Posted on

Sacramento’s first Black woman-owned cannabis storefront dispensary opens in midtown

By: Orko Manna

The CORE program is meant to remove barriers of entry into the cannabis industry for people in communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento’s first Black woman-owned storefront cannabis dispensary just opened, due in large part to the city’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) program.

Crystal Nugs is the fourth storefront dispensary to open as a member of the CORE program. CEO Maisha Bahati said Crystal Nugs, which started as a delivery service, would have never been able to expand to a physical store in midtown without the city’s help.

I wouldn’t have this opportunity if the CORE program did not exist,” Bahati said. “I’ve received loans and grants close to $200,000. I received waivers on our business operating permit. I’ve received technical assistance and just support.”

The CORE program is meant to remove barriers of entry into the cannabis industry for people in communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. This includes Black and brown communities who were disparately arrested for cannabis-related offenses or lived in neighborhoods that were over-policed for drugs.

“It’s really difficult to get into the cannabis industry,” Bahati said. “The costs to get in are huge, and so you need assistance and that’s what the CORE program essentially does. It provides you with the assistance that will help you further your career in cannabis.”

The CORE program was created in 2018. In 2020, the Sacramento City Council approved 10 new storefront dispensary permits, increasing the number of storefront permits allowed in the city from 30 to 40. Crystal Nugs is the fourth business out of the 10 that received permits to open a storefront.

Davina Smith, the program manager for the City of Sacramento’s Office of Cannabis Management, said the CORE program helps with everything from education to advertising, to networking opportunities – and, of course, funding.

“It’s sort of an organic, living program,” Smith said. “It’s pretty expensive and time-consuming to break into and actually operate a regulated cannabis business, and so, the idea is to break down those barriers, try to reduce costs.”

Smith said the six other businesses are on track to open storefront dispensaries, but they must open by April 1, 2024.

Posted on

Could cannabis consumption lounges be a thing in Sacramento? City leaders mull idea

The city of Sacramento is looking into potentially allowing cannabis consumption lounges at dispensaries in the city.

This means that onsite consumption of cannabis would be a possibility for Sacramentans.

A possible pilot program was discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting, leading local cannabis business owners to jump at the idea.

Maisha Bahati, CEO of Crystal Nugs, is opening up a new two-story dispensary in the heart of midtown Sacramento and she’s ahead of the game.

Bahati let KCRA 3 into her building, which has a lounge for cannabis consumption almost ready to go.

“We secured this space almost two years ago when we found out that we received one of the 10 equity dispensaries in Sacramento,” Bahati said.

However, the city of Sacramento still has to develop the potential ordinance change that authorizes social consumption consistent with what state law allows and it will include feedback on public safety from communities that have already established “consumption lounges,” before a pilot program is launched.

The city council meeting heard from over three dozen residents — most of whom supported social lounges for cannabis consumption.

“Some people can’t consume at home. Some people can’t consume in their apartments or in their rental homes. And so, where are they doing? They’re kind of out in front of everyone and now everyone is affected. So allowing social consumption lounges is going to really make a mark on Sacramento,” Bahati said.

Conversations about the consumption lounges will return to the law and legislation Committee in the coming months.

Other cities that already have cannabis consumption lounge areas are Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Coachella, and San Francisco.

Right now, those facilities aren’t expressly allowed to prepare non-cannabis food and drinks.

But California lawmakers recently passed a bill that would allow cannabis consumption facilities to serve “non-cannabis food or beverage products” like cafes in Amsterdam. The bill, which would also allow ticketed entertainment events at the facilities, is on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Maricela De La Cruz

Reporter

Posted on

Understanding the Benefits of Cannabis

Cannabis has been making headlines in recent years as more and more states legalize its use for medicinal purposes. From reducing chronic pain to treating anxiety and depression, the benefits of cannabis are numerous and well-documented.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the benefits of cannabis and how it can be used to improve the quality of life for those suffering from a variety of medical conditions.

