The medical cannabis testing laboratory will position Hocking College as an academic leader in analytical safety and potency testing to ensure safe medicinal cannabis for Ohio patients. The laboratory will test for heavy metals, pesticides, mold, fungus, and other potentially harmful contaminants. The teaching lab will provide students the opportunity to learn on state-of-the-art cannabis testing instruments while fulfilling their degree requirements.

“Fulfilling the Ohio legislative mandate that an Ohio public college or university serve as a testing lab for the new medical cannabis program promotes public safety, and Hocking College is proud to serve in this capacity,” said Dr. Betty Young, President of Hocking College.

“In Ohio and across the country the cannabis market is expected to grow to $80 billion by 2022 creating many new jobs in this highly-regulated industry. Hocking College expects to see significant growth in workforce programs that will support the industry and provide jobs for Ohioans,” said Young.

To help Hocking College initiate this program, SSI awarded a grant as part of its Shimadzu Partnership for Academics, Research, and Quality of Life (SPARQ) program to enable the purchase a wide range of testing equipment.

“Because Shimadzu is such an innovator in cannabis testing instrumentation, having their support will place Hocking College at the forefront of public health, academic training and workforce development in this fast-growing industry, said Jonathan Cachat, Ph.D., Hocking’s Director of Laboratory Science. “With this high-tech, hands-on training, our students will graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in commercial cannabis laboratories.”

“The ongoing growth of the medicinal cannabis industry has created an opportunity for highly skilled scientists who understand how to operate analytical instruments that can determine if the products meet regulatory requirements,” said Bob Clifford, Ph.D., general manager of marketing, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. “With the new laboratory and degree program, Hocking College will train students in instrumental techniques widely used in the medicinal cannabis industry, as they provide analysis of medical cannabis from real-world cultivators.”

For more information about the Hocking College Cannabis Analytic Lab and the Cannabis Lab Technician Associates of Science Degree, visit www.hocking.edu/laboratory-sciences-cannabis.