The new cannabis cultivation minor has shown to be popular among UConn students as it recently launched at the beginning of this semester. The minor fields research in the propagation, cultivation, commercial production, maintenance, processing, and potential markets for cannabis. In Connecticut, cannabis for medical use became legal in 2012 and for recreational use in the summer of 2021, according to ct.gov.
Gerald Berkowitz, a plant science and landscape agriculture and faculty advisor for the minor, explained that currently, the minor focuses on horticulture and growing plants rather than law or chemistry. “I believe that our program is the gold standard for providing scholarships to undergraduate students in cannabis horticulture,” Berkowitz said.
The minor is part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) and the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Agriculture. Berkowitz said that the minor has allowed students to learn more about the department and the sustainable plant and soil systems major. He said students have taken the introductory cannabis course and have wanted to learn more about the other related classes.
“Students are extremely interested. There are a lot of students who want to take this minor,” Berkowitz said. “A lot of students who are introduced to our programs from cannabis ended up switching to our major, so it definitely has a positive effect on our major enrollment.”
Read more at dailycampus.com