In 1996, California voters first legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes by passing Proposition 215. Ever since then, marijuana activists have pushed their way to make the distribution of the drug justifiable and now have found their way into the classroom.

Currently a new trade school, Oaksterdam University, has opened its doors in Oakland.

It was created by 45-year-old activist and marijuana paraphernalia store owner Richard Lee, who named the school after an area of Oakland nicknamed Oaksterdam. The name Oaksterdam was created by combining the names of two well known, marijuana friendly cities: Oakland and Amsterdam.

On its website, Oaksterdam University says that it gives “quality training for the cannabis industry.” It offers eight classes including Horticulture 101, Distribution/ MGMT 102, Cannabusiness 102 and Legal Issues 102 which are all taught by instructors who, the trade school says, “have over 50 years of combined experience.”

Its enrollment is decided upon a first-come, first-served basis. Interested students can fill out an application to enroll in one class for $75 or sign up for its weekend package that includes all eight classes for $200. Students, however, must take the school’s Politics/Legal Issues 101 course before enrolling in any of its other classes.

In an in interview with Associated Press reporter Lisa Leff, Lee said, “My basic idea is to try and professionalize the industry and have it taken seriously as a real industry, just like beer and distilling hard alcohol.” There is a big difference, however, between teaching how to brew beer and teaching how to grow marijuana: You can’t get arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration for making beer.

Although marijuana is legal for medical purposes in the state of California by Proposition 215, the federal government still considers the distribution of marijuana illegal and, under the DEA, it is considered a schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs are drugs that are listed by the government to be popularly abused and unacknowledged for medical purposes.

Even though the school’s founder hopes to create a professionalized medical marijuana industry in California, he must first try to use his activism to get the federal government to accept marijuana as a drug that can medically be used.

Anna Torres can be reached at [email protected]