Online Course To Focus On Cannabis Therapeutics, Product Design, Quality Assurance
Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) announced today that it has submitted a new program proposal to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for approval – the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Cannabis Science: Therapeutics, Product Design, and Quality Assurance. The program examines the science behind cannabis and investigates the evidence for therapeutic benefits and risks, issues in product design and quality assurance.
MUIH’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Cannabis Science: Therapeutics, Product Design, and Quality Assurance is one of the few academic programs at the graduate level in the U.S. to focus on cannabis and to support this rapidly growing industry. The program educates students about cannabis-based products with an emphasis on health effects, safety, formulation, and quality assurance. Delivered completely online, the program is 15 credits and can be completed in one year. Applications are being accepted for fall 2020 trimester with a limited number of seats. The program is pending approval by MHEC.
“Given the public interest in both CBD-dominant hemp products and medical marijuana, there’s an increased need for a cannabis workforce and health care practitioners that understand issues of quality, safety, and appropriate use. This program is designed to meet that need,” said James Snow, MUIH’s dean of Academic Affairs.
MUIH’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Cannabis Science: Therapeutics, Product Design, and Quality Assurance addresses the science and functionality of the endocannabinoid system and explores ways to optimize health benefits and reduce risk by combining cannabis-based products with other herbs. It also addresses dispensary practices, quality assurance, and industry standards that support appropriate access to high-quality and safe CBD-dominant hemp-based products, as well as medical and recreational THC-dominant cannabis products.
“The goal of the program is to promote safe and evidence-informed use of high-quality cannabis-based products, while integrating both scientific and tradition-based use of herbal medicine into the therapeutic practice and product development innovations happening in this new field,” says Program Director Dr. Michael Tims.
The program will give individuals interested in working in licensed dispensaries the knowledge they need to evaluate retail products, build quality control practices into the dispensary workflow, and inform customers about available products in an ethical and responsible fashion. It will also give integrative health and conventional practitioners the knowledge they need to be well informed about quality, safety, and effectiveness of CBD-dominant and THC-dominant cannabis products in order to identify safety concerns as well as be knowledgeable for their patients and clients.
The program is grounded in MUIH’s holistic and natural approach to health and wellness, and its long-standing expertise in herbal medicine. MUIH has offered master’s and graduate certificate programs in herbal medicine since 2002.