Introducing the Medical Cannabis Student Association
Written by: Rebekah Perry, MCST Class of 2022
The Medical Cannabis Student Association (MCSA) is one of the newest groups “on” campus and consists primarily of students from the School of Pharmacy’s Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program. The MCSA is a student-led organization on a mission to foster a spirit of advocacy, education, and networking for students studying medical cannabis. The MCSA is open to all University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) students, not just those in the MCST program, with an interest in medical cannabis.
The School of Pharmacy’s two-year MS in MCST program is the nation’s first graduate program dedicated to the study of medical cannabis. It launched in 2019, and there are now around 450 students enrolled in the program. The MCST program provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to support patients and professionals in the medical cannabis industry. Our students are entering an emerging field and aim to add to existing research, destigmatize medical cannabis, and develop well-informed medical cannabis policy. As the nation continues to move closer to federal legalization of cannabis, we are poised to become the leaders for education, professionalism, and respect to the cannabis industry.
There are myriad ways to become involved in medical cannabis. No matter your interests – pharmacology, law and policy, clinical research, patient care, or analytical chemistry – our diverse group of students brings together various educational backgrounds to provide a well-rounded medical cannabis community.
Earlier I said we are an “on” campus group because the MCST program is primarily taught online, so our students come from all over the country. The MCSA meets virtually for networking events and education events, and to hear from guest speakers. The MCSA has been essential for developing relationships during an all-online MCST program, allowing us to connect and learn from each other’s personal experiences in medical cannabis.
We invite all UMB students interested in medical cannabis to join the Medical Cannabis Student Association and to take part in the future of health care, advocacy, and entrepreneurship here in Maryland and across the globe. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to us at medicalcannabisusg@gmail.com.