TOLEDO, Ohio —
Marijuana has made its way into Toledo classrooms.
The University of Toledo's Cannabis Management program isn't new, but it's booming following the legalization of recreational weed in Ohio.
"There's more interest in it because it's becoming more prevalent. There's a lot more opportunity," Brandon Cohen, senior lecturer at the University of Toledo said.
Four weed courses are offered at UToledo. They can be taken as electives or as part of a certificate.
"Cannabis Law" and "Cannabis Entrepreneurship" are focused on the business side of the industry.
"Plants and Products" and "Benefits and Risks" are more science-based.
Cohen said they've been available to students since 2020, years before recreational weed was even legalized in the Buckeye State. He said it gives Toledo students a leg-up in a billion-dollar industry.
"You can get into cultivation, processing, secure transport," Cohen explained. "You can get into testing. You can have dispensaries, so you can have it at the retail footprint."
It's that opportunity "high" that senior Bailey Mitchell is chasing.
"I started incorporating it in my junior year and I was like, 'I can get four classes in,' and then the legalization happened and I was like 'Absolutely, I made the right decision.'"
Mitchell is halfway done with the certification and eventually wants to open some of the state's first cannabis lounges.
"It's just a booming business. It's going to be here no matter what," Mitchell said. "If you could get ahead, that would be the best."
Classes aren't just for future marijuana entrepreneurs like Mitchell.
Cohen said it's a great opportunity for students to learn about how legal weed can benefit the state.
"There's just so much tax revenue that you could get from a legalized market that can be used for good in each state," Cohen said. "It just needs to be run by people who understand what they're doing."