A group of students taking Syracuse University summer courses is preparing for a job that was illegal just a few years back. Coursework from SU’s College of Professional Studies, working with Green Flower, is aimed at opening up a diverse employment opportunity.
“The cannabis industry is both incredibly heavily regulated at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level, as well as the cannabis industry is extremely competitive,” said Green Flower CEO Max Simon. “In New York alone, they have over 2,000 licenses that have been issued now, and they have 4,000 in the queue.”
The courses lead to certificates in cannabis cultivation, product development, compliance, and medical marijuana. Certificates can help students when applying for jobs in the industry.
“We get stories from students every single day that they were going for jobs in these highly competitive markets where they're getting 200 to 400 resumes per application. And most of our students are standing out because they're getting a certificate from Syracuse, which shows people that they have a real differentiated skill set,” said Simon.
He acknowledges that not everyone is comfortable yet working in this industry, given that recreational marijuana use is only legal in about half of states, “and so we've been in a downward spiral of thinking that this is some quasi, you know, illegal, shady sector for a long time now, (but) as more and more states legalized, you saw a real significant shift in its public acceptance, in its level of adoption and its level of stigma.”
Currently, 24 states allow recreational use. Another dozen permit medical marijuana only. Industry analysts at Flowhub found New York saw a 209% increase in employment in the cannabis industry in 2025. They forecast growth in the state, along with New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Vermont. States that legalized recreational use earlier, such as, Illinois, Maine, and Maryland saw decreases in jobs after a leveling out of cannabis businesses.
Government and industry groups say 425,000 to 445,000 people work in the industry. Simon said new businesses and more states legalizing marijuana should fuel employment, “you can really see a significant shift in the way that the public and the way institutions are treating our industry and our sector. And I would say we're now, just now in 2026, entering a golden age where cannabis is no longer so stigmatized. It's really about being accepted, regulated, and properly run here in this century.”
Syracuse University offers a cannabis students certificate, as well as several 8- and 16-week online certificate programs focused on various aspects of the industry.
