The University of Denver's Center for Professional Development is partnering with cannabis education company Green Flower to offer three non-credit cannabis certificate programs to help provide a skilled workforce in the fast-growing Colorado cannabis industry.

The new certificate programs are: The Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine, and Cannabis Agriculture and Horticulture. All courses are delivered online in a self-paced format to meet the needs of busy adults.

As the first state to legalize recreational cannabis, Colorado has been a leader in industry growth, reporting $1.77 billion in cannabis sales and 34,700 cannabis-related jobs in 2020. Nationwide, legal cannabis worker jobs are projected to grow by 250% by 2028, outpacing other fast-growing careers. This growth is creating increased demand for a workforce skilled in various aspects of the industry, and the University of Denver cannabis certificates aim to fill that need.   

Each certificate includes three eight-week online courses that participants can complete in approximately six months. Upon completion of the program, students receive a certificate from the University of Denver and benefit from connections in the state industry, as well as cannabis professionals in Green Flower's nationwide Employer Network.