>> THINK STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CASH IN IT'S A CERTIFICATE
PROGRAM THAT TEACHES STUDENTS ABOUT A VARIETY OF ASPECTS OF
THE INDUSTRY.
MIKA NASH EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT AI SAYS KNOW
HOW WILL TRANSLATE TO JOBS TO STUDENTS.
SHE SPOKE WITH CARRIE SALDO ABOUT THE DETAILS.
>> THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT IT IS UNDERSTAND IT
IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF AIC.
SO AIC WAS A SCHOOL THAT WAS BUILT ON PROVIDING ACCESS TO
PEOPLE WHO HAD TRADITIONALLY LEFT OUT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PROVIDING ACCESS TO THESE FOLKS
YOU HAVE TO ALSO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU BRING PEOPLE IN, WHAT
CAN YOU PREPARE THEM FOR?
HOW CAN THEY BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY LEAVE?
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL PROGRAMS WE'RE LOOKING
AT WHERE IS THEIR GROWTH AND THERE'S TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY.
OVER JUST SINCE IT BECAME LEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS, IT'S GROWN --
IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT A $420 MILLION BUSINESS BY THE END OF
THIS YEAR AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A BILLION OF REVENUE AND WITH THAT
REVENUE THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR PERSONNEL AND STAFFING,
PEOPLE WHO ARE STAFFED AND READY ON THE GROUND AND WE SAW THIS AS
AS A MISSION FOR OUR STUDENTS.
>> THEY ARE FOR STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE FULL AIC STUDENTS AND I
THINK MORE TO YOUR POINT PEOPLE WORKING OUT THERE NOW WHO DON'T
WANT TO BE A FULL-TIME STUDENT SEE THIS PROGRAM AS AN
OPPORTUNITY, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THOSE PEOPLE AND SEEN INTEREST
FROM MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAN EVEN MAYBE MORE OF YOUR
FULL-TIME STUDENTS?
>> I THINK IT'S BEEN A GOOD BLEND.
I THINK OUR FULL-TIME STUDENTS ARE SEEING AN INTERESTING
OFFERING THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE -- IN A VARIETY OF WAYS PEOPLE HAVE
HEARD ABOUT IT AND KIND OF ASKING PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY
WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY AND WANT TO KNOW A BIT MORE AND MAYBE
SOME DISINFRANCHISED WORKERS WHO WANT TO GET INTO AN AREA WHERE
THERE'S SO MUCH NEED FOR SKILLED PROFESSIONALS SO YEAH, WE'RE
FIELDING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT IT.
>> AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE PROGRAM WILL START TO BEGIN IN
THE SPRING WITH ONE COURSE.
IT WILL BE A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OVERALL AND MAYBE EXPANDING
BEYOND THAT.
BUT SOME OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS WHICH IS THE CANNABIS
ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT STARTS IN THE
SPRING.
WHAT ARE THE BIG NUTS AND BOLTS ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, SO THE CERTIFICATE IN GENERAL IS A THERE-COURSE
CERTIFICATE THAT EACH COURSE IS WORTH 3 CREDITS.
THE FIRST COURSE IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSE IS REALLY FOCUSED ON BOTH THE
PRODUCT ITSELF BUT ALSO THE ANCILLARY BUSINESS AROUND
PRODUCTS.
SO WE KNOW CANNABIS ITSELF IS A BURGEONING FIELD BUT THERE ARE
OTHER -- THERE ARE DELIVERY METHODS FOR CANNABIS SO YOU LOOK
AT GLASS.
YOU LOOK AT PREROLLED STUFF AND MAYBE THE EXTRUDERS IN TERMS OF
THE PROCESSING, LAW, BANKING, YOU KNOW, CLOTHING -- ANY --
ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED IN SOME WAY AND SO THAT COURSE LOOKING
AT THE THEORY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND APPLIES IT
IN A VERY FOCUSED WAY TO CANNABIS.
>> AND SO IS AIC'S THINKING GOING BACK TO WHAT WE WERE
SAYING ORIGINALLY APPEALING NO THOSE TRADITIONAL AND
NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS IS THE THINKING NOW, OKAY.
YOU GO THROUGH THIS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AND YOU CAN GO OUT AND
GET A JOB IN THIS INDUSTRY?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT TO CORPORATE FOLKS.
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT CANNABIS AS
BEING A CORPORATE ENTERPRISE, YOU KNOW, IT FEELS AT THIS MORE
LOOSE.
>> IT'S NOT ANYMORE.
>> ESPECIALLY COLORADO HAS HAD A HAND IN THE BUSINESSES
ESTABLISHED HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO WHEN WE TALK TO PEOPLE WHEN WE TALK TO FOLKS IN CORPORATE
THEY NEED HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD WHO
CAN IMMEDIATELY CONTRIBUTE INSTEAD OF NEEDING A LOT OF
TRAINING TO GET UP AND RUNNING.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT'LL BE TEACHING THE COURSES.
IS IT GOING TO BE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY INVOLVED
IN THE INDUSTRY?
>> YEAH, YEAH, ALTHOUGH OUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSE THE
FIRST TIME IT'S BEING TAUGHT IS BEING TAUGHT BY ONE OF OUR
ESTABLISHED TENDERED PROFESSORS BECAUSE HE'S AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GUY AND HE'S REALLY PROFESSIONAL AND CONNECTED TO THE FOLKS IN
THE FIELD.
SO HE'LL BE GREAT TO START.
>> SOME OF THE PIECES THE LEGAL AND THE ETHICAL PIECE ARE TWO
PIECES WHICH PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MARIJUANA TALK
ABOUT A LOT THAT THE LAW WAS MADE TOO QUICKLY.
