Learning Outcomes of the Cannabis Healthcare & Medicine Certificate

Upon completion of the Cannabis Healthcare & Medicine Certificate program, students will be able to:

• Explain the fundamentals of cannabis medicine — including the endocannabinoid system, how cannabis works in the body, and its potential therapeutic applications

• Evaluate and recommend cannabis products — assess quality, compare formulations, and provide evidence-based product guidance for patients

• Manage patient care with cannabis therapy — support patients from initial dosing through ongoing adjustments to ensure safe, effective treatment

• Apply cannabis medicine knowledge across healthcare tracks — explore specialized clinical themes for both human healthcare and veterinary/pet applications

Cannabis 101: History and Practice Across Industries 

This course serves as a broad introduction to the cannabis genus and the plants’ various uses across history, culture, and industry. Learners begin with an exploration into medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp, trace the biochemistry of phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids, compare differences between indoor and outdoor grow, and review cannabis botany and phylogenetics. Weeks 4-6 introduce learners to industry-specific sectors: the challenges with retail and distribution, vendoring, finance, and human resources in Cannabis Enterprise; an overview of regulation, insurance, payroll and taxes, intellectual property, insurance, and labor law in Cannabis Law & Policy; and the basic requirements for choosing medical products, FDA regulation, and future opportunities for allied health professionals in Cannabis Medicine & Healthcare. The final unit is praxis-based: learners explore a series of interviews with successful cannabis experts, and develop a prospectus for their job portfolio.  

Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine I: Essentials of Cannabis Medicine 

This course advances the knowledge and practice of cannabis medicine for health care providers and allied health professionals by improving their understanding of cannabis’s medical properties, human physiology and the metabolic pathways for cannabis, the ethics and law for cannabis healthcare practitioners, partnering with integrated medical centers, and client care. Learners refresh their knowledge of the History of Cannabis Medicine, and the biochemistry and metabolism of phyto- and endo-cannabinoids. We then progress to best practices, including standard of care; strain selection, dosing, and titration; routes and administration; and challenges with drug interaction, tolerance, psychoactivity and toxicity, and contraindication. During the final week, learners explore emerging questions in medical ethics and law regarding cannabis healthcare in their local area, and complete a series of ancillary projects that build toward the capstone medical portfolio in course 2 of this series. 

Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine II: Integrated Clinical Practice  

The second course for Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine probes into advanced physiological and pharmacological studies. Learners review complex aspects of the endocannabinoid system and explore the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids and terpenes in the human body with regard to concentration, metabolism, absorption, distribution, and excretion. The final three weeks of Course II are modeled on clinical specializations and themes, with learners self-selecting for either an Animal and Pets or Human healthcare track: Clinical themes include autoimmune diseases, pain, mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, geriatrics, and cancer treatment. The course culminates in a medical portfolio that includes a medical leaflet, patient care statement, case study analysis, and other materials that can be used in the learner’s practice of cannabis medicine and healthcare.