For the second year in a row, Cultivators organized, with the support of GreenTech Americas in Mexico to help lead the conversation around hydroponic leafy greens in Latin America. Together with partners and speakers from across the value…
Published on 09/12/2022
Guest lectures and case studies integrated into coursework and exams can help. Additionally, excursions, workshops, and events like the hackathon can introduce students to the industry’s potential. The first Cultivation for Compounds hackathon (CFC) hosted at the World Horti Centre (WHC) was a success. The World Horti Centre welcomed Honours students from the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), offering them a unique insight into the horticultural sector. After listening to introductory presentations and touring the facility, the organisers divided the students into groups and assigned each group to one of seven companies for the hackathon. During the 24-hour challenge, students addressed real-world questions posed by companies active in the CfC consortium. Representing Cultivators, Kjell Sneeuw challenged the students to bring an outsider’s perspective to the medicinal cannabis industry.
Medicinal cannabis gets a lot of media attention. However, the general public often associates it with cannabis for recreational use. Therefore, we invited the students to consider ways to raise awareness about medicinal cannabis while simultaneously reducing stigma. First, the students pointed out that people often associate the term “cannabis” with hippie culture, teenage drug use, and poor academic performance. They recommended highlighting the benefits of medicinal cannabis to counter these negative stereotypes, for example, by promoting facts about medicinal use and the high-quality standards used during production and processing.
The students recommended a rebranding strategy for medicinal cannabis. This strategy would include a renaming of medicinal cannabis combined with the promotion of its beneficial effects. The proposed new name would be an abbreviation, for example, “MCC” (medicinally cultivated cannabis). A new name allows people to form new associations with the product. They suggest that Cultivators could work together with official government associations to promote the new term and increase its credibility. After the groundwork has been laid, cannabis can be more easily featured in academic course content. This will open the way to attract new talent to the industry from the law, business, and medical faculties.
Students from other groups identified universities as places of high potential for the cannabis industry. They stated that students are easily engaged with cannabis. However, they are hesitant to join the industry as horticulture is not seen as a traditional way of employment. Suppose the industry wants to attract students outside the agricultural sphere. We have to show that the medicinal cannabis industry is full of innovation and technology. Incorporating guest lectures and case studies into coursework and exams can help. Additionally, excursions, workshops, and events like the hackathon can introduce students to the industry’s potential.
The students and companies were very positive about the outcome of the hackathon. It provides a fun entry point into the medicinal cannabis industry for students while allowing companies to connect with future talent. We are already looking forward to the next hackathon. Until then, please join us on our LinkedIn page and follow our website for the latest updates!