Oaksterdam: America's first cannabis university

L’Oaksterdam University offers a slightly different kind of education from that offered by conventional universities. Rather than history or English, students at Oaksterdam can attend cooking classes with cannabis, History of marijuana, Dispensary Management or Careers in Cannabis.

Not least because Oaksterdam was America's first cannabis college.

A course in Oaksterdam

The university was founded by Richard Lee, a leading figure in the legalization of medical cannabis in California, in 2007 in Oakland, after a trip to Amsterdam, where he visited the Cannabis College which inspired him to create a similar concept in the United States.

«Rather than imitate the College in Amsterdam, where the curriculum is primarily horticulture-related, Lee decided to broaden the idea and create a program that focuses on the entire cannabis business,» explains the University's website. «Wanting to further legitimize the cannabis industry, Lee's school quickly gained the attention of local, national and even international media.».

With media attention, the school quickly grew to include campuses in Oakland, Los Angeles, Sebastopol and Michigan. But not all reviews were positive.

On April 2, 2012, the Oakland campus was visited by the IRS, DEA and US Marshals (the IRS, DEA and US Federal Police). The DEA justified its raid by saying that the school was «sending the wrong message in the national fight against drugs and promoting criminal activity».

The school's funds were seized, and many feared it would never reopen. But Oaksterdam bounced back.

While the main campus is still in Oakland, the school has extended its curriculum to teach students how to entering the cannabis industry from every possible angle: culture, production, delivery, sales, law, science and much more. Online courses are also offered, as well as seminars throughout the country.

A «culture» room in Oaksterdam

Two school programs are offered: one focusing on horticulture, the other on all subjects. Each program lasts 14 weeks and costs between 1195$ and 1495$. Foreign applicants are welcome.

Oaksterdam was recently named one of the «23 cannabis startups to watch» by the San Francisco Business Times.