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Cannabis Salaries: Cultivation

Cannabis Salaries: Cultivation

Apr 6, 2022 | ,

Jobs in Cultivation are great for those looking for hands-on interaction with the plant. Cultivators work in grow facilities keeping plants healthy from seed to harvest. Positions range from entry-level trimmers to highly-skilled agronomists and plant breeders. Whether you have extensive horticulture experience you’d like to transfer to America’s fastest-growing industry, or simply want to get your foot in the door and start learning, there is a position for you in cannabis cultivation. The 2022 Cannabis Salary Guide, just released by CannabizTeam Worldwide, offers insights into jobs in this sector.

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From Raid to Redemption: 10 Years Later

From Raid to Redemption: 10 Years Later

Mar 31, 2022 | ,

On April 2, 2022, Oaksterdam University celebrates a very important milestone in the history of the fight for cannabis legalization and education — marking its 10-year anniversary of surviving an Obama Administration federal raid that threatened to shut down the school and quash the movement at its core. On April 2, 2012, the IRS, assisted by U.S. Marshals and agents from the ATF, and DEA, descended on OU’s thriving campus in downtown Oakland, Calif. They raided OU’s school, dispensary, museum, and OU Founder Richard Lee’s apartment. Though they left nothing but empty desks and chairs behind, the raid didn’t destroy the mission of Oaksterdam …

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OU + National Cannabis Festival

OU + National Cannabis Festival

Mar 25, 2022 | ,

Oaksterdam University is proud to announce that we are the official Educational Partner of the National Cannabis Festival, set for Saturday, April 23-24, at RFK Festival Grounds in Washington, D.C. The event features concerts, vendors, food, fun, and the new National Cannabis Championship, celebrating the region’s best in homegrown THC and hemp.

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Virtual Field Trip: Kin Slips

Virtual Field Trip: Kin Slips

Mar 23, 2022 | ,

Students who take Oaksterdam’s live courses get various networking and event opportunities, including Virtual Field Trips. The trips take students through a variety of facilities in the cannabis industry, led by experts in the field. 

This month, we’ve partnered with Kin Slips, a California company that makes sublingual strips. During the field trip on March 25, 2022, Chief Product Officer Joshua Kirby will lead OU students through the Kin Slips manufacturing facility and demonstrate how the product is made from beginning to end. 

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How to Host a Virtual Field Trip

How to Host a Virtual Field Trip

Mar 23, 2022 |

Students who take Oaksterdam’s courses get various networking and event opportunities, including Virtual Field Trips. The “trips” take students through a variety of facilities in the cannabis industry, led by experts in the field. For students, it’s a chance to see how a real-world canna-business operates, ask questions, and make connections in the industry. For businesses, it’s an opportunity to give back, educate the next generation of cannabis professionals, and build bridges with potential hires.

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Support Cannabis Farmers Markets

Support Cannabis Farmers Markets

Mar 22, 2022 | ,

5.2 min. read Oaksterdam recently joined a coalition of support for AB-2691, which would enable small cannabis producers to vend their products at a limited number of cannabis events annually. As allies of legacy farmers, BIPOC and social equity operators, and craft producers, we are collectively working to ensure that the pioneers who fought to establish the legendary medical cannabis movement of California have an equal opportunity to participate within a viable regulated industry, and to ensure that patients and consumers have safe, affordable access to fresh, high quality craft cannabis products and medicines.

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Plant Talk: Tissue Culture

Plant Talk: Tissue Culture

Mar 21, 2022 | ,

3.6 min. read: With the cloud of cannabis prohibition lifting, cannabis growers are exploring a whole new arena of techniques to preserve cultivars and maximize yields. One of these is tissue culture. Also known as micropropagation, tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells in an artificial medium separate from the parent organism. This is typically facilitated via the use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth media such as broth or agar. The technique has long been used in farming and horticulture but is just now being applied to cannabis.

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Oaksterdam on Cannabis Talk 101

Oaksterdam on Cannabis Talk 101

Mar 16, 2022 | ,

Dale Sky Jones, Executive Chancellor of Oaksterdam University, appears on the Cannabis 101 podcast. She talks about OU’s team of talented professionals who are dedicated to upholding the college’s vision, ethics, and standards, and how they are passionate about education as a pathway to establish a safe and equitable cannabis industry.

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Cannabis Salaries: Budtending, Retail & Sales

Cannabis Salaries: Budtending, Retail & Sales

Mar 15, 2022 | , ,

If you enjoy cannabis, helping others, staying on top of trends and research, and working in a fast-paced environment, a budtending job may be for you. The 2022 Cannabis Salary Guide, just released by CannabizTeam Worldwide, offers insights related to budtending and the jobs it can lead to in the cannabis retail and sales sectors.

