Education/AIC Feature
Schooled: Cannabis Knowledge is Power STORY BY TIERA N. WRIGHT PHOTOS SUBMITTED & ISTOCK
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s Greek philosopher, Heraclitus once said, “There is nothing permanent except change.” Which, when you consider alcohol and even playing Pinball were at one point deemed illegal and banned in the United States (with the latter frowned upon and seen as a gateway to delinquency for children and its ties to gambling), truer words have never been spoken. No industry has seen more change and growth in the past ten years than cannabis, which saw the legalization of medical marijuana in 2012, followed by recreational marijuana in 2016. With the first recreational sales of marijuana kicking off in 2018, gross sales in Massachusetts were reported to have exceeded $2 billion in 2021. Ever-evolving, cannabis has been defined by shifting attitudes in every aspect of the industry, from means of ingestion/uses (smoking, topicals, and edibles) to common misconceptions that have been debunked 36
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(no, it is not a gateway drug or addictive); but cannabis has now graduated to the top of its class as more colleges and universities are adding cannabis related studies to their curriculum and degree programs. “The cannabis industry is one that has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years,” said Susanne Swanker, PhD, dean of American International College’s (AIC) School of Business, Arts, and Science. “As the number of states legalizing recreational and medical marijuana use increases, the career opportunities in this industry will continue to grow.” Although cannabis has continued to grow in popularity (highly celebrated holidays 4/20, 7/10 and Croptober— anyone) and its continually innovative mainstream uses (CBD bath soaks/ bombs, cannabis-infused meals, and desserts, etc.), there are many who still need to be educated and aspects of the industry that still need to be taught,
and like with everything else, there is no shortage of lessons to be learn. “Since the 1930s there has been a tremendous push to portray cannabis in a negative light, comparing its usage and effects to the likes of cocaine and heroin, among other substances,” said Stacey Brothers-McAllister. A graduate of AIC’s first graduating class in 2021, Brothers-McAllister received a Master of Science in Cannabis Science and Commerce after working for nearly 20 years in the epidemiology field. “I have been able to see the medical advancements of using cannabis for terminal and chronic illnesses. I was also able to learn about cannabis, studying early world history in my undergraduate program and I was intrigued by its medicinal usage. This led me to want to take a deeper dive into how cannabis affects the human body from a non-bias perspective.” Launched in Fall 2020, AIC’s master’s program in Cannabis Science and