Pain Management

One of the most well-known benefits of cannabis is its ability to manage chronic pain. Whether caused by an injury, a medical condition, or simply aging, chronic pain can be debilitating and have a negative impact on a person’s daily life. Medical cannabis has been shown to be an effective pain reliever, helping to reduce pain and improve overall quality of life for those suffering from chronic pain.

Anxiety and Depression

In addition to its pain-relieving properties, medical cannabis has also been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression. This is because the compounds in medical cannabis, such as THC and CBD, interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which regulates mood and anxiety levels. By using medical cannabis, patients can experience a reduction in anxiety and depression, leading to improved mood and overall quality of life.

Seizure Control

For those suffering from conditions like epilepsy, medical cannabis can be a life-changing treatment. Cannabis has been shown to be an effective treatment for seizures, reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in many patients. This can be especially beneficial for children who suffer from seizures, as it can help improve their quality of life and reduce the impact of seizures on their daily activities.

Improved Sleep

Cannabis has also been shown to be an effective treatment for sleep disorders, such as insomnia. By reducing anxiety and pain, medical cannabis can help improve sleep quality and allow patients to get the rest they need to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

In conclusion, the benefits of medical cannabis are numerous and well-documented. From reducing pain and anxiety to improving sleep and seizure control, medical cannabis can be a life-changing treatment for those suffering from a variety of medical conditions. If you’re considering using cannabis to improve your quality of life, be sure to speak with your doctor and do your research to find a reputable dispensary and cannabis products that are right for you.

Posted on

Cannabis dispensary planned for vacant Midtown building

Crystal Nugs is planning to open a cannabis dispensary at 2300 J St. in Sacramento in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Cannabis-delivery company Crystal Nugs is planting roots in Midtown with plans to open a storefront dispensary in a vacant building at the corner of J and 23rd streets. 

Crystal Nugs CEO Maisha Bahati said once operational, it will be the largest cannabis dispensary in Sacramento.

The building at 2300 J St. was previously occupied by J’s Beauty Supply. The two-story location is 7,800 square feet and has its own parking garage with 18 spaces, Bahati said. 

“We have owned a tattoo shop on J Street for 12 years right across the street and have always admired the building but never imagined opening a dispensary there,”she said. “It sits on the corner and there is a lot of foot traffic in the area. Parking was also a big deal for us, so it’s just a great location. I think we’ll fit in well with the neighborhood.”

Bahati envisions the lobby occupying downstairs, with the dispensary and showroom upstairs. She said the amount of space will allow the opportunity for innovation in terms of how brands are showcased.

Crystal Nugs is one of 10 local cannabis companies that received dispensary permits from the city through its Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) Program, which was created to assist those facing barriers to starting cannabis businesses due to the historical disparate enforcement of cannabis crimes.

The planned dispensary will put an emphasis on women-owned and minority-owned brands, Bahati said, especially those local to the region.

“I just want people to be able to come to this staple location in Sacramento and know that you’ll find local, equity-owned, women-owned brands, and top brands in the market,” she said.

The planned dispensary is organizing an open house this weekend to allow Midtown residents to learn more about the vision for Crystal Nugs and meet the team. Approximately 2,900 invites were sent out, Bahati said, and the goal is to let residents ask questions and show that the dispensary is committed to the neighborhood and transparency.

Architectural plans are in the process of being finished for the location, which Bahati is leasing. Once those are completed, Crystal Nugs will apply for a conditional use permit through the city to operate a dispensary on the premises.

Bahati said if all goes according to plan, they expect to have doors open to the public in the fourth quarter of 2022.

By Jake Abbott  –  Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal

Posted on

Sacramento dispensaries see high number of customers, big sales on Green Wednesday

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

There’s a new kind of celebration attached to the Thanksgiving holiday week, and it is centered around cannabis consumption.

Green Wednesday is the marijuana industry’s big sales day, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some Sacramento dispensaries are seeing a lot of green from the aptly named day.

Several people crowded around the counter at NUG Sacramento, waiting for their weed. The high demand at the downtown Sacramento dispensary is a result of Green Wednesday.

