The Cleveland School of Cannabis (CSC) is the first accredited cannabis school in the nation, CSC has announced.

The school received a 10-year accreditation from the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), CSC said in a press release.

CSC offers in-person and online programs in horticulture, processing and dispensary operations, along with a live online home-grow program called “My First Plant” that filled up in just one month after Ohio’s Issue 2 passed in November 2023, according to CSC. The institution itself has been serving the cannabis industry since 2017, taking in students from 28 states across the country and graduating more than 1,000 individuals.

“It hasn’t been easy running a cannabis business in Ohio,” CSC founder Austin Briggs said.

“For things as little as occupancy permits, we had to fight tooth and nail,” he said. “For a largely conservative state, Ohio citizens have shown wide support for cannabis, both medical and recreational.But there still seems to be a tremendous amount of resistance from the government in supporting cannabis programs in Ohio. With the passing of Issue 2 and our accreditation, I’m hoping this will be a turning point for Ohio policy.”

When it comes to social equity and access to the cannabis industry, Ohio has been rated among the lowest in the country, according to CSC.

“The original social equity license requirements for the medical program were struck down in the courts and continued to increase the gap between the haves and have-nots. At CSC, however, the diversity in educational interest has ranged from baby boomers to Gen Zers, from Democrats to Republicans, from different races and genders, and to cannabis enthusiasts and patients seeking understanding of the plant and the industry,” CSC said.

CSC has been forced to turn away a large number of its applicants due to lack of resources, the school said.

“Workforce development and education is the key to socioeconomic mobility,” CSC President Tyrone Russell said. “Companies have to hire people from their communities, and that only happens if those community members have access to education. In Ohio, you can go to your OhioMeansJobs office, and get a grant to be a barber, welder, truck driver, contractor or nail technician -- but not to work in cannabis.”

The school is urging the Legislature to maintain Issue 2’s provision that 36 percent of the state’s adult-use tax revenue go toward a jobs and equity fund, and hopes the majority of those funds are allocated to workforce development, education and jobs in the cannabis industry.States like Illinois and New York have allocated millions from their cannabis programs to cannabis education and workforce development, according to CSC.

“With the infrastructure in place from the current medical program, and access to quality cannabis education, Ohio has a chance to roll out the most responsible and successful adult-use program in the entire country,” Russell said.

Over the next few years CSC has plans to expand its programs through partnerships with colleges and universities, encouraging schools to jump on board and serve their communities properly by offering cannabis programs.