17 courses with the subject CAT, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
CAT 108THE SCIENCE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS
This course introduces and examines the endocannabinoid system and the pharmacology of cannabis. The course begins by identifying the differences between Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid cannabis strains to understand what works best for various health issues. Particular emphasis will be on the mechanics of cannabinoid receptors and the effect of endocannabinoids on body systems. Topics covered include drug actions, dose-response relations, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, drug metabolism, drug interaction, and toxicity agents. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0 Credits – 3 PENNSYLVANIA INTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE CATALOG 2026-2027 141
CAT 109THE POLITICS, HISTORY, AND ETHICS OF THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY
This course guides students through the history of medical marijuana legislation and the current status of applicable laws and regulations in the United States. Since several states have also legalized recreational cannabis use, the applicable laws and regulations will also be discussed. The ethical issues of recommending medical cannabis will be identified and analyzed in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. This course fulfills a humanities course elective. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0 Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): None
CAT 131LEGAL ASPECTS OF ALTERNATIVE HEALTH THERAPIES
This course compares the laws enacted by the Federal government versus the State governments. As of 2019, 37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, have approved comprehensive, publicly available medical marijuana/ cannabis programs. In addition, several states have legalized recreational marijuana, which adds to the legal quagmire that has resulted because the Federal government still classifies marijuana as a controlled substance, just like cocaine or heroin. Beyond the issues with the cannabis industry, other legal issues associated with alternative health practices, like Chelation, will be examined. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0 Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): None
Marijuana’s shift towards legalization is rooted in its medicinal properties. Marijuana’s effect on the human body is a constantly researched subject. Students registered for this course will learn about the common conditions that marijuana may be prescribed for, how to become a medical marijuana patient, and read firsthand accounts of those with personal experiences using marijuana as medicine. We will explore cannabis/hemp strains, cannabinoid and terpene profiles and how various strains and their method of administration can provide varied medical and psychotropic effects. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0 Credits - 3
This course examines how cannabis-based interventions can offer pain relief and provide many other palliative-based care options. Ongoing research demonstrates how marijuana works on the brain’s cannabinoid receptors providing additional opportunities for other therapeutic uses. Methods of ingestion, such as dosing with extracts and CBD oils, vaping, smoking a flower, and eating edibles, will be examined to assess efficacy. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): CAT141 Cannabis Health Therapies I PENNSYLVANIA INTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE CATALOG 2026-2027 142
This course focuses on introductory plant biology as a fundamental element of understanding the cannabis plant from a structural and functional perspective. It defines a plant’s structure, function, and development, including a review of the botanical kingdoms, stressing reproductive cycles and evolution. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 Prerequisite(s): None
The role of essential elements in plant nutrition and the practical applications to mitigate soil deficiencies are explored. Emphasis is placed on fertilizer types, usage, and applications for various agronomic and horticulture crops. Nutrient needs for outdoor, indoor, hydroponic, and artificial soil types will be examined. Soil management tactics will be evaluated, including nutrient supply, uptake, and strategies. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 Prerequisite(s): CAT164 Principles of Botany
This course focuses on managing customer service when working with clients often battling severe health issues. Employees at dispensaries (often called budtenders) must be able to not only explain the product but they must also be able to explain how the different strains can assist different health considerations as well as any potential interactions. Additionally, managing a retail establishment is more complicated, especially with banking issues, because cannabis products are illegal on the federal level. This course also allows the students to experience a work-study/cooperative program at a participating Medical Marijuana dispensary. This co-op will give students real patient interaction and the ability to observe and learn the various components of a retail/medical cannabis business. Contact Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): None
This course introduces basic irrigation techniques and the planning, design, and maintenance of irrigation systems. The interdependent relationships of soil, plants, and water are stressed. Students will compare traditional irrigation systems with hydroponic irrigation, identifying the benefits and drawbacks from a management perspective. An additional focus will be on indoor hydroponic irrigation systems for the cannabis plant. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 PENNSYLVANIA INTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE CATALOG 2026-2027 143
CAT 200ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC HEALTH HORTICULTURE I
