Bergen Community College begins offering cannabis education programming

Kimberly Redmond//March 16, 2023

Bergen Community College (BCC) launched new workforce development programs aimed at equipping students with the skills needed to establish themselves in New Jersey’s burgeoning legalized cannabis industry.

In a March 15 press release unveiling the cannabis education programming, BCC President Eric Friedman said the combined offerings position the Paramus-based community college as one of the only learning institutions in the state to sponsor such comprehensive opportunities.

“Community colleges respond to demands of industry, workforce and the local economy,” he said. “With our cannabis programs, Bergen can create new pathways to employment in New Jersey.”

Professor Steven Fischer works with students in the Bergen Community College cannabis certificate program. – BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

According to BCC, the first program, a certificate of achievement in medicinal and industrial cannabis through the college’s biology and horticulture department, focuses on preparing students for careers in clinical research, development and commercialization.

Additional certificates, offered through BCC’s Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development in partnership with Green Flower, a cannabis education provider, prepare students for careers in dispensing, cultivation and manufacturing.

In the certificate of achievement program developed under the school’s biology and horticulture department, students will begin with classes such as Plant Science and People Plant Relationships, which provide foundational learning in the disciplines.

Then, they will tackle cannabis-specific coursework in recently approved classes Physiological Action of Cannabinoids in Humans and Commercial Practices for the Production of Medical and Industrial Cannabis Species.

After completing the 18-credit program – which can be done in as few as three semesters – students will ultimately graduate from Bergen with the certificate of achievement and will choose to enter a career or transfer the credits to a four-year institution in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

Meanwhile, eight-week certificate programs through Green Flower ready students for immediate entry into the workforce as dispensary agents, cultivation technicians and manufacturing agents.

The self-paced online programs focus on best practices and developing the skills needed in the workplace. Students who complete the programs will not only have the knowledge needed to obtain employment, but they will connect with potential employers through Green Flower’s network reserved for the program’s students.

Additional details, including how to enroll, can be found here.

BCC also plans to host a virtual information session March 27 at 2 p.m.