"Cannabis as an industry is here to stay ."

That message, from Green flower CEO Max Simon, is one Kent State University is embracing as they expand their course offerings to include certification programs for marijuana.

Following the legalization of cannabis with the November 2023 election, Kent is now the first Ohio public university to make the leap into education on the industry.

"Lots of people take these programs to give them the knowledge and the skills and the credibility to stand out amongst all the other people who are vying for these jobs," Simon adds.

Kent State's Lifelong Learning's Cannabis Certificate Programs are in partnership with Green Flower - which specializes in marijuana industry training. The online, asynchronous courses are open to the public for enrollment and focus on business, healthcare, compliance, and agriculture.

"We've built this enormous network of subject matter experts who are operators and veterans in the cannabis industry within these different verticals," the CEO tells 21News.

Kent State University says they're confident in their 3-year partnership deal with Green Flower, after seeing a reliable track record with other universities.

"They work with more than 20 universities across the country. We vetted them quite extensively over some periods of time, waiting to see how the election would play out here in Ohio " Eric Mansfield says on behalf of the University.

The first round of classes will begin in January 2024, and will last six months.

Students and members of the public can enroll in the certificate program at https://cannabiseducation.kent.edu/