Stockton University is a trail-blazing New Jersey college that is launching a four-year undergraduate degree in Cannabis Studies as a Major this fall.
The Bachelor of Science in Hemp and Cannabis Business Management program in the Stockton University School of Business will prepare students to join a booming industry. It has seen a 66% increase in the number of jobs in New Jersey, according to Stockton Professor Rob Mejia.
The college’s main campus is in Galloway by Atlantic City in South Jersey. They also have programs in Atlantic City and nearby Hammonton, Manahawkin in Ocean County, and Woodbine in Cape May County.
Preparing for a Booming NJ Cannabis Industry
“You have to pay attention to a $1 billion business. Cannabis and hemp being so unique and regulated. You have to have special skills in order to get involved and be successful in the industry,” he said.
In March 2023, the number of cannabis- and hemp-related jobs in New Jersey was about 7,400, according to Vangst, a leading cannabis industry’s job platform. That number jumped to about 12,200 in March 2024. It continues to grow as the state grants distribution, wholesaling, and delivery licenses.
“It’s an opportunity for students to capture much-needed talent in a booming industry,” said Warren Kleinsmith, the dean of the School of Business.
Stockton University Cannabis Studies Major
The degree is grounded in strong business classes, such as business policy and strategies, marketing principles, and macroeconomics. In addition, there are courses on cannabis cultivation, social justice, and cannabis and an introduction to medical cannabis. The degree also builds on Stockton’s existing Cannabis Studies minor and has more than 70 graduates.
The experiential learning component of the new degree is one of its strengths, Kleinsmith said, as there are two cannabis field internships offered.
“That part is key because it gives students hands-on experience,” Mejia said. “It also introduces students to employers. We have a very developed pipeline. We’ve placed (Cannabis Studies minors) in the hemp industry, with labs doing cultivation, in processing, in dispensaries, in management, in marketing, and working with consultants.”
Kleinsmith acknowledged cannabis’ complicated history. He emphasized the university is adjusting to the changing needs of businesses in New Jersey by being the first to offer the degree program.
“We didn’t create the need. We are addressing the need,” he explained. “If we don’t address the need, then are we really doing our job as an institution of higher education? If you don’t recognize how things change, you can get caught flat-footed. Your programs can be on the back burner of what people need.”
The program has been in the works for some time now.
Kleinsmith explained the degree design came from discussions with advisory boards, feedback from alumni, and people involved with internships through the Cannabis Studies minor.
Stockton University is also setting up a program for Hudson County Community College’s Cannabis Studies graduates to begin their Cannabis Studies Major program.
They are among the New Jersey colleges pioneering formal Cannabis Studies programs.
NJ College Cannabis Studies Progress
Stockton has been leading New Jersey college cannabis academia since the launch of their Cannabis Studies minor program in the Fall 2018 semester.
They have hosted large conferences that inform their students as well as the New Jersey community and industry at large.
Dr. Ekaterina Sedia has been leading their trail-blazing Cannabis Studies minor academic program. She spearheaded their September 2019 cannabis job fair and industry conference, where the picture above was taken.
She specializes in the science of the plant as a biology professor.
Mejia is a leading figure in the New Jersey cannabis industry and community as one of the main professors in the Cannabis Studies minor at Stockton. In May 2022, he testified at a New Jersey legislative hearing on cannabis in favor of the legalization of growing cannabis at home. Unfortunately, it remains a felony. Mejia argued it would help patients save money.
Many of their graduates are working in the licensed New Jersey cannabis industry for local, independent companies like Hamilton Farms.
In 2021, Stockton launched a research institute to study the nature of cannabis and hemp. They also held a large cannabis conference featuring NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) Vice Chair Sam Delgado.
Furthermore, Stockton has been working with the Atlantic City Cannabis Board on the development of their local industry.
It is also among the cannabis pioneers who are also pushing for magic mushrooms, shrooms, or psilocybin to be legalized. They conducted a survey that said 57 percent of New Jersey agrees with them.
Mejia testified in favor of medical shrooms legalization to help patients cope with trauma last year.
