Meramec horticulture students working in the program garden on the west side of the Meramec campus.
By Don Corrigan
Missouri’s marijuana industry has flourished with the voter approval of recreational pot in 2022. Missouri already ranks fifth in pot sales among states with adult-use programs. It surpasses older markets like Colorado in sales.
Nothing shows the industry’s gone legit more than its acceptance among those in higher education. Close to home, St. Louis Community College at Meramec in Kirkwood now has one of the best horticultural programs in marijuana cultivation in Missouri.
One sure sign of its prominence came on Oct. 10 when the St. Louis AgriBusiniess Club met at Meramec and marijuana growing was atop its agenda. The club is regional and covers five counties in Missouri and eight in Illinois.
A three-person panel at the club’s luncheon explained their take on one of the fastest-growing crops and businesses in Missouri. Ryan Schepers, an assistant professor of horticulture at the community college, explained his focus on cannabis and its varied uses.
Ryan Scheppers is a Meramec faculty member who teaches courses in the area of marijuana cultivation and on cannabis industry trends.
“As we move away from the stigmatization of this product, we see more and more curiosity as to what the different strains can do,” said Schepers. “And we get questions as to what kind of ailments can be treated with what kind of strains.”
With hands-on experience in urban agriculture, environmental control, biotechnology and invasive plant management, Scheppers offers students valuable insights into the real world applications of their Meramec studies.
Panelist Brian Riegel, owner of Riegel Dairy Inc. and South Point Hemp Inc., has built a career at the intersection of traditional farming and the expanding hemp industry. Riegel said he was attracted to hemp, in part, because of his personal use of the product for pain management.
“Getting into this as a dairy farmer has been pretty amazing,” said Riegel. “What’s also amazing is to see the changes and to get a handle on just what’s happened with marijuana over the past 10 years.”
At South Point Hemp, Riegel said he pursues high quality standards with a vision to produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products. He also seeks to support college research programs across the country, including collaborations with Saint Louis University, Washington University and Meramec.
Panelist Chris Chesley serves as a retail operations advisor at Proper Cannabis, which has a growing facility in Rock Hill. He is a cannabis industry leader with a track record in business development, regulatory compliance and government relations.
Cannabis Coursework
According to Meramec’s Scheppers, the horticultural program at his school is among the first in the state to offer a certificate of specialization in Cannabis and Hemp Production. The certificate has the approval of the Missouri Department of Higher Education.
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