Medical Cannabis Fundamentals for Business Professionals to run November 25 and 26, 2017

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) is answering the increasing demand for more skilled professionals to support Canada’s rapidly expanding medical cannabis industry. Medical Cannabis Fundamentals for Business Professionals, the first course of its kind to be offered by an Ontario college, is a two-day, introductory-level course designed for those who have already completed either a diploma or degree in business and are interested in pursuing a career in the medical cannabis field.

“Medical cannabis is a $130-million industry in Canada, with more than 50,000 prescribed patients, and that number is estimated to grow nine fold over the next two years alone,” said Debbie Johnston, dean of DC’s School of Continuing Education, which is delivering the course. “Attention has largely been focused on the production side of the industry, but these are complex organizations that also require professionals with keen business acumen and skills, and therein lie many of the job opportunities in this field.”

The course will be held on Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26 at the college’s Oshawa campus. It will examine various aspects of the cannabis industry including history and emerging trends in Canada, regulatory and legal considerations, ethical issues, basic clinical concepts, cultivation and quality control fundamentals, customers/patients and marketing/communication principles. Through their studies, students will develop contextual knowledge that will expand their familiarity with this emerging industry.

“We commend Durham College for being at the forefront of this exciting industry,” said Adam Saperia, executive vice-president of Emblem Corp., one of Canada’s leading licensed producers. “This announcement sends an important signal that the medical cannabis industry is not only growing at a rapid pace, but will also require experienced and skilled professionals.”

Upon successfully completing both days of the course, students will receive a badge — an electronic credential — that can be added to their LinkedIn page, other social media sites and/or online portfolio to demonstrate to current and prospective employers their medical cannabis knowledge and focus on ongoing professional development.

Anyone looking for more information or to register for the course should visit www.durhamcollege.ca/ce/medicalcannabis.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.
The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.
The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.
For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.
Media contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2952
melissa.mclean@durhamcollege.ca