Anyone who has grown, harvested, trimmed and cured their own cannabis knows how great it feels. But what about the rest of us? For cannabis fans without a green thumb, growing weed can feel like an advanced science best left to the professionals, and so confusing as to be a non-starter.
Luckily, you no longer need access to a grow room, an in-person course, or any innate gardening skills to become a weed grower. With an online cannabis course, novices can become great cannabis growers, and seasoned cultivators can become master pot farmers.
Here are some of the best online schools for cannabis cultivation.
- At your own pace learning, with 12 months to complete course
- Micro-learning modules that cover the full range of cannabis cultivation
- Downloadable resources and mobile app
- Learn at your own pace over 12 months
- Access to 22 instructional videos
- Resume and career assistance, 24-hour support
- Self-paced, students have up to 180 days to finish
- Includes guidance on federal and state law
- Real-world projects/exercises and grow demos
- Only 3 hours to complete
- An easy to complete, all in one class
- Based on Marijuana Grow Basics by Jorge Cervantes
- Designed for people looking to become horticulture professionals
- Instruction from proven cannabis industry experts
- Private forum for students to connect
- Self-paced program with informative videos
- Access to job board
- Also includes access to all courses and certification programs
- Course curriculum also includes cannabis law
- Fully self paced and can be started at any time
- Certification from a fully accredited public university
Green CulturED – Master Grower Certification
Who it’s best for: Experienced growers and beginners looking to become master cultivators
Degrees/certificates offered: A digital certificate that can be easily displayed on LinkedIn
Tuition Cost: $597
Accreditation: Accredited by cannabis industry regulators in a variety of states including Alaska, Illinois, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. Also a member of National Cannabis Industry Association, and are authorized outreach trainers for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Highlights:
- At your own pace learning, with 12 months to complete course
- Micro-learning modules that cover the full range of cannabis cultivation
- Downloadable resources and mobile app
- Responsive customer support team
- Access to a members only community for cannabis industry networking
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Customer Reviews:
Flexible class hours, Affordable, Helpful career services, Positive environment, Good career preparation
Indeed user
Great online learning and in depth training. Training was detailed to every extent and touched over more than just basics of growing and breeding cannabis.
Indeed user
Green CulturED master grower certification is meant for those just starting out and the more experienced growers who want to “expand your grow operation and become a grow master.”
But despite the name, the course also goes deep into the basics of growing, as well as perhaps more advanced topics like growing cycles, cloning, genetics, and the ins and outs of lighting.
The classes are taught through a wide variety of engaging video lessons with expert teachers, and can be easily accessed by way of the mobile app.
In addition, students are able to access a members only community where they can network with other people in the cannabis industry, and on completion of the program, receive a fully digital certificate which can easily be added to any online resume.
Also, the school offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Cannabis Training University – Growing Medical Marijuana Certificate Program
Who it’s best for: Access to a wide variety of experts and ebooks
Degrees/certificates offered: Grower certificate
Tuition Cost: The “Master of Marijuana” certification includes all nine of the school’s certifications for $247.
Accreditation: A member of the National Cannabis Industry Association, CTU’s faculty and staff include a large number of accredited, well-known industry experts.
Highlights:
- Learn at your own pace over 12 months
- Access to 22 instructional videos and more than a dozen ebook guides
- Resume and career assistance, 24-hour support
- Includes access to all of the college’s courses
Customer Reviews:
Cannabis Training University is amazing. I learned all there is to know about the medical marijuana industry. I now grow my own cannabis and am able to make a living as a legal cannabis grower in California.
Henry James – San Jose, CA
I have been growing marijuana for the past 30 years. I learned a lot of new and useful growing information in the CTU program. I also loved the courses on extractions, dabs, and cooking.
Manny Fernandez, Humboldt County, CA
The Cannabis Training University has spent years developing one of the most trusted names in the world of online cannabis education, and with their growing curriculum, it’s easy to see how.
“How to Grow Medical Marijuana” is a 22-lesson cannabis video course that also includes access to more than a dozen books covering subjects ranging from the 30 must haves for any indoor mairjuana grower to how to clone cannabis and the top 10 common mistakes for new cannabis growers.
The course is suitable for new and more seasoned growers, and includes a close look at a wide array of subjects and issues that face growers from the seed to the curing room.
Students can also take advantage of access to some of the most renowned experts in cannabis cultivation, including the CTU’s lead horticulturist, the legendary cannabis cultivator Ed Rosenthal.
