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

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

Requirements for the Major (60-61 Units)

The Cannabis Studies major with a concentration in Environmental Stewardship requires 31 units of core coursework and 29-30 units of concentration specific courses. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in all 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

Environmental Stewardship Concentration (29-30 Units)

Complete the following concentration specific coursework to fulfill the requirements of the major.

CHEM 107 - Fundamentals of Chemistry Units: 4
or
CHEM 109 - General Chemistry I Units: 5
SOIL 260 - Introduction to Soil Science Units: 3
CANN 345 - Cannabis Regulatory and Environmental Requirements Units: 3

Concentration Elective Courses

Complete at least two courses from each of the three following categories (Watershed Management, Natural Resources Management and Policy and Law) for at least 19 units. Review the course descriptions for pre-requisite course requirements. Select courses in consultation with an advisor.

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.