MS Degree in Medical Cannabis Now Available with Dr. Leah Sera, the program director of the nation’s first Masters in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. Dr. Leah Sera says that the graduate program is a response to the rapidly growing medical cannabis industry and the need for an educated workforce to fill the many professional roles in this field. Launched in 2019, the goal of the University of Maryland’s MS in Medical Cannabis Science is to increase understanding of the science behind medical marijuana in the areas of research as well as policy development and to fill the growing need for more cannabis education. In addition to medical cannabis science, other clinical specialties in the program include pain management and palliative care. Dr. Sera said that in her own ten-year career of providing palliative care, she noted that her patients were becoming interested in utilizing medical cannabis for symptoms, mostly for pain and nausea. In terms of who qualifies to apply for the Master's Program, Dr. Sera explained that the only requirement is a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution. Courses in the necessary science and clinical information are offered as part of the program, which now has over 400 students. Most of the coursework is online, which is convenient in view of the current pandemic, though the university requires that students attend a day-long symposium once per semester.
