Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine Certificate
(CannabisHealthcare)
The Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine program advances the knowledge and practice of cannabis medicine for healthcare providers and allied health professionals by improving their understanding of cannabis’s medical properties. As the cannabis industry develops, there will be an ever-increasing demand for knowledgeable workers in the industry, especially when it comes to those focusing on cannabis as a medicine. Cannabis is not only new to most people, it is also a very complicated subject with which few have direct experience. High quality education on the subject is paramount and will set students apart to participate in this sought-after industry.
Through this program, students will be able to thoroughly understand what cannabis medicine is, how it works, and confidently make recommendations and provide guidance to patients new and experienced with cannabis. The importance of analytical and problem-solving skills is emphasized because cannabis is not black and white and requires critical thinking to arrive at appropriate recommendations.
Students will also review specific condition categories in depth so that they will have a deep understanding of where their patients may be coming from and how to appropriately work with them. Students will be challenged to develop the ability to work independently and in teams, to be innovative in solving problems, to expand their horizons on how they think about cannabis and holistic medicine. The certificate concludes with real world case studies and role playing to solidify the student’s mastery of program material.
Program length: six months
The Professional Development Institute is pleased to partner with Green-Flower to offer this program. For more information about the program and to register, click "Request More Information" below.
Upon completion of the Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine program, students will be able to:
- Examine the basics of cannabis, including what it is, how it works, and what it can help treat as a medicine
- Identify the various cannabis products, how to evaluate each product, and how to receommend each product to patients
- Manage patient care by guiding patients from initial use to fine tuning an ongoing cannabis therapy
- Explore various clinical themes in the human or animal and pets healthcare tracks
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.