Higher education will never be the same, because law schools all across the nation are clamoring to offer courses on ‘Marijuana Law’ to keep up with the rising demand for citizens who are knowledgeable of the ins and outs regarding legalized weed.
We’ve stated it here before, but the recreational weed industry is the fastest growing industry in the United States. Legal marijuana grew in 2014 to $2.7 billion, which is up from $1.5 billion in 2013, and it only looks to keep growing as more and more states fall in line with legalization.
In order to meet the demand for policy makers, law schools all across the nation are offering courses designed to familiarize lawyers with this burgeoning area of law.
Across the country, college students from Colorado to Ohio are clamoring to sign up for law school classes focusing on marijuana.
At the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, Friday afternoon classes aren’t very popular. Unless it’s Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform.
“I would like to image a world when all law students have to take it because it’s that important but right now it’s an elective and it’s very popular,” said Moritz College of Law Professor Doug Berman.
At the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, it’s not a late afternoon class but an early morning class.
“It’s not an easy class. I don’t do easy classes,” said one student.
The marijuana law classes have been nicknamed Weed 101. Initially there were jokes made about law school professors teaching marijuana law.
“There still was a little bit of snicker quality to this, ‘Oh, you’re just doing this for fun.’ It’s not, it’s an area that needs some serious attention,” said Berman.
With the legalization of marijuana in states around the country, snickering has been replaced with serious study of the issue.
“I was a lot more closed about it my year. The atmosphere was a lot different than two years ago,” said one DU law student.
DU Professor Sam Kamin admits that his nickname around campus is the “Pot Professor.”
“Yeah, that’s me,” said Kamin.
Kamin is passionate about helping students understand the new and often confusing laws that come with legalizing marijuana.
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Soon weed will be legal in every state in the nation, and not just the handful of states smart enough to lead the charge (and who are currently swimming in additional tax revenue).
This is the reality of life in the future, so it’s spectacular to see that law schools are falling in line as well.