-THC, and its inactive metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, in blood are investigated, following smoked, vaporized, and oral ingestion. Although cannabinoids are primarily inhaled, oral ingestion is common with the introduction of many cannabinoid food and beverages for medicinal and/or recreational intake. Participants in this course will be able to describe how plant cannabinoids function through the endogenous cannabinoid system to produce its well-known effects, including increased heart rate, euphoria, cognitive and motor impairment, and executive function deficits among others. In addition, THC pharmacokinetics in blood and its interpretation will enable the student to understand the complex relationships between cannabinoid pharmacokinetics and blood cannabinoid concentrations.

CSO 521 Cannabis & Public Health (3 credits)
This course will provide an overview of the historical and contemporary relationship between cannabis and public health. Topics included in this course encompass a grounding of the role of cannabis in the War on Drugs. The course will cover the personal and environmental factors related to cannabis use. The course will introduce students to cannabis use within a range of legal and illicit substances that are used by people for recreational and medicinal purposes. Finally, issues around cannabis policy at the local, state and federal level will be discussed. The course combines pre-recorded lectures, discussion boards, and virtual meetings.
CSO 522 Cannabis, Policy, Politics, & Regulation (3 credits)
This course will serve as a survey course of cannabis policy at the federal, state, and local levels. The goal is for students to understand the politics behind the cannabis reform debate and the policy outcomes that emerge from those debates. While many voters believe that the choice whether to legalize cannabis for medical- or adult-use is the end of the policy conversation, it really marks the beginning of a longer process. Creating, implementing and enforcing a cannabis regulatory system is the most arduous, complicated and important portions of this area of policy. Over the course of this semester, we will identify the major regulatory questions and areas that state and local governments encounter and examine the solutions governments have devised. We will compare and contrast these efforts to identify where regulatory choices work, where they do not, and how they can be improved.
CSO 523 Cannabis Social Justice & Equity Policies: Evaluating Impact & Outcome (3 credits)
Students will research, analyze and participate in activities related to the history of cannabis and drug prohibition and the complex and integral politics, policies, and narratives behind the movement to create equitable cannabis markets around the country. The course will highlight and examine successes and shortcomings of unique equity and reparative frameworks across several cities and states; highlighting the ongoing shifts and evolution of equity initiatives that continue to influence a volatile multi-billion dollar market.

CRS 600 Applied Research Design and Methods (3 credits)
The purpose of this course is to teach basic research skills and concepts needed to plan, conduct, and analyze data from a research project. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed method approaches to research will be introduced, as well as ethical issues in conducting research. Using the framework of the research project proposal, this course will focus on how to identify emerging research topics, state research objectives, perform scientific literature searches, derive variables, state hypotheses, develop an appropriate study design, and conduct basic statistical analyses.
CRS 610 Cannabis Capstone Project  (3 credits)
The Capstone Project course is the culmination of the masters degree program in Medical Cannabis Science & Business. In this course, students will apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the entire program of study, to develop and conduct a professional and comprehensive research project in an area of their interest in the cannabis field. Working with a faculty mentor, students will make connections among concepts, ideas, and experiences gained from the cannabis medicine, science, and business courses, and apply them to their research project. This course should be taken during the final semester of study and will culminate in a final paper and a virtual presentation..

Not ready to commit to a MS degree or a full certificate? Take a course or two as a non-degree student (non-matriculated option) – See information.

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