Higher education has a new meaning with a private San Francisco university dedicated to the study of cannabis.
Students learn how to grow, harvest, cook and dispense marijuana to others at Oaksterdam University.
Even though possession of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the goal of the university is to create students who can own dispensaries in California.
The school is modeled after one in Amsterdam and has recently begun offering classes in Los Angeles.
Some of the classes included at the university are the politics of marijuana, horticulture ad bud tending.
A variety of students have been attending the school, as well from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and age groups.
Students are also being prepared in what to do if they are caught possessing marijuana by a police officer.
The course is intense and happens over a weekend. The students receive a certificate making it possible for them to work at a marijuana dispensary.
Graduation stands at 200 for now and more than 500 people have enrolled in the university.
One student was diagnosed with depression and took Prozac for many years. This drug Prozac left her feeling nauseous and manic.
Now, she has turned to marijuana and is off anti-depressants. She says her life has improved and she is sleeping better.
The staff at Oaksterdam says that marijuana eases the pain in people and is helpful in everything from multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV/AIDS.
The university also says that legalizing the drug would boost tax revenue for the state and add legitimacy to a drug that is already widely used.
