Ohio Cannabis School Recognized by US Department of Education

CLEVELAND, Feb. 29, 2024 – PRESS RELEASE – Ohio is on a roll after passing an adult-use cannabis legalization measure on Nov. 7 and now claiming home to the first accredited cannabis school in the country. On Dec. 7, 2023, the same day that the adult-use measure went into law, the Cleveland School of Cannabis (CSC) also made history, receiving a 10-year accreditation from Middle States Association-Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS).

MSA-CESS, building on the 100-plus year history of the Middle States Association, aspires to improve the quality of education around the world by assisting schools to achieve excellence through the process of accreditation, by affirming to the public a member school’s trustworthiness and commitment to continuous improvement, by providing the network and resources for the promotion of proven practices.

CSC offers in-person and online programs in horticulture, processing, and dispensary operations, along with a live online home-grow program called “My First Plant” that filled up in just one month after Ohio’s Issue 2 passed in November. The institution itself has been serving the cannabis industry since 2017, taking in students from 28 states across the country and graduating more than 1,000 individuals.

“It hasn’t been easy running a cannabis business in Ohio,” CSC founder Austin Briggs said.

“For things as little as occupancy permits, we had to fight tooth and nail,” he said. “For a largely conservative state, Ohio citizens have shown wide support for cannabis, both medical and recreational. But there still seems to be a tremendous amount of resistance from the government in supporting cannabis programs in Ohio. With the passing of Issue 2 and our accreditation, I’m hoping this will be a turning point for Ohio policy.”

When it comes to social equity and access to the cannabis industry, Ohio has been rated amongst the lowest in the country. The original social equity license requirements for the medical program were struck down in the courts and continued to increase the gap between the haves and have-nots. At CSC, however, the diversity in educational interest has ranged from baby boomers to Gen Zers, from Democrats to Republicans, from different races and genders, and to cannabis enthusiasts and patients seeking understanding of the plant and the industry. While CSC has to turn away a large portion of its applicants due to the lack of support from traditional educational resources for students, the school continues its path to make Ohio the most educated and collaborative state to date.

“Workforce development and education is the key to socioeconomic mobility” CSC President Tyrone Russell said. “Companies have to hire people from their communities, and that only happens if those community members have access to education. In Ohio, you can go to your Ohio means jobs office, and get a grant to be a barber, welder, truck driver, contractor, or nail technician, but not to work in cannabis.”

This is a much bigger issue than giving away social equity licenses. The school is hoping that the 36% of the state’s adult-use tax revenue that’s for a jobs and equity funds from Issue 2 is left intact and the majority of those funds are allocated to workforce development, education and jobs in the cannabis industry. States like Illinois and New York have allocated millions from their cannabis programs to cannabis education and workforce development. CSC has high hopes that Ohio will follow suit. 

“With the infrastructure in place from the current medical program, and access to quality cannabis education, Ohio has a chance to roll out the most responsible and successful adult-use program in the entire country,” Russell said.

Over the next few years CSC has plans to expand its programs through partnerships with colleges and universities, encouraging schools to jump on board and serve their communities properly by offering cannabis programs. 

The cannabis industry in Ohio is projected to be one of the top three industries in the state for new jobs over the next eight years. There are many colleges and universities offering non-credit programs for cannabis but only a few adopt in-depth programs with access to Title VI funding. 

“We have taken all of the bumps and bruises already” Briggs said. “Our programs were reviewed in great detail, and it took over four years of review to get us here, and our accreditation and recognition from the U.S. [Department of Education] should give schools all the confidence they need to push forward with cannabis programs. We are here to help.”

For more information about the Cleveland School of Cannabis and its programs, visit www.csceducation.com.