LIST OF SELECTED MCST COURSES

 In this introductory course, participants will learn about the cultural history of medical cannabis use, explore how federal law and policy relating to medical and non-medical use of cannabis has evolved in the United States, and discuss ethical issues related to medical cannabis. Additionally, students will learn how to identify credible sources of information related to medical cannabis, and educate patients and other professionals. 

 This course introduces students to the factors influencing drug action in the body. Students will learn about receptor theory, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dose-response relationships, and drug tolerance and dependence. This course will develop participants’ skills to evaluate cannabis (and its components) from a mechanistic and pharmacologic perspective with the ultimate goal of providing the most appropriate cannabis regimen for individual patients. 

 This course introduces students to the chemical characteristics of cannabis components. The course will describe the classification system for cannabinoids, cannabinoid compound ratios in plant materials, cannabis-derived products and their constituents, oils, terpenoids, flavenoids, hydrocarbons and nitrogen containing compounds. This course also introduces students to the science of designing dosage forms. Topics include the formulation, development, evaluation, selection and administration of safe, effective, reliable, drug delivery systems, with a focus on development of medical cannabis products. The wide variety of cannabis delivery systems and routes of delivery and the impact of those delivery systems have on the bioavailability of cannabis will be evaluated in this course. 

 This introductory course provides an overview of patient care skills including communication and cultural competence. The course also introduces students to evidence-based medicine and how to apply EBM to therapeutic questions. Students will learn about medical cannabis dosing strategies, administration, and educating patients about medical cannabis side effects, precautions, and drug interactions. Special populations are also discussed. 

 In this course, students will dissect the latest evidence about cannabis to explore cannabis’s place in therapy for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Students will learn about the physiology, pathophysiology, and evidence-based treatment strategies for psychosis, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, mood disorders, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder. Students will be equipped with the tools necessary to find, interpret, and apply the cannabis-based literature. The evidence-based medicine objectives will be interspersed through each module and continue to build upon each other in various assignments as the course progresses. Students will learn how to clearly articulate the reasoning behind clinical decision making as they complete case studies where they discuss side effects, drug interactions, precautions, dosing strategies, and formulations. NOTE: This course is not a continuation of MCST 605 (Advanced Cannabis Therapeutics for Somatic Conditions) and may be taken independently of MCST 605. (Pre-requisite: MCST 604 – Clinical Effects of Cannabis). 

 This course relates chemical characteristics of cannabis components to their pharmacological activity. The course covers a variety of cannabis targets, methods for improving drug activity, and the principles of rational drug design and characteristics such as solubility, stability and metabolism. Additionally, this course will explore methodologies for concentration, extraction, and purification of plant constituents, along with scope and limitations of analytical techniques for the identification and quantification of plant and synthetic cannabinoids, contaminants, and adulterants in cannabis products. (Pre-requisite: MCST 603 - Basic Cannabinoid Chemistry and Delivery). 

 This course introduces students to the constantly evolving field of cannabis regulation that spans federal, state, and local government.  To better understand this complex system, students will first learn about key aspects of constitutional law that shape cannabis regulation. Once this foundation is established, the course will explore the federal regulation of cannabis and the Controlled Substances Act; state legalization trends and the policy issues states must address; the regulation of cannabis businesses, health care providers, patients, and cannabis products; social equity initiatives; and the regulation of industrial hemp production and its derivative products.  In addition to these substantive areas, student will learn how to track and analyze state legislation to remain current on developments in this legal field. (Pre-requisite: MCST 601 - Introduction to Medical Cannabis History, Culture, and Policy). 

 In this introductory course, participants will develop the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for designing research related to medical cannabis. Participants will learn how to perform a literature review to identify gaps in knowledge, formulate a research question and hypothesis, select an appropriate corresponding research design, and describe best practices for data collection, management, and analysis. Those enrolled in the course will also learn key ethical principles and laws and regulations pertaining to research, including the role of institutional review boards. By the end of the course, participants will have developed a research protocol that is suitable for submission to an institutional review board. (Pre-requisite: MCST 604 Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis). 

 Students will participate in one symposium that will include seminars and activities exploring current scientific, clinical, and legal issues related to medical cannabis.  After the symposium, students will reflect on what was learned from the different presentations/experiences, how the knowledge gained relates to what has been learned so far in the MCST program, and how the knowledge can be applied in practice. Additionally, students will work with a group of peers and an organization/client to identify a knowledge gap and design an educational intervention.  

 In this course, students will complete the instructional design project that was started in MCST 614 (Medical Cannabis Capstone 1), working with an organization/client to identify a knowledge gap and design an educational intervention. Additionally, students will create a professional portfolio to showcase the work completed as part of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program. 

*Content Provided from UMSOP  Website