EXCLUSIVE: Cannabis Education Pioneer Michael Zaytsev, aka Mike Z, Will Direct LIM College's New Cannabis Degree Programs

Michael Zaytsev, better known as Mike Z, a leading cannabis industry educator and entrepreneur, has joined LIM College in the newly-created position of Academic Director, Business of Cannabis.

What Happened

Zaytsev will play a critical role in all aspects of LIM’s recently announced Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree programs. Both programs have been approved by the New York State Education Department and will launch this September.

Why It Matters

Zaytsev is the founder of High NY, one of the world’s largest cannabis industry education and networking groups. His popular High NY events have educated thousands of people both within and outside of the industry on various cannabis-related topics.

In 2021, Zaytsev broke new ground in cannabis education by teaching “Introduction to the World of Cannabis” at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College, the first City University of New York (CUNY) school to offer a cannabis minor. 

What’s Next

In his new role as Academic Director, Business of Cannabis, Zaytsev will recruit and supervise adjunct faculty, design curriculum, and mentor students. He will also help establish relationships with companies and organizations in the legal cannabis space to create ongoing experiential educational and career development opportunities for LIM students and alumni.

“We are proud to welcome Michael Zaytsev to the LIM College family. He is well-known and highly respected throughout the cannabis industry for his passionate and longstanding commitment to activism, education, de-stigmatization and social justice,” said LIM College president Elizabeth S. Marcuse.

Zaytsev added, “LIM College shifted the paradigm in the fashion industry back in 1939 by offering business education to women when doing so was practically unheard of. I’m proud to join the institution as it’s making history again by launching the first cannabis business degree programs in New York State.”

“We could potentially see over 100,000 new cannabis jobs come to New York and its neighboring states within the next few years alone. LIM College is bringing in cannabis industry experts from all over the country to teach our courses and prepare the next generation of the cannabis workforce for the multitude of career opportunities that lie ahead,” he concluded.

An Online Experience

LIM College’s master’s degree program in The Business of Cannabis will be delivered fully online and can be completed in one calendar year. It is designed for career-changers as well as those who are interested in advancing their current cannabis careers. 

The bachelor’s degree program focuses on core business skills that are sought out by employers in cannabis businesses—including marketing, retail management, branding, merchandising and supply chain management—plus cannabis-specific knowledge.

The addition of education in the business of cannabis expands LIM’s academic purview, building on the midtown Manhattan college’s 83-year history as a leading educational authority in the business of fashion and its adjacent fields.

President Marcuse noted, “Robust connections to industry professionals are a hallmark of an LIM College education, and Mike’s many years of experience as a leading cannabis community organizer will help ensure that our students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in cannabis careers.”