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New 'University' Goes to Pot

Posted Mar 10, 08 3:21 PM CDT in US,  Science & Health,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – It's sort of a slacker's med school: An Oakland activist started Oaksterdam University to train students to work in the medical marijuana industry, reports NPR. Oaksterdam offers a single $75 course, which teaches students about pot's political and legal history as well as the botany of the much-loved herb. "You don't want seeds in your cannabis," says the founder. "It's like seedless grapes."

Richard Lee's plan is for the school to revitalize downtown Oakland. "When I went to Amsterdam, one of the big things that struck me was how the cannabis industry there—all of the cannabis coffee shops are intertwined with the rest of downtown," he says. Buying and selling marijuana is still a federal crime, but Oakland officials seem uninterested in pursuing Oaksterdam U.

Source NPR

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Richard Lee, president of Oaksterdam University, sits in front of the school's gift shop across the street from the university building in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008. Lee, a veteran activist...   (Associated Press)
A binder showcasing high-grade marijuana buds and other cannabis are displayed at the Coffeeshop Blue Sky dispensary, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. Oaksterdam University, in Oakland, teaches...   (Associated Press)
Richard Lee, president of Oaksterdam University, mixes nutrients for growing marijuana, under the glow of yellow hydroponic lights, in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008. Lee, a veteran activist...   (Associated Press)
Marijuana-infused baked goods are displayed at the Coffeshop Blue Sky dispensary, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. Oaksterdam University, in Oakland, teaches students how to grow and cook with...   (Associated Press)
In an area of Oakland dubbed "Oaksterdam," a man has started up a offers a $75 course, which teaches students about pot's political and legal history, as well as the botany behind the much-loved herb.   (Shutter Stock)
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