At DePaul University, for example, students at the private Catholic school in Chicago can take classes on a variety of marijuana-related issues, such as "Cannabis and Society" and "Community-Centric Dispensary Management." The coursework comes at a time in which Illinois and a handful of other states allow for use of marijuana, be it medically or recreationally or both.
Still, Luke Niforatos of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) thinks that it is really problematic on multiple levels.
"I don't think anyone would support having a college course training people how to be the next executive at Big Tobacco or helping deal any other kind of drug," says Niforatos. "It seems odd that we have courses training people on how to commercialize addiction, and secondarily, it is important to note that marijuana is federally illegal. These are courses that are teaching students how to become proficient in violating federal law flagrantly."
Niforatos recommends that concerned citizens and taxpayers reach out to legislators to voice their opposition.
"This is available at a number of state-funded institutions, and it is something that they should be concerned about. We can't forget that most states in the country have not legalized marijuana. This is not something that the entire country has looked at and done,” informs Niforatos. “It is also, again, federally illegally. The idea of federal funds going to an institution that now is training people on how to become felons, that's not a good thing."
People have been using marijuana for generations, regardless of what society says or thinks about the subject. Even so, Niforatos says that today's marijuana is not like what people used in the past. He says that its far more potent today, and the industry is backed by big investors in Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma.
"The marijuana industry is learning from the best of the worst, if you will," states Niforatos.