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Pros and Cons of Seeds vs. Clones

Pros and Cons of Seeds vs. Clones

Mar 15, 2022 | ,

2.6 min. read: Some growers have strong opinions about whether it is better to grow from seed or from clones. In reality, there are tradeoffs for both, and the best answer will likely depend on a number of factors. Let’s review and compare the benefits and drawbacks of seeds versus clones.

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Shout-Out to Women in the Industry

Shout-Out to Women in the Industry

Mar 12, 2022 | ,

1.5 min. read: Angela White gives a shout-out to OU Executive Chancellor Dale Sky Jones in a recent article in Forbes titled “Creating Space in the Cannabis and Psychedelic Diaspora to Honor Women.” Angela is Equity for Industry Program Manager at Success Centers where she focuses on developing sustainable career paths to communities impacted by the War on Drugs. In the story, Angela gives props to many amazing women in the industry, including Dale. Here’s what she says …

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Don’t Re-Felonize Small Gardens

Don’t Re-Felonize Small Gardens

Mar 10, 2022 | ,

Oaksterdam University recently joined a campaign to oppose Assembly Bill 1725, which seeks to re-felonize the cultivation of only seven cannabis plants in California. Executive Chancellor Dale Sky Jones penned a letter to Assemblymembers expressing why small cannabis gardens are not a problem, and why we don’t need more small-time cannabis felony prosecutions in the state. Here is a copy of the letter …

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Marine Helps Vets Access Cannabis

Marine Helps Vets Access Cannabis

Mar 9, 2022 | ,

Oaksterdam University is proud to introduce the first recipient of our OU & Ed Rosenthal Scholarship for Veterans. We found United States Marine Corps Veteran Paul Lombardo through the Weed for Warriors Project and he’s enrolled in our Horticulture Fast-Track Program this spring. Here, meet Paul and learn why he joined the military and cannabis movement.

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Enter OU’s Budtender Advocacy Award

Enter OU’s Budtender Advocacy Award

Mar 1, 2022 | , ,

Oaksterdam University is proud to sponsor the Community Advocacy Award at the 2022 Budtender Awards, presented at G4 Live, May 11-14 in Las Vegas. Winners will recieve scholarships to Oaksterdam’s Budtending Certification Program. Nominations for this prestigious award are open now.

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America’s Fastest-Growing Industry

America’s Fastest-Growing Industry

Mar 1, 2022 | , , ,

Cannabis is the fastest-growing industry in the U.S., according to the newly-released Leafly 2022 Jobs Report. The emerging sector now supports 428,059 jobs, up 33 percent from last year. It’s the fifth year in a row of job growth at 27 percent or more — the highest rate of any industry in the nation. Here are more highlights from the report …

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OU Author on Cannabis for Patients

OU Author on Cannabis for Patients

Feb 28, 2022 | ,

Author, Oaksterdam Professor, and Deputy Director of NORML Paul Armentano recently released the latest edition of his book, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids. Learn more in our latest blog and Oaksterdam Interview video.

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Dale Sky Jones in Rolling Stone

Dale Sky Jones in Rolling Stone

Feb 24, 2022 | ,

Oaksterdam University Executive Chancellor Dale Sky Jones believes higher taxes on cannabis could bolster illegal sales. Find out why in her op-ed for Rolling Stone, as well as a video posted here.

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Start Low, Go Slow: Cannabis Dosing

Start Low, Go Slow: Cannabis Dosing

Feb 23, 2022 | , ,

2 min. read: As a budtender, your customers and patients are going to have a wide range of questions about the different methods of ingesting cannabis and dosing guidelines. In many cases, they may turn to you for counsel rather than to their own personal doctor or nurse practitioner. Your customers’ visit to the dispensary may be their first face-to-face communication with any professional, or perhaps anyone at all, regarding their desire to consume cannabis. Here are some things to keep in mind as you field questions from your customers and patients …

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The Role of a Cannabis Budtender

The Role of a Cannabis Budtender

Feb 10, 2022 | , , ,

Budtenders work in dispensaries or provisioning centers and handle many of the same things anyone who works in retail is familiar with. However, they also deal with responsibilities unique to cannabis, such as product handling protocols, seed-to-sale tracking, and advanced security measures. Most importantly, budtenders must serve not only customers but patients with sensitive health conditions.

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6 Skills to Be a Great Budtender

6 Skills to Be a Great Budtender

Feb 7, 2022 | ,

The role of a cannabis “budtender” is like a hybrid of a pharmacist and a bartender. A budtender must not only be well-versed in the potential effects of the products they sell and current scientific literature but also be able to provide a pleasant and entertaining experience for their customers. Here are six skills that go into being a great budtender.

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