IT WAS BASICALLY BUILT BY INTEREST GROUPS AND IS IT GOING
TO FALL IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN -- I KNOW THE
CURRICULUM IS STILL BEING BUILT BUT ARE THOSE THINGS BEING TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT AS YOU'RE BUILDING IT.
>> IT'S THE MOST FASCINATING ONE FOR ME.
THE WHOLE CERTIFICATE IS REALLY EXCITING BUT THAT COURSE ITSELF
IS SO INTERESTING BECAUSE IT LOOKS AT THE TENSION THAT EXISTS
BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND THERE'S TREMENDOUS TENSION
IN ANY STATE THAT'S GONE LEGAL AND THEN IT ALSO LOOKS AT EACH
COMMUNITY'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE ORGANIZATION, TO THAT RETAIL
AREA BECAUSE THOSE CONTRACTS REALLY STIPULATE ARTICLES HOW DO
WE WANT YOU TO BE IN THIS SPACE?
HOW DO WE WANT YOU TO SHOW UP AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING WITH OTHER
BUSINESSES AND I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THINK
ABOUT LAW AND POLICY AND HOW IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
AND TO SHIFT AND ALSO TO THINK ABOUT THE ETHICAL OBLIGATION OF
ORGANIZATIONS LIKES, RETAIL DISPENSARIES AND CONSIDERING
WHAT'S MY ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO THIS COMMUNITY -- TO LEAVE IT
BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT.
>> HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS ALSO ROLLED OUT A FEW CLASSES
RELATED TO MARIJUANA, ARE YOU COLLABORATING WITH THEM IN ANY
WAY OR TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> THAT IS SO NASCENT AT THIS POINT.
THE HOPE IS THAT WE'LL GET TO A PLACE -- WE WOULD LOVE FOR THEM
ONCE THEY ARE -- IF THEY CONSIDER OFFERING FOR CREDIT,
THAT'S REALLY -- RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IT'S MORE CREDIT
DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR-CREDIT OFFERINGS SO IF THEY
GIVE CREDIT WE WOULD LOVE TO ARTICULATE AND PROVIDE THAT NEXT
STEP FOR THEIR STUDENTS BUT ALL OF THAT WILL ALL COME AND
EVOLVE.
>> AND EVENTUALLY YOU WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A GRADUATE PROGRAM
AROUND THIS?
WHAT'S THE TIMETABLE FOR THAT?
>> IT'S SHORT.
THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT'S VERY EXCITING SO BECAUSE THE
FIELD IS GROWING SO QUICKLY AND BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF
FORMAL EDUCATION IN THIS AREA, WE'D LIKE TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST
TO MARKET AND -- IF ALL GOES WELL THAT WILL ROLL OUT IN THE
FALL AND THAT WILL BE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN THE BUSINESS OF CAN
BUSH ADMINISTRATION WITH ABOUT 40% OF IT REALLY FOCUSED ON THE
SCIENCE AROUND IT SO LOOKING AT THE CHEMISTRY, THE DELIVERY
METHODS, THE WAY IN WHICH THE BODY REACTS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF
THE THINKING AROUND SECURETIVE PROPERTIES AND THAT KIND OF
THING.
>> SO HOW MUCH OF THIS IS A STANDARD BUSINESS DEGREE THAT
YOU WOULD GET FOR ANY BUSINESS PROGRAM AND HOW MUCH IS IT
ROOTED SPECIFICALLY TO THE MARIJUANA OR CANNABIS INDUSTRY?
>> I THINK THE CERTIFICATE AND THE GRADUATE DEGREE IS REALLY
IS -- EVERYTHING IS UNDER GERDED BY THIS THINKING ABOUT BUSINESS.
THESE ARE BUSINESS PROGRAMS AND THE GRADUATE DEGREE WILL HAVE A
LOT OF SCIENCE BAKED IN BUT THE FOCUS -- SO YOU'VE GOT THE
CENTRAL AT THE NETS -- TENETS IN A BUSINESS WAY AND THEY'RE
SPEAKING MUCH MORE IN A LASER WAY ABOUT CANNABIS BUT AS I
THINK ABOUT THE WAYS THESE CAN BE TWEAKED, YOU HAVE
MICROEMERGING CANNABIS ANYTHING COULD BE PLACED IN THAT SPACE.
MAYBE CBD IS NEXT OR MAYBE IT'S CRAFT BEER OR CHEESES AND IT'S A
WAY WE APPLY THESE CONCEPTS TO A CERTAIN FIELD.
>> IN TERMS OF OFFERING OFFERING THESE NEW PROGRAMS TO PEOPLE
HAVE YOU HAD ANY PUSH BACK THAT MARIJUANA IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
YOU SHOULD BE TOUCHING?
>> THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
WRESTLE IT; RIGHT?
IT'S LEGAL AND YET IT STILL HAS A STIGMA ATTACHED TO IT AND WHAT
I'M LEARNING -- THE MORE THAT I SPEND TIME WITH THE CORPORATE
FOLKS, THE MORE I'M SORT OF -- I'M SEEING THAT THIS IS A LONG
HISTORY AROUND -- AROUND THIS PRODUCT AND THERE'S A LOT TO BE
LEARNED AND HARASSED THERE AND SO I THINK IT'S ABOUT EDUCATION
AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE AND HOW
DO YOU KEEP IT -- HOW DO YOU KEEP IT INTEGRITY-FILLED AND
ETHICAL -- THE LEARNING, THE BUILDING, ALL OF THAT.