What role will universities play now that cannabis is legal and an entire new industry is blooming?

Prof. Rene Van Acker, the dean of U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College told the Toronto Star that it takes knowledge and expertise to scale up from amateur cannabis growing to professional production.

That’s why U of G is among several Canadian post-secondary institutions that have launched cannabis-related courses and programs.

Van Acker said U of G is in the process of opening the country’s largest cannabis program and will be working with the cannabis industry in course development and implementation.

He said it is common for specialized schools to work with players in the related industries.

“…They want to make use of the expertise we have,” he said. “They value the training, the highly qualified people we produce and the research and development partnerships we can have with them.”