The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia has launched a specialized MBA program focused on the cannabis industry, a first-of-its-kind degree that provides online training in the growing marijuana and hemp sectors.

The new program, housed within the Substance Use Disorders Institute, will be available to students as an extension of the specialized MBA in pharmaceutical and health care business. Four elective courses will examine the regulatory, finance, marketing and sales aspects of the cannabis industry.

“There are many unique aspects to the medical cannabis and hemp industries, and those in this new industry have been testing the waters for the last few years," said Andrew Peterson, executive director of the Substance Use Disorders Institute. "This new program will help to formalize those teachings for those currently in the cannabis industry, entering the field, or interested in other fields associated with the industry."

Ten states and the District of Columbia have fully legalized recreational marijuana, while medical marijuana is legally available in 33 states. Hemp, which had faded from U.S. agriculture under decades of strict regulation, is making an industrial-scale comeback after federal law was relaxed in recent years.

Last year, Thomas Jefferson University launched the nation's first medical marijuana certificate programs, providing training in cannabis medicine, cannabinoid pharmacology and cannabinoid chemistry and toxicology.

The USciences program will offer students a chance to better understand the business landscape of the emerging industry.

“As the industry grows, and the potential for medical cannabis to converge with the pharmaceutical industry, a specialization in pharmaceutical and health care business will be an asset to those in the cannabis industry,” Peterson said. “A combination of health care, pharmaceutical, and cannabis business knowledge and expertise will be incredibly valuable as graduates move forward in their career."