JARS Cannabis and Terrapin offer scholarships to cannabis school for those affected by the war on drugs

Since Michiganders voted to legalize recreational cannabis in 2018, the industry has skyrocketed to new highs. That’s obvious. What isn’t always so obvious is how people who were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs — *cough* minorities and poor people *cough* — can participate in the “new” money-making industry.

To help level the playing field, several cannabis companies in Michigan are working on social equity programs, including JARS Cannabis and grow facility Terrapin. The two have paired up to fund over 20 scholarships to Higher Learning Institutions, Michigan’s first licensed vocational and technical school for cannabis in Pontiac.

The scholarship program, called the Cannabis Community Social Equity Scholarship, will be available to those “who reside in disproportionately impacted communities and have plans to operate a marijuana establishment there; those who have marijuana-related convictions; or people who have been registered as Primary Caregivers in Michigan.”

“The war on drugs disproportionately affected many groups and communities in Michigan,” Terrapin CEO Chris Woods said in a press release. “We feel a responsibility to help right those wrongs, and create pathways into the legal cannabis industry for those who were targeted the most.”

Scholarship recipients will undergo a year-long professional development program focusing on subjects like cultivation, extraction, budtending, and licensing. The program will also offer facility tours, guest lecture seminars, and one-on-one mentorship with industry professionals.

Since opening in February of 2020, Higher Learning Institutions has had about 100 graduates so far. While this particular scholarship is only available to those affected by the war on drugs, enrollment in the school is open to anyone interested in learning the technical side of building a cannabusiness.

In addition to the social equity program, JARS Cannabis will also offer a general admission scholarship for Higher Learning Institutions students that can be used for individual courses.

More information, including the scholarship application, can be found here.

Stay connected with Detroit Metro Times. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Google News, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.