If you enroll, you’ll benefit from resume and career guidance, and customer support is available 24 hours a day.
Oaksterdam University – Horticulture Certification Program
Who it’s best for: People looking to learn how to grow indoor cannabis on a professional level
Degrees/certificates offered: Horticulture online certification
Tuition cost: $995
Accreditation: Oaksterdam doesn’t have any academic accreditation but the faculty and staff have a wealth of real world experience in growing cannabis at the highest level
Highlights:
- Self-paced, students have up to 180 days to finish
- Also includes guidance on federal and state law and constitutional rights
- Real-world projects/exercises and grow demos
- Access to job board as well as “resources for success”
- Dedicated student support staff
Customer Reviews:
The knowledge gained at Oaksterdam is invaluable. You are learning from the best in the business. The courses I attended helped to clarify the steps I needed to take to start a business in the cannabis industry.
Ray Murphy
The quality of instruction is what impressed me most about these courses. That, and the quality of networking and social interaction with the other students.
Kim R
For people who want to learn how to grow cannabis indoors with a professional level of quality and output, look no further.
Oaksterdam University’s horticulture certification program “provides the most comprehensive indoor horticultural education available for entering the Cannabis Industry and expanding your personal growth,” according to the company, and comes packed with resources, presentations, grow labs, and mastery exercises.
All of the curriculum was developed by the university’s very impressive faculty of cannabis experts, and starts off by teaching students all of the basics of federal and state law and how to navigate encounters with law enforcement.
The course then runs through seeds and clones and how to get set up before diving into feeding and watering. From there, students are given a deep look at the hardware used in growing cannabis indoors, followed by the growth cycles of the plant and how to optimize growth all the way through the drying and curing. The course also leaves a lot of space for covering what exactly you should do when things go wrong (because they probably will at one point or another.)
Oaksterdam University is one of the most well-known names in cannabis education, and since 2007, more than 40,000 students have attended its programs. In addition to the curriculum, those students have been able to benefit from a job-world, real life exercises, and an education that can potentially help them find their way in the cannabis industry.
THC University – Grow Basics Certification
Who it’s best for: Indoor growers who want to become great growers
Degrees/certificates offered: Grow Basics Certification
Tuition Cost: $187 to unlock unlimited access to all courses
Accreditation: Unknown
Highlights:
- Only 3 hours to complete
- Easy, all in one class
- Based on Marijuana Grow Basics by Jorge Cervantes
Customer reviews:
I have to admit, I was nervous just starting out, but all of my guy friends who grew up were very impressed with my first crop. Who knew this girl had a green thumb! They said it took them years to do what I am doing, and I have everyone at THC University to thank.
Aaron G.
A great introductory course for those with little to no knowledge of cannabis. I appreciate the explanations of each major strain.
Brandon
Not every grower is looking to make it a job, a side gig, or anything other than a hobby.
The Grow Basics Certification from THC University is a solid option for anyone looking to learn the ins and outs of cannabis cultivation, so that their indoor grow at home will turn out some buds they can be proud of.
The course doesn’t seek to load down the students with any sort of technical knowledge they don’t need or deep dives on cannabis law and the like.
This is a stripped down course that can truly give beginners the confidence and knowledge they need.
Green Flower – Cannabis Cultivation Certificate
Who it’s best for: People who want to grow quality cannabis at scale
Degrees/certificates offered: Cannabis cultivation certificate
Tuition Cost: $297
Accreditation: Green Flower does not have any accreditations, but does partners with at least a dozen universities, including Northwest Missouri State University, University of San Diego, Florida Atlantic University, and Northern Michigan University, among others
Highlights:
- Designed for people looking to become horticulture professionals
- Instruction from proven cannabis industry experts
- Includes a private forum for students to connect and support one another
Customer reviews:
This program gives you a fantastic base of information for not only the home grower of cannabis, but also for someone looking to understand commercial cultivation, and the differences between the two.
Alexander Malik
Green Flower’s Cultivation Certificate Program is exactly what you need to get into the commercial cannabis industry. The knowledge, skills, and credibility you get by going through this program is exactly what cannabis companies look for when deciding who gets the job and who doesn’t.
Michael Ray, CEO, Bloom Farms
The cannabis cultivation certificate is the premier weed growing study course offered by Green flower, which has become a top name in online cannabis education and training since their founding in 2015.
According to Green Flower, the course is meant for people who want “the training necessary to grow quality cannabis at scale.”
