Mark your calendar and get your favorite method of ingestion ready to roll — Oaksterdam University Day is now an official holiday!
The City of Oakland declared November 10 “Oaksterdam University Day” in honor of OU’s 15th anniversary.
Rebecca Kaplan, councilmember at large and vice mayor, proposed the resolution at the Sept. 20 meeting of the Oakland City Council. It passed with unanimous support. The holiday was announced at Oakland’s Event of the Decade on Sept. 24, where Kaplan delivered a video message (see below).
“I’m incredibly proud of Oaksterdam University and their leadership in education and community organizing,” Kaplan said.
RESOLUTION CELEBRATING OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY AS THE WORLD’S FIRST CANNABIS COLLEGE, DECLARING NOVEMBER 10TH OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY DAY, AND APPLAUDING THE UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
NECESSARY TO LEAD IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY
WHEREAS, since 2007, Oaksterdam University (OU) has been committed to the mission of providing students across the globe with the knowledge and skills they need to lead and succeed in the cannabis industry; and
WHEREAS, with more than 80,000 alumni from over 100 countries, Oaksterdam is the most recognized name in cannabis education, providing trusted cross-disciplinary curriculum that covers the most recent developments in cultivation, business, and policy; and
WHEREAS, OU has been setting the bar for academic rigor and applied learning in cannabis education since its inception; and
WHEREAS, their faculty features award-winning cultivators, business owners, academics, and passionate advocates who shaped the early medical cannabis movement and continue to set the standard for the modern commercial cannabis industry; and
WHEREAS, recognized programs at Oaksterdam University include the Business of Cannabis, Horticulture, Extractions and Manufacturing, and Budtender Certifications; and
WHEREAS, not only do industry professionals rely on Oaksterdam to offer quality educational resources, but government officials, regulators, and law enforcement also look to OU staff and faculty to help guide policy and frame the market of tomorrow; and
WHEREAS, some of the groups who have been educated by Oaksterdam leaders include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Congressional Cannabis Caucus, California Tax and Fee Administration, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Agriculture, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, University of California system; the and the Social Equity Programs of the City and County of San Francisco, City of Los Angeles, City of Palm Springs and City of Oakland; and
WHEREAS, OU offers technical assistance in partnership with the City of Oakland’s Department of Race and Equity, designed to build a thriving cannabis business in Oakland with courses like Business, Supply Chain, Financial Literacy, and Advanced Security; and
WHEREAS, the documentary “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam,” is the closing night film of the Oakland International Film Festival, honoring the spirit of civil disobedience and a deep commitment to equity, social justice and civil rights, highlighting the movement that started in Oakland and would impact the whole world; and
WHEREAS, Oaksterdam University is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in partnership with Visit Oakland, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, CalNORML, and Cannabis Talk 101 iHeart Radio on behalf of the Oaksterdam Nonprofit for Education on September 24, 2022, at the historic Fox Theater; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council extends its heartfelt congratulations to Oaksterdam University for celebrating its 15th anniversary as the world’s first cannabis college; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council hereby declares November 10th Oaksterdam University Day.
