CSU Pueblo dean discusses new cannabis biology and chemistry degree
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Commission on Higher Education approved the state's first cannabis-related degree program Friday.
Students can enroll this fall for the new bachelor's of science degree in cannabis biology and chemistry at Colorado State University’s campus in Pueblo.
The degree will be part of the college's department of chemistry and will focus on the biology and chemistry of cannabis, with students also taking some classes in math and physics.
Since 2016, the marijuana industry has been generating more than a billion dollars of revenue in sales for Colorado.
KRDO spoke with Dr. David Lehmpuhl, the dean of the college of science and mathematics. Below is the interview.
KRDO: What kind of coursework will this program entail?
Dr. Lehmpuhl: This program will be a rigorous program. It's almost a double major in chemistry and biology with some senior-level courses that are cannabis specific.
Students that are in the program will end up taking a full year of general chemistry, a full year of organic chemistry. They'll take a full year of biology, physics and math. It's a rigorous science degree that will prepare students to work in a laboratory setting. The extra cannabis courses will be specifically tailored to allow them to work in the cannabis industry.
KRDO: What will the laboratory tests involve?
Dr. Lehmpuhl: Students are never going to be working with marijuana or high-THC cannabis. It'll all be industrial hemp, but they'll be able to extract CBD or extract pesticides and measure content for that.
KRDO: Why offer a degree focusing on the science behind cannabis?
Dr. Lehmpuhl: A lot of it stems from the Institute of Cannabis Research, which is a state-funded institution that's located on the CSU Pueblo campus.
The director there gets contacts from industry representatives probably weekly, asking what kind of curriculum or training that might be available for the cannabis industry. So we started exploring what might be needed in that industry and developed the program accordingly.
The industry itself is growing tremendously. Especially with increasing regulations, we feel that there will be a need for people that are trained as scientists to work in a lab.
KRDO: Since marijuana is a federally illegal substance, will there be any difficulties for students obtaining federal financial aid?
Dr. Lehmpuhl: The program itself is not working with anything that is federally illegal. So as long as we're part of an approved degree program and an accredited institution, the students that are enrolled in this degree won't have a different process.
Their pell grants and any student financial aid will be the same as any other degree program. As far as we know, there won't be any impact on student aid or to federal research grants because we will be strictly staying with what's legal federally.
