College to offer degree in chemistry with focus on cannabis
By Lori Burkholder
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YORK, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — Medical marijuana is a field that is growing in demand and a Susquehanna Valley college is leading the way by educating people for the job.
A unique partnership has also been formed which could impact how medical marijuana is used.
“We’re thinking ahead and trying to think outside the box for new programs here,” Dr. Jessica Fautch said.
It’s a first-of-its-kind major being offered at York College of Pennsylvania.
“So, it’s a chemistry degree with a focus on cannabis,” Fautch said.
There are only a handful of cannabinoid chemistry degrees offered in the country. Fautch sees demand for the field growing as more states like Pennsylvania pass medical marijuana laws.
“There is a need for trained scientists who are working with the material, and right now there’s a lack of those trained scientists,” she said.
“Used properly this can truly change people’s lives. I’ve seen it first-hand,” Dr. Steve Groff said.
Groff is a physician who has been certifying patients in Pennsylvania for its medical marijuana program. He’s also the founder of Groff North America, which is one of only five facilities in the nation federally approved to cultivate and research marijuana.
“Thirty-eight states have medical marijuana programs and so there clearly is medical potential for this plant. In fact, it’s enormous,” Groff said.
Groff has partnered with York College, where future chemists will be trained to research and collect data in a field he believes will impact health care worldwide.
“There’s a handful of cannabinoid chemistry majors in America but none of those colleges are affiliated with a federally legal research facility like ours, so it’s truly a unique opportunity right here in the mid-Atlantic,” he said.
“We are excited about the medical benefits, but we’re not medical doctors. We’re not biologists. We’re the chemists. We want to see what these molecules are doing together. It was a lot of work to put it together, but we’re excited to see the students in the classroom,” Fautch said.
York College will begin offering the new bachelor of science degree in the fall.
Harrisburg Area Community College has also just announced an online certificate program that focuses on three areas of study in the cannabis field.
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