“It’s been busy all day, actually. It’s our marijuana industries, our Black Friday, per say,” NUG Sacramento general manager Jonathyn Newsom said.

Newsom said the Thanksgiving-adjacent sales day has been all the buzz for a couple years now. Compared to a normal day, it is bringing double the amount of cannabis customers into his shop.

“I want to say maybe this is the second year that I’ve seen it in effect. This year, more or less, being in full effect,” Newsom said.

With the menu full of discounted pot products, NUG “budtenders” were barely able to catch their breath Wednesday.

“It has been pretty crazy, nonstop,” Budtender Eric Comacho said.

Comacho says customers have been telling him and fellow budtenders why they are buying cannabis ahead of Thanksgiving. Many have said that they plan to treat the holiday madness with marijuana.

“A lot of people are coming just because they know they’re going home to visit their families, so that’s definitely the number one reason I’ve been hearing,” Comacho said.

From flowers to vapes to edibles, NUG said all of its products flew off the shelves Wednesday. But they are not the only dispensary in Sacramento that saw that happen.

A Therapeutic Alternative, another joint in town, saw about 50% more pot patrons on Green Wednesday this year.

“We had some doorbuster sales in the morning that were gone within an hour of opening,” A Therapeutic Alternative Director of Education Hezekiah Allen said.

Allen said for A Therapeutic Alternative, Green Wednesday is more than just items on a menu. It is a sign that the “cloud of smoke” around the cannabis industry is lifting.

“It’s been a long journey to get to legalization, to get to normalization, and to have this sort of attention and to have the sort of tradition focused on the holiday is really encouraging and empowering,” Allen said.

NUG agrees.

“It’s showing how far cannabis is coming and how it’s being normalized,” Newsom said.

Newsom says it is a step in the right direction – and a way to save green, on green, for Thanksgiving. 

Some dispensaries tell KCRA 3 their deals will continue through Black Friday and even Cyber Monday.

Posted on

Sacramento Announces 10 Finalists For New Cannabis Shop Permits

Sacramento’s growing marijuana industry is about to get even bigger.

On Thursday, city leaders announced the finalists for ten new pot shop permits. The demand for these licenses is huge and big money is at stake.

Maisha Bahati just learned she is among the ten budding business people selected for the City of Sacramento’s new cannabis permits.

“It was insane. We were so excited, we had gone out and bought champagne last night just in case,” Bahati said.

More than 100 people applied for the coveted licenses, which would allow them to open a marijuana storefront dispensary.

“They gross anywhere from 4 to 8 million dollars a year,” said Davina Smith, the Sacramento City Cannabis Director.

Sacramento currently only allows 30 cannabis shops – and none are black-owned. These ten new licenses are an effort to diversify the marketplace. Applicants were judged not only on their business plans but on their personal stories.

“The drug war impacted me in some profound ways,” said Malaki Seku Amen, a cannabis business applicant.

He says his father was a casualty of marijuana criminalization.

“He was working to prevent the violence caused by the drug war and he was shot and killed,” Seku Amen said.

And others who were selected have been on the wrong side of the law in the past. But these ten lucky finalists still have a lot of work to do.

“They’re celebrating tonight but the work starts tomorrow because they have to go through every step of the permitting process that anyone else would,” Smith said, and later added, “people could be opening in six months. It could take others two years.”

Many hope the new infusion of income will benefit Sacramento’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

“We’re going to pull from our community, we’re going to hire women, it’s just going to be a diverse business, something that’s different from what’s out there now,” Seku Amen said.

Sacramento places a 4% tax on all cannabis products sold in the city. That’s expected to generate about 17 million dollars this year.

Posted on

Cannabis entrepreneurs plan manufacturing, distribution, incubator space in North Sac

After becoming among the first Black women in the Sacramento region to run their own cannabis businesses, Maisha Bahati and Miko Banks are looking to extend opportunities to others looking to get into the local industry.

Bahati, the CEO of cannabis delivery business Crystal Nugs, and Banks, owner of cultivation business Resziin Farms, are combining their efforts to start a new incubator space.

