Olds College is getting ready for the upcoming legalization of marijuana by offering a program detailing the ins and outs of producing and selling legal weed.

Vice President of Academic & Student Experience and Chief Innovation Officer at Olds College Debbie Thompson says the industry approached the college explaining their needs for education specific to building a skilled work force in the emerging market, and they felt Olds College was the perfect fit for such a program.  

“We’re just around that complete understanding of horticulture and of course Olds College has been offering horticulture programing for over 50 years and we have just an excellent reputation with our horticulture industries, so a natural place to come is to the college.”

Thompson says it was a natural fit for a school that specializes in plant growth, with the course catering to beginners.

“The first two courses in the program are very introductory programs purposely designed for individuals that would have little to no training or experience in the horticulture industry.”

Photo courtesy of Google maps

The course runs from the first part of July to the end of September, teaching basic horticulture production and facilities, more specific talks about legalized cannabis laws and cannabis specific horticulture, finishing off with a field study by licensed cannabis producers Sun Dial and Terra Life Sciences.

They are already booked for this semester and currently have a waiting list of about 50.