An Emerging Specialty Crop: Cannabis Cultivation in Colorado

At varying levels, medical marijuana has now gained legalization in fourteen U.S. states. Other than California, few states have been as aggressive working with this new growth industry than Colorado. Colorado statistics indicate over 20,000 people are on the waiting list with similar statistics already holding Colorado Medical Marijuana Patient Registry cards (MMJ) under Colorado's Amendment 20 (TIME, March 8, 2010, p.6.) The constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2000 allows people with cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, muscle spasms, severe pain, severe nausea and other medical conditions to use marijuana. In October 2009 the Federal Justice Department stated it would refrain from prosecuting medical marijuana cases resulting in an explosion of dispensaries where patients can obtain pharmaceutical-grade marijuana. Yet, who is minding the store or in this case the grow room? This is a new horticulture industry that lacks professionals or even professionals to mentor the MMJ growers. How will appropriate standards of practice and other horticulture-related issues be determined? Who will do it? This study will present an update for this emerging specialty crop as well as a report on the success of a 30-hour MMJ Specialty Crop Short Course.