The curriculum was designed by a wide range of cannabis experts, and it includes 13 subjects spreading over more than 20 hours. The subjects frange from cannabis genetics 101 to cloning, watering, harvesting and drying, and much more.
Green Flower says that the course is designed for cannabis industry job seekers, home growers, cultivation pros and entrepreneurs. During the course, students will receive knowledge checks at the end of every subject, and will have access to a private students forum where they can help each other out.
The course also takes steps to make sure that students are retaining their knowledge. Students must receive 80% to get a passing grade, and can only take the final exam twice without having to pay for a retake.
THC University – Horticulture Specialist Certification
Who it’s best for: Growers who want to become expert growers
Degrees/certificates offered: Horticulture Specialist Certification
Tuition Cost: $187 to unlock unlimited access to all courses
Accreditation: Unknown
Highlights:
- Self-paced program with informative videos
- Access to job board
- Also includes access to all courses and certification programs
- Includes instruction on concentrates
Customer reviews:
I love the pictures and visuals in the book! It really puts into perspective how much work is involved in growing!
Aaron G.
The course was great!! Growing is a great hobby, I can’t wait to start the next course.
Fletcher J
For those looking to level up from the basics, the THC University horticulture specialist certification program can give them the training they need.
Taught by world-renowned cannabis expert Jorge Cervantes (aka, George Van Patten) the program is for advanced education in cultivation, and includes 16 different subjects running from seeds and seedlings to vegetative growth, hydroponic gardening, and hash and oil making.
Like the rest of the university’s courses, the horticulture class uses videos, games, a drag and drop interface and micro focused lessons to keep students engaged and learning. Also, for one price students receive access to all of the college’s 9 study plans.
Upon graduation, students can make use of the university’s sprawling cannabis jobs board.
Stockton University – Online Cannabis Studies Certification
Who it’s best for: People who want to make it in the cannabis industry but don’t have the cultivation know-how they need
Degrees/certificates offered: Cannabis studies certification, plus an individual certificate of completion for each of the topics.
Tuition Cost: $1,995. Students can also take individual classes, but they can cost around $399 to $499 each
Accreditation: Course is run by New Jersey’s Stockton University, an accredited four year public university.
Highlights:
- Course curriculum also includes cannabis law and a wide range of other topics far beyond cultivation
- Fully self paced and can be started at any time
- Receive certification from a fully accredited public university
Students at Stockton University in New Jersey can study for a minor in cannabis studies and earn college credits. For adults who are not enrolled at the school, the online cannabis studies certification program is a great way to get an in-depth cannabis education at your own pace and fully online.
The cannabis studies program covers a wide range of subjects beyond cultivations, including the cannabis industry. Cannabis law, medical and adult use cannabis, introduction to business and topics in cannabis.
In the cultivation curriculum, students cover seven different topics – seeds and seedlings, vegetative growth, clones and cloning, cannabis flowering, before harvest, harvest and drying, and grow rooms.
The course is designed for all types of students Stockton university says, but more specifically “Anyone who is in or aspires to become a part of the cannabis industry, or anyone interested in enhancing their knowledge of the industry.”
Why take an online cannabis cultivation course
- To finally learn to grow weed
An inline cannabis course can provide the knowledge students need for when they want to finally grow their own weed – even if just once or twice.
- To boost your weed growing skills
Cannabis cultivation programs also target students who already know how to grow weed and have had a successful harvest or two. For these students, the courses can really go deep into the details of how those successful harvests worked, and what they can do even better the next time around.
- To help your job prospects
If you’re looking to work in cultivation – or you’re a cannabis professional who would like to present a more well-rounded body of work experience, a cannabis cultivation course cna help get you there.
- To gain a deeper understanding of weed
The experience of growing your own weed is fulfilling in its own right, but it also helps foster a deep appreciation and understanding of the plant in a way that someone who has never grown cannabis would not fully understand.
How online cannabis courses work
Online cannabis courses are a great example of remote learning at work.
These courses and colleges are typically staffed by a combination of educators and cannabis industry experts (including cultivators) who also take part in the creation of the curriculum. The lectures are typically given by video.
Students who take part in online courses are typically able to complete the coursework at their own pace – remotely, from any location in the world, without ever stepping foot in a classroom.
Most but not all cannabis courses also involve quizzes and graduation requirements that must be met in order to complete the program.
Online Cannabis classes typically provide a certificate upon completion, which makes them perfectly suited for would-be cannabis professionals who want to improve their cannabis knowledge and stick out from the crowd a bit more.
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