Lake Superior State University says that the cannabis industry is expected to create more than 500,000 jobs by 2022 as the plant grows in popularity and legality.
Call it “higher learning.” One Michigan university is the first in the country to offer cannabis chemistry scholarships, CBS News reported.
Lake Superior State University is offering its first cannabis scholarship thanks to Steadfast Labs, a Michigan-based research facility that allows for access to safe cannabis medicine. The school and lab have established an annual $1,200 scholarship for cannabis chemistry students at the university.
The news came Monday and in order to qualify, students must be sophomores or older and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, according to the school. Students who live in Wayne and Oakland Counties, areas that the company serves, will also be given preference, according CBS News.
"It is our great pleasure to grant this unprecedented scholarship for a cutting-edge program in an innovative industry," Avram Zallen, founder and CEO of Steadfast Labs, said in a statement obtained by CBS News. "This grant is another opportunity for Steadfast to help LSSU students pursue careers in this exciting and important industry. "
Lake Superior State University is no stranger to cannabis-centered programs. In 2019, it established the nation's first chemistry program focused on cannabis when it launched the Cannabis Center of Excellence. In February 2020, the Center of Excellence opened a 2,600-square-foot cannabis chemistry facility, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"This donation not only continues our trendsetting ways in this vital new field but also makes our already affordable tuition even more reasonable," Dr. Steven Johnson, dean of the College of Science and the Environment at LSSU, said in a statement obtained by CBS News. "By funding this scholarship, Steadfast Labs again demonstrates their commitment to supporting future chemists who will enter the workforce and provide public safety in the cannabis field."
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