A college in the B.C. Interior is responding to the anticipated legalization of marijuana by launching a new course dedicated to the retail side of pot sales.

The Cannabis Retail Specialist program will be a 26-week online course with a practicum component. It launches in May through the College of the Rockies in Creston, B.C.

"It's essentially training for employment in the emerging cannabis industry. So preparing retail workers and those working in client care," campus manager Kim Garety said to CBC Daybreak South host Chris Walker.

"I think the focus has largely been on the production end of it in the education area, so this program is a little bit unique."

She said students will learn about the botany of the plant, the physiology of the human body, strain characteristics, potential medicinal applications and current Health Canada regulations.

The program content is fully online, making it accessible from anywhere in the country, she said.

'Comprehensive overview of cannabis'

It isn't the only cannabis course in Canada — Kwantlen Polytechnic University, on B.C.'s Lower Mainland, offers an online course in cannabis production, marketing and financing, while Durham College in Ontario offers a two-day introduction to cannabis and New Brunswick Community College teaches cultivation.

However, Garety said the College of the Rockies' program is the first cannabis training program in Canada that includes a practicum component in which students gain experience working at a retail outlet.

"It's not intended to be a business-end course; it's intended to train people who are going to be dealing with customers in that environment," she said.

<a href="https://twitter.com/COTR_Updates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@COTR_Updates</a> offering Cannabis Retail Specialist training to ensure those who are employed in the industry are trained in the specific skills and knowledge they need to effectively serve and educate their customers. <a href="https://t.co/gfmEpm3sYb">https://t.co/gfmEpm3sYb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amanda_siebert?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amanda_siebert</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Cain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/charlottaway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charlottaway</a> <a href="https://t.co/z3MZzxEKw5">pic.twitter.com/z3MZzxEKw5</a> —@COTR_Updates

The college's program was developed with input from existing regional cannabis retailers, licensed producers, as well as medical professionals.

"This program contains a very comprehensive overview of cannabis and great information for patients and recreational consumers alike," said Tamara Duggan, owner of Tamarack Dispensaries in Kimberley, BC.

The Cannabis Retail Specialist program will be offered four times per year — tuition is $3,990.00.

With files from CBC's Daybreak South and Chris Walker.