Six years ago, VTSU Castleton Sociology and Anthropology Professor Phillip Lamy and colleagues established the Cannabis Studies Certificate Program (CSCP), which has recently gained recognition in the Seven Days newspaper.

The article goes into great detail about how far this program has come, what students are getting out of it, and how it has helped so many people.  

“We saw a great deal of misinformation circulating in the media, often coming from politicians, medical professionals, law enforcement, and the public. We decided as academics, researchers, and consumers, we needed to participate in the public debate,” said Lamy.

Lamy and faculty voiced their convictions via letters to the editor, opinion pieces, public forums, and a Cannabis, Culture, and Consciousness course co-taught by himself and Philosophy professor Brendan Lalor in 2016. Two years later, the program was conceived and launched a year after that.  

Lamy was ecstatic about hearing how his program that he helped create had been featured in the Seven Days. 

“I met the reporter Ken Picard at a NECANN (New England Cannabis Conventions) conference and exposition in Burlington last Year. He followed up with the interview and article,” Lamy said. 

Picard did a grand job portraying everything that goes on in the Cannabis program, including multiple students in the program, where they are now, the program itself, and internships. Lamy went on to explain more about the program and internship. 

“Any student (traditional or non-traditional, full time or part-time, even high school students) can take the classes. For those who enroll in the certificate program, there are main classes. After completing the three classes, students then enroll in an internship. All courses are three credits; thus the CSCP is 12 credits in full,” said Lamy.  

Lamy explained that the internship requires 144 hours and other assignments including a journal, final presentation, and self-evaluation. He shared that “they have placed students in more than 20 different internship companies and organizations, including cannabis farms, or cultivation facilities, and dispensaries.”

Lamy gave a shoutout to several students who excelled after completing their internship inckuding Jake Mead, Madison Martin, Chandler Volk, and Sarah Wallis, all of whom work at cannabis distributors in the Rutland region. 

Sarah Wallis, one of the students that graduated the program, was ecstatic that Seven Days was doing an article on them. 

“I was super excited! I was asked for an interview but unfortunately, I was in the ICU when I received it,” said Wallis. 

Unfortunately, Wallis has to put a stop in her business plan right now because of unforeseeable accidents, but she is still excited to continue them when she can. Wallis learned about CSCP when she was studying at Castleton for her Psychology degree. 

“I am super interested in alternative therapies and cannabis has been such a huge part of my own personal recovery. I have used cannabis in many ways-particularly for pain management as well as a way to connect and improve my mental health,” Wallis added. 

Wallis completed the program along with her bachelor’s in psychology in 2022, from there she has been working on her end goal, which is “to help those struggling with substance use disorder or other mental health issues by using psychedelic therapies,” she said. Wallis goes on to to talk about how “it offers a higher payoff in many ways! I am currently awaiting a position at the first dispensary up in Killington! This opportunity came to me through this course – from another person who also completed the program!”

Chris Van Den Meiracker is another student in the CSCP and interviewed for the Seven Days. 

“I had a range of reactions when I learned about the article in Seven Days. Mostly happy and proud, but I am also glad the program is getting this spotlight,” Meiracker said. 

He added, “I hope it inspires anyone who might be on the same path I was on a little over a year ago. I also hope it lends more legitimacy to the program. Some may scoff at the idea of a Vermont college running a Cannabis Studies Program, but everyone I’ve encountered in the program is as serious, hardworking, and driven as anyone I’ve met in any industry.”

Meiracker said he hopes this article attracts more people to the program, and ultimately, the cannabis industry. 

He first heard about the program in the summer of 2023, where he was working for Ceres Collaborative in Burlington, but knew it wasn’t his ideal job. Still wanting to advance his career in the field, he began searching for schools and came across Castleton/VERSUs Cannabis Studies Program.

“I started in August of 2023 with the classroom component, which finished back in May and since July I’ve been working on completing the internship position. I am on track to be finished with my two internships by the middle of October,” he said.

He believes “this program is more than just a resume builder. For anyone serious about making their way in the cannabis industry here in Vermont or elsewhere, I cannot recommend this program enough. Over the last year I have learned more about cannabis and the industry than I could have done on my own.”

The program is evidently glowing with positive reviews from students who have had successful careers in the industry.