The two are collaborating on a new 8,000-square-foot facility in North Sacramento, which would include an incubator for cannabis startups, a cultivation facility and a new manufacturing and distribution facility called Urban City Flowers. Bahati said they’ve secured a 10-year lease for the space. She declined to disclose the address, citing security concerns.

“It would be the first Black-, woman- and equity-owned manufacturing and distribution facility in Sacramento,” Bahati said.

Crystal Nugs will be a partner in the delivery side of the facility, Bahati said, and Resziin Farms will expand its cultivation operations at the site.

In the years immediately following recreational cannabis legalization in California in 2016, Sacramento’s cannabis industry initially became crowded with well-capitalized groups buying up real estate for cultivation, while some local dispensary chains consolidated and grew rapidly. Amid the competition, Banks and Bahati are looking to help more minority-owned businesses find a foothold.

“In this industry you have to have this vertically integrated system,” Bahati said. “The competition is big, and that’s what we’re doing to be more competitive and more self-sustaining in this industry.”

The city of Sacramento has launched efforts to help residents from communities impacted by the war on drugs enter into the relatively young legal cannabis industry, but prospective business owners still face challenges. Both Bahati and Banks graduated from the city’s cannabis equity program, but observed that business owners face barriers when it comes to finding an affordable space to launch their business.

Providing space is just one way to help young businesses get started, Banks said. She said the new facility will have room for up to 12 startups, spanning manufacturing, delivery, cultivation or distribution.

“I’m just offering the infrastructure so people can come in and utilize the space,” Banks said. “That’s how you create generational wealth.”

The two women are funding the project from their current cannabis operations and other businesses. Bahati also owns a fashion line, and Banks has operated a local towing business for the last five years. The two are also seeking interest-free loans that are offered through the city’s equity program, Bahati said.

Banks estimated that the Resziin Farms project will cost $1.8 million in total and could open within a year and a half. Bahati estimated that Urban City Flowers will cost $500,000 to start up and will be ready to launch by September or October.

Posted on

California legalized weed, but that doesn’t mean beach cities are embracing dispensaries

More than seven months after marijuana became legal in California for adults over 21, advocates have a lot to be thankful for and yet still much to be desired.

Cities up and down the coast where Proposition 64 in 2016 passed by some of the ballot measure’s highest margins have banned dispensaries.

They have prevented individuals from growing cannabis in their backyards.

And now, with the state’s California Bureau of Cannabis Control poised to adopt new rules permanently governing the adult use of marijuana, cities are lining up in opposition to a provision that would force them to allow delivery services. A 60-day public comment period on the rules ends Aug 26.

“We always wanted to preserve local control,” said Dustin Moore, a Manhattan Beach resident who served as the deputy campaign manager for the Yes on 64 campaign.

Local control was baked into the proposition, he said, giving cities the ability to prohibit if they wished how many dispensaries operated in their city, if any at all.

“Even in the eyes of what’s being interpreted now around delivery services, I would still argue it allows for local control,” Moore said. “What they (cities) don’t have the ability to do is prevent someone from driving on public roads and deliver to a private residence.”

Although many cities passed laws prohibiting delivery services, law enforcement officials have said there is virtually nothing they can do to enforce such restrictions. The issue of delivery services is essential to the original Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which said patients must be allowed safe and legal access to medicinal marijuana, Moore said.

A proposed initiative aims to overturn Pomona’s ban on commercial marijuana use.

A review of Weedmaps.com, a website dedicated to connecting patients to dispensaries, delivery services and doctors, show numerous services that deliver throughout the South Bay – where every city bans the business practice.

Many of those delivery services are not charging taxes or operating under any business license at all, putting them in a sort of gray market, observers say. Some dispensaries, located in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, out of the jurisdiction of cities with prohibitions, may also be operating under quasi-legal circumstances.

What cities also can’t control is the ability for an individual to grow up to six plants in the privacy of their own home. The proposition also decriminalized marijuana offenses and expunged past convictions depending on the amount involved.