The course introduces the science and technology of horticulture: Growing cannabis for medical purposes. The course is structured to provide you with a survey of marijuana horticulture. The process will include understanding fundamental concepts integral to all production aspects, such as climate and soil, watering schedules, managing pests, harvesting, growing indoors or outdoors, and managing nutrient levels. Another important aspect of cannabis horticulture is cultivating Terpenes, which are small molecules that give cannabis flavor and aroma. Terpenes also provide unique medical properties, which allow certain strains to be more appropriate for specific medical conditions. Lastly, cloning plants will be addressed. Note: Because of current PA Laws, cannabis will not be grown on campus. Plants that have similar growth patterns will be germinated and harvested. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3
Psychedelics are a class of natural and synthetic compounds that includes psilocybin, MDMA (3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and DMT (dimethyltryptamine). Historically, indigenous populations have used these substances for hundreds of years in traditional healing practices. However, in the 1970s, these substances were reclassified as Schedule I Controlled Substances. In the 1990s, the DEA allowed research to resume on psychedelics, and there is significant evidence that has demonstrated that psychedelics are an effective therapy for mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This class will address the increasing acceptance of the therapeutic use of psychedelics and provide information on emerging psychedelic therapies that may become mainstream in the future. Credits: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3
In response to the increasing need to develop new medical and adult-use marijuana strains, this course will cover the existing and future methods used to create new cultivars or varieties of plants. Cannabis has been successfully and selectively bred for thousands of years, culminating in incredible yields, quality, resistance, and medical effectiveness available in strains today. The strategies used to produce these strains are increasingly based on our knowledge of relevant science, particularly genetics, but it also involves a multidisciplinary understanding that optimizes the approaches taken. Plant Genetics and Breeding introduce both classical and molecular tools for plant breeding. Topics such as biotechnology in plant breeding, intellectual property, risks, emerging concepts, and more are examined. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 Prerequisite(s): CAT164 Principles of Botany PENNSYLVANIA INTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE CATALOG 2026-2027 144
CAT 210ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC HEALTH HORTICULTURE II
This course expands on what students learned in CAT 200, specifically focusing on growing for commercial markets. The demand for hemp-based products and medical marijuana has grown astronomically in recent years, and the industry needs growers who can manage large quantities of plants. Industrial growing for the hemp market will examine the various ways hemp is used and how the marketplace evaluates it. This course also allows the students to experience an internship program at a participating farm and/or grow facility. This internship will give students real horticultural experience and the ability to observe and learn the various methods of growing hemp for medical CBD use. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): CAT 200 Alternative Therapeutic Health Horticulture I
Agribusiness is broadly defined to include suppliers/farmers, agricultural production, commodity processing, manufacturing, and distribution. Introduction to Agribusiness provides the vital information and tools necessary to achieve success collaboratively and interactively. Another major issue that will be examined is what will the marijuana industry look like as legalization spreads. Will corporations sweep in and create Big Marijuana, flooding the market with mass-produced cannabis? Or will marijuana agriculture stay true to its roots in family farming and reflect a sustainable, local, and artisanal ethic? How will the change in laws affect this new industry? As the era of marijuana prohibition comes to an end, now is the time to learn about what the future holds for the marijuana agricultural industry. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 Prerequisite(s): None
This course will cover Agricultural Policy by tracing the foundation of US agricultural laws from their colonial roots to the present and using economic concepts to analyze and interpret political and economic consequences. Agricultural laws and policies from Ancient Roman food production through present-day agricultural reform will be examined, including the English Corn Law and other historical examples of agricultural policies to demonstrate the necessity for governance throughout history. Processes employed to develop US agricultural policies, the structure and function of government, and the implementation of agricultural policy, are investigated. Students will also explore policies specifically related to hemp and marijuana, and their implementation timelines will be examined. Credit Hours: Lecture–3, Lab–0, Credits–3 Prerequisite(s): None
This course will outline what Co2 extracts are and how they are made. This course will cover numerous products made with extracted cannabis oil. Students will explore the latest developments in liquid and solid concentrates and the cutting-edge techniques used in CO2, BHO, and rosin concentrates. The class will also review water extraction methods and examine future trends in extraction technology. PENNSYLVANIA INTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE CATALOG 2026-2027 145
This course identifies the main functions, institutions, and concepts of marketing alternative health therapies. Topic areas include the areas of product, price, promotion, and placement—plus the growth of medical marketing and marketing ethics. Case studies are used to relate lecture topics to the real business world. Specific topics related to cannabis marketing that involve cultural beliefs and legal issues will be discussed at length. Other business opportunities that will be addressed include using technology and social media to advertise, building customer loyalty programs, and developing an ethical brand. Credit Hours: Lecture – 3, Lab – 0, Credits – 3 Prerequisite (s): None
