Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate of Achievement

This Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate of Achievement prepares workers for careers linked to cannabis horticulture related occupations such as:

• Grower / Horticulturist / Cultivation technician

• Propagator

• Trimmer / Post-Harvest Specialist 

This program combines classroom learning and hands-on skill development in labs, fieldwork, and field trips. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in basic horticultural principles, plant biology and physiology, outdoor and greenhouse cannabis cultivation, and cannabis genetics; industry standard skills and practices related to safe work practices and ergonomics, and resume-writing and interview skills.

To qualify for the Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate of Achievement students must complete all of the required courses, totaling a minimum of 16.5 units to a maximum of 17.5 units.

Program Learning Outcomes for the Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate:

Students who receive a Certificate will be able to:

1. Apply cannabis biology, physiology, and plant nutrition knowledge to cannabis cultivation practices.  

2. Use various horticulture tools safely and properly sterilize tools. 

3. Build healthy soil and mix organic container media optimized for cannabis production.

4. Propagate and maintain cannabis plants through vegetative growth and flowering. 

5. Apply cannabis Integrated Pest Management (IPM) treatments. 

6. Apply harvesting and post-harvest handling best practices.

Annual Completer Projections - 20

This Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate of Achievement prepares workers for careers linked to entry-level cannabis cultivation related occupations such as Grower / Horticulturist / Cultivation technician, Propagator, and Trimmer / Post-Harvest Specialist. This program combines classroom learning and hands-on skill development in labs, fieldwork, and field trips. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in basic horticultural principles, cannabis plant biology and physiology, outdoor and greenhouse cannabis cultivation, and cannabis genetics; industry standard skills and practices related to safe work practices and ergonomics; and resume-writing and interview skills.

To qualify for the Basic Cannabis Horticulture Certificate of Achievement students must complete all of the required courses, totaling a minimum of 16.5 units to a maximum of 17.5 units. 

As required by CTE student outcomes, this program will increase enrollment for the Merritt College Horticulture Department, increase the number of students who earn degrees, credentials, certificates or specific skill sets to prepare them for an in-demand job, and reduce equity gaps across all of the above measures through faster improvements among traditionally underrepresented student groups.

This program was developed in consulation with local and regional employers to develope a curriculum that provides strong basic skills and hands on learning for cannabis/horticulture employees. This program was developed to be completed in one calendar year over the course of two semesters so that students can quickly gain the training and skills they need to succeed in this emerging industry. 

Course of study includes cannabis cultivation, pruning, harvesting, environmetally friendly pest control methods and other relevant skills. 

Requirements	Dept. Name/#	Name	Major Units	GE Units	Sequence
	Semester 1
	LANHT 001Or LANHT 001Eand	Introduction to Landscape Horticulture with Lab (DAY) OrIntroduction to Landscape Horticulture (Evening)	3		Semester 1(Spring)
	LANHT 230 and	Introduction to Cannabis Production	3
	LANHT 237 and	Spring Cannabis Lab	2
	Semester 2
	LANHT 019and	Plant Nutrition	3
	LANHT 239and	Fall Cannabis Lab	2		Semester 2(Fall)
	LANHT 233  and	Cannabis Careers	1
	LANHT 235  and	Cannabis Pruning, Harvesting, and Trimming	.5
	LANHT 234or	Cannabis History and Genetics	3
	LANHT 240  or	Personal Use Cannabis Garden Cultivation	3
	LANHT 238	Summer Cannabis Lab	2		Optional Summer Semester
Major Requirements			16.5/17.5
General Education Requirements				0
Total Units			16.5/17.5

OR

Requirements	Dept. Name/#	Name	Major Units	GE Units	Sequence
	Semester 1
	LANHT 001Or LANHT 001Eand	Introduction to Landscape Horticulture with Lab (DAY) OrIntroduction to Landscape Horticulture (Evening)	3		Semester 1(Fall)
	LANHT 019 and	Plant Nutrition	3
	LANHT 239 and	Fall Cannabis Lab	2
	LANHT 235	Cannabis Pruning, Harvesting, and Trimming	.5
	Semester 2
	LANHT 230and	Introduction to Cannabis Production	3
	LANHT 237and	Spring Cannabis Lab	2		Semester 2(Spring)
	LANHT 234or	Cannabis History and Genetics	3
	LANHT 240  or	Personal Use Cannabis Garden Cultivation	3
	LANHT 238	Summer Cannabis Lab	2		Optional Summer Semester
Major Requirements			16.5/17.5
General Education Requirements				0
Total Units			16.5/17.5

The State of California does not currently collect ANY employment data related to cannabis employment via EDD (correspondence attached under supporting documents) due to data sharing requirements with the federal government and cannabis’ current Schedule 1 status as a controlled substance. The LMI report requested from COE only contains data related to non-cannabis horticulture jobs and salary schedules (please see attached Vangst 2020 Salary Guide and Leafly.com 2021 Cannabis Jobs Report) and does not accurately reflect the high demand for cannabis cultivation workers and their expected starting salary. (Please note, we are unable to attach these files due to upload size limitations on the web submission form. Vangst: https://vangst.com/reports/salary-guide Leafly.com https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/13180206/Leafly-JobsReport-2021-v14.pdf )

There are currently no similar programs in Merritt College’s service area. According to a recent article in the Diablo Valley College student newspaper The Enquirer, DVC is set to launch a cannabis “Master Grower” Certificate of Achievement program in Spring 2022. (Cannabis on Campus: DVC Horticulture Offers New Career Track Where “Master Growers” Can Earn Six Figures. Jenny Orme, DVC Enquirer. March 24, 2021). After discussion with Fred Sconberg from the Cannabis RJV, who verified that there are no similar programs within our service area, we identified that DVC is planning to offer instruction for INDOOR cannabis cultivation through its Business Department with a focus on cultivation management, and currently has no plans to use live plants on campus. Merritt College’s program is substantively and substantially different in that it is offered via the Landscape Horticulture Department to develop hands-on OUTDOOR and GREENHOUSE only (no indoor cultivation instruction will take place via Merritt College due to the ongoing Climate Emergency and our commitment to sustainable cultivation methods) cultivation and horticulture skills for entry-level employees, and we will also be using live plants on campus. We are currently reaching out to DVC to ensure coordination and consultation with other Colleges in our region.