Courses to learn how to grow cannabis in Canada

Leo Lucier, owner of a vape lounge in Windsor, Canada, intends to teach cannabis cultivation.

In this Detroit border town, this entrepreneur wants to diversify his business. From August 24, padawans will be able to take lessons from him in 1,000 a month. With 3 to 4 courses a month, the entrepreneur aims to teach his students how to perfect their skills as cannabis growers.

Students may smoke during class

Why teach in a vape lounge ? Quite simply, to enable its students to consume during class. The vape lounge is usually a place where customers can vaporize cannabis (sometimes smoke joints) and buy or rent accessories for cannabis consumption. It also sells cakes and drinks in case of dough or foncedalle. This dedicated consumption area does not sell weed and is often attached to a dispensary.

The future Leo Lucier school, christened Higher Learning, will open on the same day as a change in regulations concerning the self-cultivation of cannabis. For the moment, legal regulation represents the only snag to this initiative. In Canada, even though medical cannabis is legal, the Ministry of Health issues very few authorizations for personal cultivation. To obtain an authorization, you have to apply - often refused - and have symptoms requiring the use of medical cannabis.

In the event of an ill-timed police raid, Leo Lucier could be in big trouble if one of his students doesn't have that precious license. The master gardener says he wants to reduce future costs for his students. According to him, a gram of cannabis produced at home would cost 12 euro cents when dispensaries sell for between €8 and €12.

These courses, currently designed for patients, anticipate the future legalizing cannabis in Canada in spring 2017. Leo Lucier's courses have not yet registered any enrolments, but the manager remains optimistic. Its proximity to the USA will certainly attract students keen to learn good growing methods. The owner of the vape lounge sees dispensaries multiplying around him. Residents of Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania will also be close to future recreational dispensaries. These 4 states near Windsor represent 50 million people.