Clark University Launches Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs for Cannabis Control

WORCESTER, MA – Clark University is launching a first-in-the-nation graduate certificate in regulatory affairs for cannabis control. The program will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of public policy issues involved in the cultivation, distribution, sales, and regulation of adult use and medicinal-use cannabis.

Courses focus on public policy with practical training for implementing the rules of engagement in the cannabis control field. The program comprises three online courses: regulatory models, health and public safety concerns, and stakeholder education and enforcement. Participants will gain an understanding of the intersection and influences of social, medical, economic, and legal viewpoints on cannabis use, monitoring, and control, and learn how to create public policies.

The online program can be completed in two semesters starting this fall. Each course is seven weeks long.

"As more states legalize cannabis for either medicinal and or adult use, it is creating challenges for municipal, county, and state policy makers who must determine the regulatory implications for their communities and constituents," says John LaBrie, Clark University's School of Professional Studies (SPS) dean and associate provost for Professional Graduate Education. "Our program will give individuals in communities across the nation access to leaders in the field, and an opportunity to use what our legislators have created as a guide when they adopt policies of their own."

Clark is located in Worcester, MA, which will soon be home to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.

"There is much confusion when it comes to differentiating between medical cannabis use, adult use, de-criminalization, and legalization," says Harvard Police Chief Edward D. Denmark. "The cannabis certification will greatly aid policy makers and enforcement officials in developing strategies to address new challenges and enable us to provide for the safety of the public."

For more information, email [email protected], call 508/793-7373, or visit the web.

Clark University has been a leader in providing graduate education to mid-career professionals and recent college graduates seeking to advance their careers. For more than 75 years, the School of Professional Studies has focused on innovation, leadership, and effective practice. With students from more than 90 countries and partnerships with 150 nonprofits and businesses around the world, Clark's School of Professional Studies recognizes that today's classroom spans the world.

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