Cannabis Studies, Policy Stewardship Concentration, B.A.

The Cannabis Studies major offers students an opportunity to explore the historical, cultural, social, political, and legal contexts of cannabis through social and environmental justice frameworks. Students in our interdisciplinary major will find an engaged faculty from 18 academic fields who will prepare students to be stewards of social change in complex policy landscapes.

Committed to the goals of liberal arts degrees, the Cannabis Studies program helps students develop skills in critical and analytic thinking, writing, communication with diverse communities, as well as critical engagement with science and research. These skill sets are valued across areas of employment and advanced study. Students who graduate from our program are prepared for a broad range of professional pathways inside and outside those related to Cannabis, including public policy and law, equity and justice advocacy, human services and regulatory agency work, research, as well as master’s or doctoral programs. The Cal Poly Humboldt Cannabis Studies major does not include training or curriculum in cultivating, processing, or selling cannabis.

Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree requires a total of 120 units. Students must fulfill General Education & All-University Requirements , residency, unit, and GPA requirements as outlined in the Bachelor’s Degree Requirements . This major does not include a Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) certified course. Students must take a GWAR certified writing intensive course to fulfill the requirement.

Major Academic Plan, Cannabis Studies, Policy Stewardship Concentration, B.A.

Program MAPs represent recommended or possible pathways toward degree completion in four years (or two years for transfer students). Please see an advisor and use the DARS planner to create an education plan that is customized to meet your needs.

Cannabis Studies, Policy Stewardship Concentration, B.A. MAP

Cannabis Studies, Policy Stewardship Concentration, B.A. Transfer MAP

Requirements for the Major (61 Units)

A minimum grade of C- is required for a major courses.

The following core coursework is required for all cannabis studies majors.

Core Courses (31 Units)

Lower Division

CANN 120 - Introduction to Cannabis Studies Units: 3
CANN 202 - Humboldt and Cannabis Units: 3
CANN 240 - Global Cannabis Units: 3
GSP 101 - Geospatial Concepts Units: 3

Upper Division

BOT 300 - Plants and Civilization Units: 3
CANN 325 - Cannabis and Social Equity Units: 3
CANN 335 - Cannabis and Environmental Sustainability Units: 3
CANN 420 - Cannabis Law and Public Policy Units: 3
CANN 482 - Internship Units: 3
NAS 332 - Environmental Justice Units: 3
SOC 372 - Proseminar Units: 1
or
SOC 472 - Graduate School Planning Units: 1

Policy Stewardship Concentration (30 Units)

STAT 108 - Elementary Statistics Units: 3
or
STAT 108I - Elementary Statistics with Integrated Support Units: 3
CRIM 420 - Drugs and Society Units: 4
SOC 282L - Sociological Statistics Lab Units: 1
SOC 303 - Race and Inequality Units: 3

Methods

Complete one of the following:

ANTH 318 - Ethnography Units: 4
ENST 395W - Environmental Studies Research and Analysis Units: 4
GEOG 311W - Geographic Research and Writing Units: 3 and
GEOG 310L - Geographic Research Laboratory Units: 1
HIST 210 - Historical Methods Units: 4
SOC 382 - Introduction to Social Research Units: 4

Elective Requirement

Complete at least two courses in each category (Policy and Social Action) for a minimum of 15 units. Review the course descriptions for pre-requisite courses. Select courses in consultation with an advisor.

Policy

CANN 345 - Cannabis Regulatory and Environmental Requirements Units: 3
CRGS 360 - Race, Gender and US Law Units: 4
NAS 364 - Federal Indian Law I Units: 4
NAS 365 - Federal Indian Law II Units: 4
PSCI 313 - Politics of Criminal Justice Units: 4
PSCI 317 - Public Policy Process Units: 4
PSCI 352 - Water Politics Units: 4
PSCI 360 - Political Economy Units: 4
PSCI 365 - Political Ecology Units: 4 or cross-listed GEOG 365
PSCI 373 - Politics of Sustainability Units: 4
SOC 320 - Environmental Sociology Units: 4
SOC 363 - Environmental Crime Units: 4
SOC 370 - Environmental Inequality and Globalization Units: 4

Social Action

COMM 235 - Act to End Sexualized Violence Units: 1 (or cross-listed CRGS 235 or PSCI 235 )
COMM 315 - Communication and Social Advocacy Units: 4
CRGS 313 - Community Activism Units: 3
ECON 470S - Sustainable Rural Economic Development Units: 4
ESM 435 - Grant Proposal Writing Units: 3
FILM 362 - Documentary Production Units: 4
FILM 455 - Grant Writing Units: 4
GSP 270 - Geographic Information Science (GIS) Units: 3
PSCI 412 - Legal Research Units: 4
SOC 350 - Social Movements Units: 4
SOC 475 - Community Organizing Units: 4

Program Learning Outcomes

Students in the Cannabis Studies major will:

Apply an intersectional analysis to explain the sources of social justice challenges relating to cannabis prohibition and legalization.
Apply an intersectional analysis to develop potential remedies for social justice challenges relating to cannabis prohibition and legalization.
Evaluate the sustainability of cannabis production and regulation strategies.
Identify, access, evaluate, and use needed information to support the development of regulations and/or programs that emphasize sustainability and/or equity.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of research evidence regarding the relationship between cannabis and specific communities and ecosystems.
Produce a written policy analysis project in which they identify their interdisciplinary context and purpose, competently develop content, and cite sources and evidence for their claims.