Among Los Angeles-area beach cities, Long Beach is the only municipality that permits dispensaries through a voter-approved medical-marijuana initiative in 2016, which allows up to 32 licenses. The City Council approved last month rules that set up fees and licensing requirements for medical-marijuana dispensaries that also want to operate as adult-use ones; those fees run between $7,000 and $8,500, but they have yet to take effect.

Ivan Jimenez, a Long Beach resident who grows cannabis for his own business in Northern California, told the council at the time of the rulemaking process that he’d like to open up in his home city but he finds the fees too high.

“I would love to come here and invest money in the same industry,” Jimenez said during public comment. But “I believe the city of Long Beach is taking advantage of the taxing and taking advantage of the fees.”

Devil in details

Since January, when the adult-use law went into effect, dispensaries across the state have been adapting to new emergency regulations put in place to bridge the gap before permanent rules could be established.

Those emergency rules required by July 1 that all products, medicinal and recreational, be tested and labelled. The new rules also barred giveaways and allowed governments to impose taxes, some as high as 35 percent in combined local, county and state taxes.

Moore believes what bans and excessive taxes and fees are doing is “throwing gas on the illicit market.”

In Los Angeles County, where 59.5 percent of voters approved Prop 64, only 20 percent of municipalities allow some kind of operating license to sell pot. That’s not to say, however, that every supporter wants a dispensary around the corner from their house, Moore said.

“When you voted for Prop 64 what did you actually vote for. Were you voting for cannabis to be sold in your neighborhood or for cannabis to be made legal and end the war on drugs.”

Jonatan Cvetko, who heads the non-profit Emerald Angels that works toward responsible cannabis regulation, said rules such as one that requires child-resistant bags were a good thing. Like other advocates, Cvetko fears that the legal market is not given an opportunity to succeed.

“If the majority of the bans stay in place there will be no access for residents to find clean and safe products,” Cvetko said. “It’s not that the black market will come back, it’s that it hasn’t gone away. The goal was to allow existing operators to transition, so without any pathways for operators they have no choice but to stay in the illicit market.”

In Redondo Beach, the council was unified against the state’s rulemaking allowing delivery services even in cities with laws prohibiting them. The council directed staff to draft a letter to that effect. Similar letters were recently addressed to the state agency by the League of California Cities

While it opposed one important aspect of the rules, the Redondo Beach City Council also instructed the city manager to form a Cannabis Steering Committee. Mayor Bill Brand said that doesn’t mean the city is giving the green light to dispensaries.

“This is brand new legislative territory, so I’m looking forward to the recommendations from the city manager’s task force and more importantly, what the residents feel is appropriate for Redondo Beach,” Brand wrote in a statement. “No decisions will be made before a full vetting of all the issues.”

For more information on the cannabis industry in California and to comment on the proposed rules visit Cannabis.ca.gov.

Posted on

Thousands toke and buy weed as Sacramento hosts first legal marijuana fest in California

A cloud of smoke hung over Cal Expo Friday afternoon as thousands gathered for the High Times Cannabis Cup, the first permitted event in California to allow recreational use of marijuana.

Organizers expected upwards of 15,000 people over the course of the two-day festival, which boasts musical performances from acclaimed artists, including Lauryn Hill, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Rich The Kid, Cypress Hill, Rick Ross and Ludacris.

The event was at risk of becoming a music-only festival until the Sacramento City Council approved a license for on-site consumption and sales in a 6-2 vote Tuesday. Weeks earlier, a similar High Times event had its permit denied by the San Bernardino City Council just before it was scheduled to take place.

At Cal Expo, crowds maneuvered their way through the rows of booths Friday afternoon, sometimes stopping to take long drags from blunts or sample products. In between puffs from a neatly-rolled joint, Brian Johnson said he was grateful to the city for approving the license.

“I think it was really cool for the city of Sacramento to trust the cannabis community to do something like this,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll hold up our end and have a great event with no mishaps. We’re just out here having fun, trying to socialize and enjoy our products.”

