Contributor, Benzinga
August 18, 2020

There’s more to marijuana than knowing the correct way to smoke it.

As a science, there is a lot to learn about — cannabis flowers, seeds, THC, CBD oil, hemp oil, strain profiles and more. From a commercial point of view, you could study about the multi-billion dollar industry — investing in cannabis stocks, opening dispensaries and other market opportunities. 

As a patient or health care provider, you may want to know how to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits. In the culinary world, you have an endless list of recipes for marijuana edibles. As a hobby, you could learn about cannabis cultivation and culture.

If you’re looking to find educational and trending podcasts, blogs, TV shows and courses on cannabis, check out our guide to cannabis education. We’ve listed all the top resources available on the web to educate you on cannabis and its potential.

Learn Cannabis Through Podcasts

From silly to serious and everything in between, there are marijuana-related podcasts galore. We’ve included 3 podcasts that are ultra-informative and bring real value.

Benzinga Cannabis Hour

If you want to stay in-the-know about cannabis investing, legal issues and emerging trends that dictate the industry, Benzinga Cannabis Hour should be your go-to podcast.

Benzinga Cannabis Hour is a weekly online show anchored by Benzinga hosts Jason Raznick and Patrick Lane. The show treats you to front-row seats as they discuss finance and business in the cannabis space. Some of the past high profile guests featured include Alan Brochstein of 420 Investor (recommended stock education provider), Jason White from Curaleaf and many more leading innovators in the cannabis industry.

Start with the episode featuring former NBA star Al Harrington as he discusses his social equity and purpose-driven cannabis brand Viola Inc.

You can listen to the podcast on most streaming services like Spotify, Google Podcasts or even the Benzinga Cannabis Hour website.

The PotCast

There are many podcasts around cannabis culture that are incoherent stoned musings. The PotCast is not 1 of them. Helmed by AdaMaCaDocious and Manny Blunts, the show invites guests from a variety of backgrounds (lawyers, doctors, growers and politicians) and asks the important questions. They do informative and fun long-form interviews (2-3 hours) about cannabis breeding and culture. 

The PotCast is for the budding cannabis enthusiast looking to learn the nuts and bolts of the industry and the product from cannabis aficionados. 

The Adam Dunn Show

The Adam Dunn Show makes you feel like you’re taking a weekly college class on pot. Each episode is packed with insightful information on cannabis culture, cultivation, news, science, rumors, regulations governing the production and sale of weed and much more.

Adam Dunn has over 25 years of experience doing business with weed and made waves as a cannabis entrepreneur long before it was legal in the U.S. The show has plenty of material with over 240 episodes. 

You can experience The Adam Dunn show in many places, including YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Follow the show on Instagram @adamdunnshow to stay updated.

Cannabis Resources

Blogs and TV Shows are great resources to get a smorgasbord of information on cannabis and all the ways to inhale it, transport it, cook with it — anything, just name it.

El Planteo

El Planteo offers news, videos, information and more all focusing on cannabis. The site is natively Spanish but anything can be translated into English if that's your first language. From articles on marijuana documentary suggestions to making cannabis butter and extending into cannabis stocks, El Planteo is a strong cannabis resource for all walks of life and interests.

Leafly: Cannabis 101

Leafly is the largest cannabis website in the world with more than 15 million monthly visitors and 40 million page views across its website and mobile app. 

The best part about Leafly is that it covers a wide range of topics for consumers at any stage of their journey. The blog covers all the basics under the category Cannabis 101. 

You can expect articles on Cannabis basics like “How to Buy Good Weed” and “Indica vs Sativa vs Hybrid: What’s the Difference?” Leafly’s lifestyle blogs include marijuana cooking recipes like the best weed brownies and cannabis-infused butter.

Weediquette

Weediquette is a documentary television series that discusses controversies and stigmas attached to cannabis. The show has an IMDB Rating of 8.1/10 and has 3 seasons with a total of 26 episodes. 

Hosted by Vice correspondent Krishna Andavolu, the show addresses important questions like can cannabis be used by minors, former drug addicts and its use in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Weediquette also documents the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the treatment of people who struggle with severe painful illnesses such as cancer or in palliative care interventions.

Bong Appétit

Bong Appétite is one of the most prominent cannabis-themed cooking shows on television. The show has 3 seasons and an IMDB rating of 8/10. Here, top chefs push boundaries and create some high-end cannabis recipes.

Bong Appétite is an educational show that helps bring cannabis closer to the mainstream. In 2019, the show incorporated B-Real of Cypress Hill as its season 3 host and judge, while also rebooting the project as a cooking competition.

Courses on Cannabis

Whether it’s opening a dispensary, budtending or cooking, a marijuana-related career is becoming more common. But breaking into the industry involves more work than you think. 

A course on cannabis can help you get a formal education. We’ve listed 3 courses that you can look at if you’re looking to get certified.

Medical Cannabis: The Health Effects of THC and CBD Specialization

The University of Colorado Boulder offers a beginner course through Coursera on the health effects of cannabis and CBD. The course is completely flexible and takes approximately 4 months to complete. It’s well received on Coursera with 4.8 stars.

The course will help you learn the following:

  • Basic pharmacology of cannabis and how cannabinoids affect the body
  • History of cannabis cultivation and legality
  • Barriers and approaches to cannabis research
  • Epidemiological data on cannabis use in terms of cognition, education and behavior

Upon completing the specialization, you’ll be able to evaluate and communicate verified scientific research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids (including CBD and THC).

Enroll now

THC University

THC University is a low-cost way to boost your knowledge, which is great if you’re a rookie. It offers 8 certificate programs and 150+ hours of classes. It claims to have almost 11,000 student accounts and over 200 students in jobs.

The 8 certification programs include:

  • Introduction to CBD
  • Terpenes basics
  • Budtender basics
  • Marijuana 101
  • Grow basics 
  • Horticulture specialist
  • Cannabis business
  • Safety regulations

You can enroll with a 1-time payment of $187 and get instant access to all its courses. In general, you can expect to finish in 3 to 6 months.

Cannabis Training University (CTU)

CTU’s Medical Marijuana Certificate Program offers over 5,000 pages of e-book training guides and 200 HD videos. The program requires you to complete 7 courses and a final exam. 

The program contains the following 7 courses:

  • Cannabis jobs, cannabis resumes and cannabis business plans
  • Growing medical marijuana
  • Cooking with cannabis
  • How to become a budtender
  • How to open a dispensary and delivery dispensary service
  • Online cannabis law courses
  • Marijuana as medicine: myths and miracles revealed

CTU is respected in the industry, and the certification is widely-recognized in the U.S. and Canada. It’s retail price is $597, but you can get it on sale for $247. 

Keep Up with the Industry 

The cannabis industry is growing faster than ever before. A new report valued the global legal marijuana market in 2019 at $17.7 billion and anticipates reaching $73.6 billion by 2027. 

As more states begin to legalize cannabis for recreational and medicinal use, it seems as though everyone wants a slice of the pie — and for good reason. Educate yourself on cannabis to get the 1st mover’s advantage in your state. Start simple with a podcast or commit to 1 of our recommended cannabis courses.