University of Denver students walk across campus in November 2014. (Kathryn Scott, Denver Post file)

Weed 101: This Colorado university’s cannabis classes keep growing

The University of Denver is broadening its cannabis curriculum by delving into the business-specific facets of the marijuana industry.

DU’s Daniels College of Business will have its first “Business of Marijuana” course get underway on March 28, officials for the school announced Thursday. It’s the third class centered on legal weed for the private university, which also offers courses in marijuana law and cannabis journalism.

The course’s aim is to help students understand the different disciplines of business within the industry — from dispensaries and cultivation operations to ancillary firms such as security and marketing — as well as how the industry matches up to other regulated sectors, officials said.

“We will really be tapping into all of those sources to try to get a clear picture of what’s similar and what’s different in this industry compared to other industries,” Paul Seaborn, assistant professor of management at DU and instructor of the course, said in a statement. “Whether it’s alcohol or tobacco, even automotive or biotech. Lots of comparing and contrasting to see what makes it unique and what are the common issues these industries have experienced in these early stages.”

The class will be offered to undergraduate and graduate students as a management elective credit and general business elective credit, respectively.