Other attendees, like medical marijuana user William Bennett, said they simply came to learn more about the cannabis industry.

Bennett said he wanted tips for growing marijuana at home. Bennett, who said he suffers from chronic pain caused by a back injury, began using medical marijuana about five years ago as an alternative to prescription opiate painkillers, which he said caused him unbearable side effects. Bennett has since started to grow his own.

“I’m kind of on the fence with recreational, but in the long run, it’s better than people drinking and doing other things,” Bennett said. “You don’t hear about people having big brawls and fights at (events like this). Everyone’s just sitting back.”

Bennett’s wife, Dianne Kirk-Bennett, said she was impressed with how expansive and well-organized the event was.

“If this is your thing, this is the place to be,” Kirk-Bennett said.

The event has approximately 280 vendors, selling marijuana-themed apparel and art, vape pens, concentrates, topicals, edibles and a variety of other cannabis products.

High Times Chief Revenue Officer Matt Stang said it felt “incredible” to host the event, which he characterized as a watershed moment for the industry.

“It gives me a feeling that we’ve really progressed as a country. We’ve come to a point where we can have a peaceful gathering to consume and purchase cannabis with a state sanction,” Stang said. “The ability to do this legally — it’s been a long fight. High Times has been doing this for 44 years. We started as the voice of the opposition, and now we’ve grown into the majority. ”

Security was tight during for the strictly 21-and-up event. Unlike most music festivals, no alcohol sales were allowed.

Joe Devlin, Sacramento’s chief of cannabis policy, said the event would generate more than $200,000 in tax revenue. Devlin said High Times “has a distinguished track record of hosting safe, successful and compliant cannabis events,” noting that the company had developed a “comprehensive security plan” that was approved by law enforcement and had organized a ride share program for those attending the festival.

Stang said High Times had contracted with two separate security firms to ensure no attendees purchased more than the legally-allowed amount and to check for impaired drivers. Ticket buyers were given Uber and Lyft codes at the time of purchase in order to minimize the risk of attendees driving under the influence.

For those in the industry, the event served as a safe demonstration to convince skeptics and state government officials.

“We want to make sure that people understand what a great, compliant, adult-use event can be, because we want this to be the model for the rest of the country,” Stang said.

 

Posted on

Universities Meet Growing Demand With Weed 101

As the first executive director and general manager of the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Cannabis Regulation, Cat Packer will lay the legal foundation for how the United States’ second-largest city handles marijuana. But it wasn’t until three years ago, in her last semester of law school, that she even knew what she wanted to do professionally.

That’s when she took a life-changing law class on marijuana.

“I will admit, before taking the class, I was completely oblivious to the many interesting conversations happening around the country about this subject,” Packer said.

A growing number of students across the United States have taken some of the country’s first marijuana-themed university classes and found nearly instant success with this unique knowledge.

“Think about it: If you graduated from law school 10 years ago, you couldn’t study this, because the reforms hadn’t happened yet,” said Douglas Berman, the Robert J. Watkins/Procter & Gamble Professor of Law and the creator of Packer’s Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform Seminar at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

Berman is proud of Packer, but when he started the course in 2013, not all students were as enthusiastic as she. Some said they didn’t enroll out of concern that future employers wouldn’t like it, according to Berman.

As marijuana has become more mainstream, his class now fills quickly. And even if students don’t go into the field like Packer did, with medical marijuana legal in more than half of the United States and recreational pot legal in nine, chances are that what they learn will come in handy.

“And with all that heat in this space on this still controversial topic, I try to emphasize, lawyers should be bringing more light, rather than heat, to these conversations, armed with the facts,” Berman said.

The facts about marijuana are still at the center of the debate, because while states are more permissive, federal law still puts marijuana in the same category as heroin: a Schedule I drugwith “no currently accepted medical use,” at least in the eyes of the federal government.

That leaves researchers and universities offering classes in uncharted waters.

