Business of Cannabis class coming to City College

BUS 145 begins Nov. 5.

Dr.+Leroy+Brady+holds+up+a+flier+for+his+new+Business+of+Cannabis+class.

Jade Benn

Dr. Leroy Brady displays a flier for the new Business of Cannabis course. Photo by Jade Benn.

Jade Benn, Staff Writer

In response to the boom in the legal cannabis industry, San Diego City College has created a first-of-its-kind class for a California community college.

Called Business of Cannabis, the two-unit course will be offered for the first time this fall. BUS 145 will be a partially online course.

Students will have the opportunity to learn the formation, history and business of cannabis starting on Nov. 5.

“The goal of this is not to entice anyone to smoke cannabis, buy cannabis, but to show them the business possibilities in that field since it is legal in California,” said Dr. Leroy Brady, chair of City’s business department.

The estimated total of legal-market jobs in the cannabis industry in 2019 is 340,000, growing to 743,000 by 2025, according to New Frontier Data, which tracks cannabis industry data and analytics.

Brady, who will also teach the class, has invited guest speakers to present, including Fiona Ma, the California State Treasurer.

“This is a business and people need to know there are business opportunities,” Brady said.

Marketing the new class started earlier this month. Initially only word-of-mouth, flyers went out last week and the class was listed on the official course schedule.

“I want as many students as I can get,” Brady said. “I want people excited to learn about it and get into it and do really well.”

Twenty-nine people have already enrolled in the course, Brady said, including some faculty and current City students.

Brady could not confirm how or if financial aid would cover the course.

“One of the things people need to know is, we need to invest in ourselves,” Brady said. “Just like products and clothes. So know that paying $92 is worth expanding your mind.”

The five-week course will be hosted from 6-9:50 p.m. on Tuesdays through Dec. 10. Brady said he also hopes to offer the class again multiple times in the spring.

“I’m not trying to persuade people one way or another,” Brady said. “I’m just trying to present information. You make your decision.”

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Staff writer Lacey Stefano contributed to this report.