As social reform continues to change over time, the marijuana conversation is beginning to move from one looking down on a long-time prohibited narcotic to one focusing on a rising industry within the economy.

Twenty states across the nation – including Illinois – have enacted laws legalizing the use of medical marijuana, with Colorado and Washington being the only two states legalizing weed for recreational use.

According to a Feb. 26 New York Times article, there are at least 17 states who either have bills in the state legislature or ballot initiatives to legalize the regulated use of marijuana for adults. Oregon and Alaska are the two states most likely to integrate new policies, according to the article.

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To educate individuals about the industry, “cannabis colleges” such as Oaksterdam University are forming across the nation. These colleges have seen national attention in the media in recent years as more and more states pass legislation allowing the regulated distribution of medical marijuana.

As marijuana education is thrust into the national spotlight, students from SIU say they would be enthusiastic of a curriculum focused on cannabis within the university.

Mike Young, a senior from Springfield studying architecture, said he would be interested in these classes if SIU were ever to follow this path.

“The stereotype of weed from 10 years ago and the stereotype today has done a complete 180 degrees,” he said. “I think an awareness among colleges would be good. Even if it’s not about the business, just to learn more about marijuana in general would be interesting.”

Kurt Agner, a senior from Willow Springs studying automotive technology, said the science behind cannabis would be something he would enjoy learning about.

“Even if my major was something else, I think it would be something interesting to take,” Agner said. “I think it would be interesting to learn other ways to get other things out of cannabis and other uses.”

In 2007, Richard Lee, a long-time pro-cannabis advocate and business owner, formed Oaksterdam University in Oakland, Calif., to provide high quality training for those wishing to enter the cannabis industry.

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A pioneer in cannabis education, Oaksterdam offers weekend seminars and semester-long classes covering a variety of topics in the fields of business, horticulture, medicine and politics, according to Dale Sky Jones, the executive chancellor and instructor at the university.

The introduction of medical research into schools is the first step in educating about cannabis, Jones said.

“First and foremost, we need to start getting the science into medical schools,” she said. “It’s insanity that we can’t have a conversation about reality in medical schools.”

While medical research is the most important aspect of cannabis Jones wants to see in schools, she said courses educating students on drug policy will probably be the first to be integrated.

“This drug policy, I believe, will be studied similar to the way we study alcohol prohibition and the rise of organized crime,” she said.

“It’s going to be one of those politics or history-type courses.”

Jones said the economic value of cannabis is an argument hard to ignore.

“This is the first industrial production opportunity that I can think of in an awfully long time to bring jobs to American workers,” she said. “I’m not just talking about cannabis for adult consumption or even for medicinal use. I’m talking about industrial hemp, energy opportunities and clothing and food opportunities.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado said the combination of medical and recreational marijuana sales will reach nearly $1 billion in the next fiscal year in his budget proposal for the state. The state expects to collect approximately $134 million in taxes and fees.

Jones said before students can take advanced classes focusing more on their specific interests, they must take prerequisite courses giving them a firm grasp on federal law, which still considers all facets of the cannabis industry illegal.

“This particular business is not just a financial risk,” Jones said. “It’s a legal risk. It’s a social risk. It’s a political risk. You can lose everything. It’s not just your business. It’s your family, your home and your freedom.”

Kyle Sutton can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @KyleSutton_DE or 536-3311.