New Jersey (NJ) legalized the recreational use of cannabis in 2021 with dispensaries beginning to sell to customers in 2022. This year, the agency overseeing NJ’s marijuana market, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, limits requests for licenses exclusively to people with prior convictions for marijuana offenses or who live in economically disadvantaged parts of the state. Social equity goals exist in many state legalization regimes with varying degrees of success – in most instances a failure to follow through.
NJ aspires to concretely uplift entrepreneurs harmed by the war on drugs. Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, established a Cannabis Studies certificate. This tidy 6-unit certificate comprised of four courses serves up a complete overview of the industry for students. It is 100% online and students cover Law & Policy, Business, Biology, and Practical Skills. The stated goal is to prepare NJ students for work in the industry, Rider is a small suburban campus. Tuition is $670 per unit and the certificate is available in both undergraduate and continuing education – price shown is for continuing ed. Total price mirrors what other colleges are charging for a similar certificate. What distinguishes this certificate is the development of courses in the Sociology department. That will give the student a broader perspective than just law and business. Those courses will delve more into social equity and drug policy which track the temperament in NJ overall under legalization.
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