Despite the limits, a handful of determined professors have stepped up, without textbooks or well-trod academic territory, and created courses to try to ensure that the next generation is prepared to match the public’s interest. There seems to be only one “weed major,” the medicinal plant chemistry program at Northern Michigan University, but a growing number of weed-themed classes are being offered on campuses across the country in law, business, medicine and general science.

Demand outpaces science
In 2013, the Washington Attorney General’s Office provided Beatriz Carlini, a research scientist at the university’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, with funds to develop training modules for health professionals who can get continuing education credit. They learn about how cannabis works and about its best uses; a second module teaches best clinical practices.

Marijuana is legal in its recreational and medicinal forms in Washington, and with more legal access comes a public desire for more education. But unless your doctor is in his or her late 90s and can remember before 1942, when it was legal to prescribe cannabis, more than likely they learned nothing about its benefits in medical school.

“Hopefully, we can help patients make good decisions,” Carlini said. “People won’t wait for these things to resolve federally.”

Yu-Fung Lin teaches the physiology of cannabis at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Physiology is a branch of biology that looks at the functions of living organisms and their parts.

The elective focuses on how cannabis and cannabinoids impact the body. It also looks at physiological impact, therapeutic values and history. It’s the first class of its kind in the University of California system.

Lin, an associate professor who usually teaches medical students, didn’t know what to expect from her 55 undergraduates. “I’ve been quite impressed by their commitment,” she said.

She hopes her class will inspire future research. “Just knowing what we know, and the limitations of what we know, should inspire students, and they in turn could do research that would be really helpful in this field.”

Jam-packed
The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont can’t create classes fast enough. Its on-campus medical cannabis class was so popular, it had to relocate twice, settling into the largest available lecture hall according to the University. Its online continuing medical education program and the cannabis science and medicine professional certificate program have wait lists. Enrollees have come from as far away as Thailand. It has created webinars and a cannabis speaker series, and even the school’s farm extension provides original plant research about hemp.

Dr. Kalev Freeman, an emergency room physician, and Monique McHenry, a botanist, helped create these courses to address several needs. Freeman said he’s seen too many people taken off ambulances after overdosing on opioids, and he hopes to offer information about a “safer alternative to the public.” McHenry wanted to find a topic attractive to “young minds to get them interested in science.”

Their classes focus on basic science, the drug’s physiology, molecular biology and chemistry. The professional training also drills down on practical issues like effective dosing, delivery methods and drug interactions.

“The more we can do to focus on getting evidence-based facts out to more medical professionals and the public, the more we will have a real success,” McHenry said.

Freeman agreed: “It’s a disservice to the public if professionals aren’t equipped with this knowledge.”

The bud business
The skills that students in Paul Seaborn’s Business of Marijuana class learn at the University of Denver are in demand, and other professors have noticed. He’s gotten calls from all over the world, asking how the class works.

“People want to learn from the Colorado experience,” Seaborn said. “It’s been fascinating to learn the pros and cons of the business in real time as state and federal laws evolve.”

Understanding the rules of the game is key, since those rules create a “unique set of challenges,” Seaborn said. His students learn about marijuana law and history, and they tackle its complicated finances, accounting, marketing and management.

The university’s location presents unique opportunities because so many market pioneers live in the neighborhood and are happy to be guest speakers. Colorado was the first to legalize recreational adult marijuana use, so the industry bloomed there, creating more than 18,000 full-time jobs and generating $2.4 billion in economic activity, according to a study of the market in 2015.

“It’s a rare thing to have an industry start from square one in your lifetime and grow so quickly right around you,” Seaborn said. From his most recent class of 27, three or four students immediately went to work in the industry, and others will probably soon follow.

“There is certainly caution over an industry like this, especially with the federal legality in question, and there is still ongoing discussion and careful thought about how this works, but we want our graduates to come at this from an informed perspective,” he said. “The industry is not going to wait.”

Packer, the Los Angeles marijuana czar, would agree. “We’re in a real moment of transition,” she said. “These conversations about marijuana are incredibly complex. I found I can’t have a conversation about the law without talking about health and social justice issues and enforcement issues.”

It sounds like the perfect material for more college classes.