A Cannabis College has opened in Cleveland to educate future horticulturalists and medical marijuana growers around the state of Ohio.

While recreational use is still considered a criminal charge, medical use is legal. Information sessions on how to grow, care and cultivate the feel-good plant have been sprinkled throughout the state over the past year.

Yet in Cleveland, the first marijuana school has grown to where the school will teach courses in Fall of 2017, with a variety of fields, such as horticulture, law and history.

The program is geared toward individuals who are eager to work in the medical marijuana and dispensary business. The courses are open to the public and will be accessible to anyone regardless of whether a person is an Ohio resident.

Tuition for the program will start at $1,000 for a set of six week course, and $5,200 for a full program encompassing a total of 135 credit hours. Financial aid will not be provided to prospective students due to marijuana remaining illegal for recreational use.

University students are intrigued by the news of such an opportunity. Josh Bender, a political science graduate student, believes the opportunity is ideal for those interested in such a program.

“Marijuana is a vast industry which continues to grow. It is important to our economy to educate individuals on the availability of work and opportunities in the state related to the industry. This program could be greatly beneficial to students who are unsure of their current career paths and could expand their knowledge of the inner workings of business,” Bender said.

Freshman Liam Gruszecki offered a varying opinion.

“This institution is encouraging the production of marijuana, which is still an illegal substance on the federal level,” Gruszecki said. “I don’t quite understand the point of such an organization trying to educate students on how to grow and cultivate a plant. It seems like a big waste of money to me.”

While the program is not designed to solely encourage the use of marijuana, it is there to educate students on the business aspect of the plant.

Cleveland Cannabis College will hold an open house and free networking session from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday at 5755 Granger Rd. in Independence, Ohio.