LIM College to offer BBA Degreen in the Business of Cannabis

It's been a good year for the cannabis industry in the United States as flexibility concerning cannabis continues to grow. More states are opening their doors to cannabis legalization, and the job market within the industry is exploding. That's not all; colleges and universities across the country are also getting involved in cannabis. Many are learning it's best to keep pace with the new trend. Many of these colleges have started offering degrees and courses in the cannabis space. And one of the colleges ready to dive into the cannabis space is LIM College.

More About LIM...

LIM College was established as Laboratory Institute of Merchandising by Maxwell F. Marcuse, a retail and education expert, in 1939. LIM College was later accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, earning the authority to grant Bachelor's degrees. In 2002, Elizabeth S. Marcuse became the president of the college. And by 2009, the board changed to LIM College.

LIM College offers several undergraduate majors in Fashion Merchandising, Management, Fashion Media, and Marketing. Minors are also offered in several areas such as Digital Design and Photography, Sustainability, Global Studies, Interior and Residential Concepts, and English. Several Associate degree programs are also offered.

A closer look at LIM

LIM College is a renowned private college that specializes in the business of fashion in the United States, but there's been a change of focus in the past week. LIM has taken the bold step to offer a Bachelor of Business Administration degree program that focuses on the cannabis industry. This action makes LIM the first college in the United States to offer the Cannabis industry's Bachelor's degree program.

The New York State recently authorized the college to launch a BBA in the cannabis business. Presently, applications for the degree are being accepted for transfer students and the inaugural class of first-year entering in the fall of 2022. The LIM's cannabis program will be offered in both online and on-campus formats. The objective is to provide students with industry-specific and core business knowledge in the legal cannabis industry. And this knowledge, upon graduation, will help students fill in roles such as product development, marketing, regulatory issues, and retailing in the cannabis industry.

Just last month, lawmakers in New York City legalized recreational adult use of cannabis in the state. This gives the cannabis industry the potential to grow into a $4.2 billion worth industry. If so, the cannabis industry will become one of the biggest markets in the country. With the new regulation, New Yorkers can now possess cannabis. A maximum of three ounces of cannabis or twenty-four grams of concentrated cannabis is allowed for recreational use. However, dispensaries are presently yet to be opened in New York City.

In the United States, cannabis is presently legalized in about 18 states, including the District of Columbia. According to New Frontier Data, the cannabis industry will generate $43 billion in sales in the U.S by 2025. Leafly Jobs Report also revealed that full-time jobs in s the cannabis industry grew by 32% in 2020.

The president of LIM College, Elizabeth S. Marcuse, mentioned that the explosive job growth in the cannabis industry had left a gap to fill. She said the gap had caused employers in the cannabis sector to look for skills that fashion business professionals possess. The talent includes both the mastery of fashion and vast knowledge of the cannabis industry. This growth and extensive opportunities present themselves in the cannabis industry allured LIM to offer a BBA.

Hence, LIM is getting ready to graduate and send students with both skills into the cannabis industry. Elizabeth S. Marcuse claims that the college and the students they send out will build a connection to the cannabis industry. The chairman of LIM's Business Department, Michael P. Londrigan, also added that the students would adapt their expertise and skills in the fashion industry to the cannabis industry. He mentioned that skills in the fashion business such as marketing, distribution, and retail had been adapted to many industries. And the adaptation of these skills in the cannabis industry won't be an exception.

Working professionals such as Marianne Cursetjee, the cofounder and CEO of Alibi Cannabis, and Chris Jones, the founder of Cannof abis Xpress, will be taking cannabis major courses at LIM College. Individuals who consulted on program development include the community director for commute unity for The Arcview Group, Sarrah Falvo, and chief commercial officer for Community Growth Partners, Penelope Nam-Stephen.

Nam-Stephen mentioned that the program is quite precise, the best as the cannabis industry needs entry-level executives. With these executives, the industry can be viewed appropriately through a business-oriented and professional lens. Nam-Stephen also said that a credible pipeline of talent in the cannabis industry would help achieve constant and effective growth. Above all, Nam-Stephen asserted how good of an opportunity a conventional academic setting serves as a pathway into the cannabis industry.

Colleges and Universities Embrace Cannabis

LIM College is the first college to embrace cannabis in New York City but certainly not the first in the United States. It is believed that Oaksterdam University is the very first university to offer in-class cannabis education in the United States. And ever since Oaksterdam University took the bold step, more colleges and universities have followed suit.

Some of the universities that offer cannabis educational programs in the United States include;

Western Washington University

Western Washington University is in collaboration with Green Flower, an industry and media education platform. The university announced the new program early this year to close the skill gap.

Western Illinois University

In February of 2020, Western Illinois University launched two minors courses, cannabis culture and production. The program kicked off in the Fall 2020 semester.

Clark University

In Massachusetts lies Clark University, which prides itself on having the first cannabis regulation certificate in the country. The program was launched in June of 2019, offering students guidance training and municipal policy.

Northern New Mexico College

Española-based Northern New Mexico College is also in collaboration with SeedCrest, an in-state education provider. The college launched the program on the 22nd of March, 2022.