Ohio home to first accredited cannabis-focused school

The Buckeye State can boast about being first in the nation on many things.

The first cash register was used in Dayton in 1879. Oberlin College became the first interracial and coeducational college in 1833. The first civilian ambulance service was started in Cincinnati in 1865.

And now, in 2024, the Cleveland School of Cannabis announced that Ohio is home to the first accredited cannabis-focused school in the country.

The school received accreditation from the Middle States Association-Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools after a "rigorous," three-year process, President Tyrone Russell said. The accrediting board recommended approval last summer and voted on Dec. 7, and the school just announced the 10-year accreditation earlier this month.

"We’re the only school that’s based solely in cannabis," Russell said. "There’s nothing else we teach. It’s not an add-on to what we do. It is what we do."

The U.S. Department of Education lists the school on its database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs but would not confirm whether it was the first cannabis school to receive accreditation. The department recognizes accrediting agencies, such as the Middle States Association-CESS, as part of the criteria for federal financial aid programs.

A department spokesperson said accreditation alone does not mean the school is eligible to participate in such programs and it "is not approved by the Department to participate in Title IV or other programs under the Higher Education Act."

What programs are offered at the Cleveland School of Cannabis?

The Cleveland School of Cannabis, located at 6599 Granger Road in Independence, offers three certificate programs ― cannabis cultivation, dispensary operations and intro to cannabis extracts. Each consists of four courses, totaling 100 hours over six weeks, with the option to choose an online or in-person format.

The school also offers single courses on topics ranging from industrial hemp to cannabis law. Russell said many students are pursuing entry-level employment in the cannabis industry while others want to become entrepreneurs or advance their knowledge of cannabis.

Cannabis workforce: Getting a job in the cannabis industry

Some accredited colleges and universities, such as Kent State University, have added cannabis programs in recent years. But they're typically not for academic credit or added to an existing major, Russell said.

Why did the Cleveland Cannabis School seek accreditation?

Accreditation, a recognition that an institution meets educational standards, lends a level of legitimacy to the school, Russell said. He also hoped that it would help pave the way for student financial aid.

"So we're waiting for those sorts of relationships to take shape," he said, adding that an unfavorable mindset toward cannabis still exists among some decision-makers.

The current student enrollment is about 150 but has exceeded 300 at times, according to Russell. The school has received up to 700 applications in a year but, because students don't receive the same government assistance as they would at a traditional college or university, not all attend.

Roughly 70% of the school's alumni find employment in the industry, Russell said. The aim is 100% placement, but some areas don't yet have cannabis operators and not all students are seeking work in the industry. Still, he said, the most ambitious students have started their own businesses or advanced to management positions at dispensary, cultivation, testing and processing facilities.

Austin Briggs, who was raised in Cleveland Heights and founded the Cleveland School of Cannabis in 2017, said his initial goal was to create a school where people would feel comfortable sending their children.

"After seven hard years of work and a whirlwind of scrutiny at every level, we are finally receiving the recognition we deserve with accreditation from one of the most respected accreditors in education, MSA-CESS, and we are now the first cannabis school to be recognized by the US Department of Education," he said in a prepared statement. "This is big for Ohio's newly found adult-use cannabis market, and for education in Ohio as we usher in a new era of workforce development for the cannabis industry."

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn X: @kbyerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cleveland School of Cannabis gets accreditation after 3-year process