Indiana's Purdue University is offering a new online Hemp Essentials course that will cover industrial hemp as both a crop and a product. Encompassing everything from hemp's history and uses to its present-day regulations, cultivation, harvesting, processing, and economic potential.
Learners will leave with knowledge of the history and legalities of hemp production, including how to grow and harvest the hemp plant, as well as the many applications that hemp has and the economics of its production.
The course will become available on January 18, 2021 and is open to anyone. It costs $500 for Indiana residents and $550 for out-of-state students. While it is self-paced and can be completed at any time, Purdue is providing enrollees three months of access to complete the course. Interested individuals can enroll now at this link.
The course includes five modules:
- Introduction to Hemp, covering its uses from ancient to modern times and current legal status nationally and globally.
- Botany and Genetics, covering the anatomy, botany and genetics of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), including plant compounds of interest.
- Production and Management, covering such topics as production methods for grain, fiber and high-cannabinoid hemp, as well as managing weeds, diseases and insects.
- Harvest, Processing, and Products, covering processing and applications for grain, hurd, cannabinoids and essential oils.
- Economics, covering the present and potential future economic state of the hemp industry and supply and demand.