New York's LIM College Offers Bachelor's Degree In Cannabis Business, Fall 2022

With more and more US states opening their doors to legal marijuana, the job market for the industry is exploding. Universities and colleges around the country seem to be figuring out that they'd be wise to keep pace with the times and have begun to offer various degrees in the cannabis space.

BA In Cannabis Business Administration

New York's LIM College is launching what it has said will be the only available Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in the nation with the intention of preparing graduates to meet employer demand as legalization expands and the cannabis industry continues to experience explosive job growth. Applications are already being accepted for the inaugural class of first-year and transfer students to begin the Fall 2022 quarter.

Program Details 

LIM College, which specializes in the business of fashion, will offer classes both on-campus and online to provide students with “core business and industry-specific knowledge” in the areas of marketing, product development, retailing, regulatory and more. 

“Monitoring the explosive job growth in the cannabis sector, we find that employers are seeking skills and experience often possessed by fashion business professionals plus cannabis industry knowledge,” said LIM College president Elizabeth S. Marcuse. “LIM College is ready to graduate students with strength in both areas and we are excited to bring our successful track record of building industry connections and career readiness to the cannabis sector.”

Cannabis business courses at Lim, a private college with an 82-year tradition, will be taught by experts in the field, such as Chris Jones, founder of Cannabis Xpress and Marianne Cursetjee, CEO and co-founder of Alibi Cannabis.

Other industry professionals who participated in the creation of the program include Penelope Nam-Stephen, former merchandising director for Burberry who is now CCO for Community Growth Partners and Sarah Falvo, director of community for The Arcview Group, a financial and consulting services company in the cannabis and hemp industry.

"This program is very timely because the rapidly-evolving cannabis industry currently needs entry-level executives who will view the industry through a professional and business-oriented lens,” Nam-Stephen said. “Having a well-qualified pipeline of talent in this heavily regulated and fragmented industry will help us progress more efficiently."

Falvo also added that Lim's program will fill the need for college-educated employees. 

“This program will help fill an increasing need for college-educated employees who possess business skills alongside specific knowledge about the nuances and history of our highly regulated industry," Falvo said. 

According to New Frontier Data projection, marijuana sales are projected to reach $43 billion in the U.S. alone by 2025. In 2021, full-time jobs in the industry grew by 32% to 321,000, according to Leafly Jobs Report.

Photo: Courtesy of MD Duran on Unsplash