DENVER – The people of Colorado are now living a different kind of American Dream - legally cultivating and consuming their own marijuana, something made possible almost “magically” after last November’s elections, when the Rocky Mountain state approved a referendum to legalize possession and personal consumption of cannabis.
Passed with 54% support, the new legislation allows recreational use and cultivation of up to six plants inside your home.
Since the law bars purchase of the substance, and establishes that plants cannot be seen outside, the state's smokers must learn to grow plants in the interior of a house -- not always an easy task. This was the motivation for Matt Jones, 24, who decided to open a new professional “school” in Colorado to teach the difficult art of cultivating marijuana: THC University.
Photo: THC University
“I am a natural entrepreneur. Many of my ideas are rejected for one reason or another, but when I thought of THC University I knew I had the opportunity of being an important player in this new industry,” Jones told Clarin. “The objective now is to teach people how to legally cultivate six marijuana plants inside their home. Soon we will produce a certified program for those who wish to enter the professional industry."
The institute plans to begin its first course in the coming weeks. “Locally, we have had a great response, but we are surprised with the response of out-of-staters, even from other countries. Soon we will offer online courses as well,” says Jones.
The course content is purely practical, but not necessarily simple. “It is not only about taking seeds and planting them. First, you must choose a variety, since there are so many on the market. The classes cover all there is to know about interior cultivation of the plant. We teach everything from planting a seed to its harvest”, he explains. Most of the teaching staff will come from the industry of medicinal marijuana, already a burgeoning business.
Jones knows that the general topic creates resistance in some conservative circles, but he is not worried. “Of course there are opponents to the new law, but the majority supports legalization. There will be reactions, I’m sure. But this always happens when a prohibition is ended,” he says. "It was no different with alcohol."
